Mark Briscoe Says WWE Rejected Him and Jay Due to Appearance

Mark Briscoe revealed during an appearance on Talk is Jericho that he and his brother Jay almost joined WWE but the company had a bizarre reason for not signing them.

During the podcast, Chris Jericho asked Mark about the time he and Jay went for a tryout with WWE. Mark revealed that they received positive feedback from everyone and were expecting to be signed, but they were told by John Laurinaitis that the company was going to pass for the time being.

Later, when Laurinaitis spoke to Jay, he said that they weren’t “cosmetically pleasing enough.” This comment was surprising for the Briscoe Brothers, who had never heard anything like it before. Mark also mentioned that Laurinaitis was quite impressed with their work in the ring, but the cosmetic issue became the deal breaker.

The comment didn’t sit well with Mark and Jay, but they didn’t let it affect their passion for wrestling. They continued to work hard in Ring of Honor and became multiple-time tag team champions. Mark also said that he doesn’t hold a grudge against WWE and understands that it’s a cosmetic business, but he found the reason for not signing them quite strange.

“Everybody was saying everybody really liked you. I really think they’re gonna bring you guys on. I guess it was a week or two after we had got home, we were just waiting to hear back because they said we will let you know. John Laurinaitis told me, ‘Yeah, we really liked your stuff but I think we’re going to pass for right now. Let us know if you guys want another try.’ That kind of rubbed me the wrong way. But then I guess when he talked to Jay, as he called Jay either right before he called me or called Jay right after he called me, he said, ‘Man, you know what he told me? He said that we not cosmetically pleasing enough.’”

While the Briscoe Brothers may have missed out on a chance to join WWE, they have had a successful career in Ring of Honor and have become one of the most popular tag teams in wrestling history.

What do you think of WWE’s reason for not signing the Briscoe Brothers? Do you think it’s fair for a wrestling company to prioritize a wrestler’s appearance over their in-ring skills? Leave a comment.