Professional wrestling star Jay Briscoe – whose real name was Jimin Pugh – has died aged 38.
Several news outlets, including Sports Illustrated, reported that he was killed in a car accident in Laurel, Delaware, but this has not been confirmed.
A spokesman told JEE News that police planned to release more information about a fatal crash there on Tuesday night.
All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan announced Briscoe’s death.
“Sadly, Jimin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH [wrestling company Ring of Honor] for over 20 years,” he wrote on Twitter. .
“From the first show to today, Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day,” he said.
Briscoe joined ROG in 2002 and was regarded as one of the best tag team wrestlers in the world. He competed with his brother Mark and the duo became known as the Briscoe Brothers.
They were 13-time ROH World Tag Team Champions and were inducted into the inaugural class of the ROH Hall of Fame last year.
World Wrestling Entertainment chief content officer Paul Levesque – better known by his ring name Triple H – called Briscoe an “incredible performer who has created a deep connection with wrestling fans around the world”.
“My condolences to the family and friends of Jay Briscoe,” he said.
Delaware police tweeted about a fatal crash in the town of Laurel Tuesday evening but did not identify the victims.
After the incident, the Laurel School District called the accident an “unimaginable tragedy” and asked the community to “keep the Pugh family in their thoughts and prayers.”
