| Jay Lethal | |
|---|---|
 Lethal in 2016 | |
| Birth name | Jamar Shipman |
| Born | (1985-04-29)April 29, 1985 (age 39) Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Black Machismo[1] Hydro[2] Jamar Cunningham[2] Jay Lethal[2] J.R. Lethal[3] RPM[4] El Lethál[5] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[6][7] |
| Billed weight | 223 lb (101 kg)[8] |
| Billed from | Elizabeth, New Jersey[6][7][8] |
| Trained by | Dan Maff[2] Jersey All Pro Wrestling[2] Mikey Whipwreck[1] Christian Dittmann[2] |
| Debut | December 7, 2001[9] |
Jamar Shipman[10] (born April 29, 1985), better known by thering nameJay Lethal, is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenures inRing of Honor (ROH) andTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Dubbed "The Franchise" of Ring of Honor, Lethal is a two-timeROH World Champion, and holds the record formost combined days with the ROH World Championship in company history.[11][12] He was also arecord-setting two-time and longest reigningROH World Television Champion, holding the title for 567 days, and the only man to hold the World Television Championship and the World Championship at the same time, and a formerROH World Tag Team Champion withJonathan Gresham. Lethal is recognized by ROH as aGrand Slam Champion, and is the only man to have held the ROH World, World Tag Team, World Television andPure championships. In 2020, he was selected by Ring of Honor as theirWrestler of the Decade (2010s).[13]
He is also known for his work TNA, where he was asix-timeTNA X Division Champion and aformerTNA World Tag Team Champion withConsequences Creed as TheLethal Consequences. Between ROH and TNA, Lethal has won 13 total championships.
Jamar Shipman was born on April 29, 1985, inElizabeth, New Jersey.[10] He is the middle child of Ronald and Shirley Shipman, with two brothers and two sisters.[14] In July 2001, aged 16, Shipman won a contest held byJersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) which entitled the winner to a lifetime of free training in the JAPWprofessional wrestling school.[14] He spent six months training there, at the end of which the school closed down.[14] He then began training underExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) alumniMikey Whipwreck andDan Maff.[2]
Shipman made his wrestling debut under the ring name Jay Lethal on December 7, 2001, at JAPW's "Class Of 2001 Student Show", in a match where he defeated Dixie.[15] He won his first Championship, theJAPW Television Championship, on September 13, 2002, in Bayonne, New Jersey, atNever Forget, defeating the champion, Ghost Shadow, and Rain in a three-way match.[16] His reign lasted an unprecedented and unreplicated eleven months, with Lethal finally losing to Crazy Ivan on August 22, 2003, inRahway, New Jersey atCounter-Strike.[17] Lethal also held theJAPW Light Heavyweight Championship, defeating the champion, Azrieal, Insane Dragon andJack Evans on February 28, 2004, atRevolution, in a four-way match.[18] Azrieal tried to regain the title for eight months, but repeatedly lost to Lethal.[18] On December 10, 2004, atSeasons Beatings, Azrieal gained one more shot at the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship by challenging Lethal to a "belt versus loser leaves town" match, which would see Azrieal leave JAPW if he lost. Azrieal was able to win the match, thus ending their lengthyfeud.[18]
With two lengthy title reigns in the space of two years, Lethal had established himself as a dominant member of the JAPW roster by 2005, and he began challenging for theJAPW Heavyweight Championship, which had been held by Dan Maff since December 2003. On January 29, 2005, atWild Card, Lethal pinned Maff in a title match, but the decision was overturned by crooked referee Sean Hanson.[19] In March 2005, Maff left JAPW and retired from wrestling following an argument withHomicide, thus vacating the JAPW Heavyweight Championship. Lethal was awarded the Heavyweight Championship on March 26 atCaged Fury 2 held in theECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but he refused to accept it, claiming that he wanted to "earn" the title. JAPW mainstay Homicide then challenged Lethal to an impromptu match for the vacant title, which Homicide won.[19] Lethal finally won the JAPW Heavyweight Championship on May 21 in Braintree, Massachusetts, atBraintree Invasion defeating Homicide,Kevin Steen andSamoa Joe in a four-way match by pinning Homicide following adiving headbutt.[19]
Lethal defeatedSteve Corino on June 4 atHomeComing with his father in his corner, but, after the match, Corino andRicky Landell handcuffed Lethal to the top rope and attacked his father with Corino placing him in acrossface.[19] This led to a six-man tag match on July 16, atGored pitting Lethal and his father against Corino, Landell and Landell's manager, Rick Silver. Lethal and his father were outnumbered, but managed to pull off a win at the last minute after Lethal's mother introduced their partner, the returningCharlie Haas.[19] After Haas attacked Lethal during the post-match celebrations, a title match was booked between Haas and Lethal forHaas of Pain held on September 10, which was won by Lethal.[19] On October 22 at8th Year Anniversary Show Lethal ended his feud with Corino by defeating him for the title in aDog Collar match with help fromTommy Dreamer.[19]
Lethal's next feud would be with The D-Factor'sRhino, who, on November 12, 2005, atFall Out, assaulted him following his successful title defense againstB-Boy.[19] On January 7, 2006, atWild Card II, Lethal lost the JAPW Heavyweight Championship to Rhino,[20] who won the bout after giving Lethal aRhino Driver through a table from the top rope. Lethal tried twice to regain his title, first on February 18, 2006, in a three-way match which also includedTeddy Hart,[20] and then on May 20, 2006, but was unsuccessful both times at regaining the title. After unsuccessfully going after the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship held byFrankie Kazarian,[20] Lethal and former rival Azrieal managed to win theJAPW Tag Team Championship by defeating the champions The Outcast Killaz (Oman Tortuga and Diablo Santiago) andThe S.A.T. (Jose and Joel Maximo) in a three-way dance on October 28, 2006, at9th Year Anniversary Show, held in Rahway, New Jersey.[20] On June 9, 2007, atBack to Business,The Latin American Xchange of Homicide andHernandez defeated Lethal and Azrieal for the titles.[21]
At the beginning of 2009 Lethal proclaimed that it was his destiny to win back the JAPW Heavyweight title, held byKenny Omega.[22] On February 28, 2009, in Jersey City, atJersey City Rumble Lethal won a 21-personJersey City Rumble to earn the right to challenge for Omega's title that same night.[23] In the end, Lethal pinned Omega with theflipping release dragon suplex after Omega's associate Dan Maff turned on him, to win the JAPW Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[23] During the match Maff had also attacked Lethal and that lead to a Championship match between the two on March 28, atUnfinished Business, in which Lethal managed to retain his title.[23] Lethal defeated Maff again on April 18 atInternational Invasion, but only afterTrent Acid interfered in the match.[23] Their feud ended on June 27 in Jersey City, atCaged Destiny, when Maff defeated Lethal for the title inside asteel cage.[23] Lethal has not made any appearances for JAPW since.
Shipman made hisRing of Honor (ROH) debut as Hydro, a member of Special K onRevenge on the Prophecy held inWest Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on January 11, 2003.[24] On May 22, 2004, atGeneration Next he facedAlex Shelley in a singles match.[24] Though he lost, Shelley recognized his pure wrestling talent and offered him membership inGeneration Next, Shelley's stable of future stars. Hydro declined, opting to remain part of Special K.[25] Hydro won a four corner survival match atWorld Title Classic on June 12, which entitled him to enter the Pure Wrestling tournament later that year.[24] AtSurvival of the Fittest on June 24, he and Dixie took part in a four-way tag match for theTag Team Championship in a losing effort, asCM Punk single-handedly defended the title to allow his tag team partner and co-championColt Cabana to prepare for his match later that evening.[26] Hydro then challenged Punk to an impromptu match, which Punk also won.[26] Hydro shook hands before the match, thus following the "Code of Honor" (which Special K normally ignored).[26]
Hydro took part in the Pure Wrestling tournament on July 17, 2004, atReborn: Completion.[24] At the outset of the event,World Champion Samoa Joe advised Hydro to change his name and become more serious.[27] Acting on Joe's advice, Hydro left Special K and went back to calling himself Jay Lethal. He was eliminated from the tournament afterDoug Williams pinned him in a four-way match using theChaos Theory.[24]
AtTesting the Limit on August 7, Lethal took part in a four-way match, pitting him against Alex Shelley,Ace Steel and2 Cold Scorpio. Despite the moral support of his parents, who were in the audience, Lethal suffered a second loss to Shelley.[24] Having rejected Shelley's offer of a place in Generation Next before the match for a second time, Lethal asked Shelley for a singles match.[28] Lethal and Shelley faced one another for a third time on August 28 atScramble Cage Melee, with Shelley cheating to gain a third victory.[24] Having lost every match for months, Lethal was obliged to faceMatt Stryker atGlory by Honor III on September 11 with his ROH career on the line. Lethal won, breaking his losing streak.[24]Low Ki, who had been feuding with Samoa Joe for several months, challenged Lethal, as Joe's protégé, atThe Midnight Express Reunion on October 2.[29] In the course of the match, Low Ki'smanagerJulius Smokes harassed Lethal's parents (once again watching the match from the audience) and Low Kispat at Lethal's mother.[29] Low Ki easily defeated Lethal, then mocked him after the match.[29]
Lethal lost toChad Collyer atGold on October 15,[24] but recovered with a win overDelirious the next day atJoe vs. Punk II.[24] He teamed with his mentor, Samoa Joe, and lost toR. J. Brewer andNigel McGuinness atWeekend Of Thunder: Night One on November 5,[24] before suffering another loss toThe Embassy memberJimmy Rave the subsequent evening.[24] After his match with Rave, Lethal attackedPrince Nana, the leader of The Embassy.[30] This led to Nana recruiting severalmaskedmercenaries (dubbed the "Weapons of Masked Destruction") in an attempt to end Lethal's career. Lethal defeated both WMDs atAll-Star Extravaganza 2 on December 4[24] andFinal Battle 2004 on December 26[24] respectively, in both cases ending the match with his signature flipping release dragon suplex.
Lethal's feud with The Embassy continued into 2005, and on February 19 at theThird Anniversary Celebration: Part One he pinned Embassy member Jimmy Rave to become number one contender to thePure Championship.[31] Pure Champion and Embassy memberR. J. Brewer, who had control over when to wrestle his title matches, chose to have the title defense immediately after Lethal's match, defeating the exhausted Lethal to retain his title following a trifecta ofLung Blowers.[31] Lethal was scheduled to face Walters for the title in a re-match atTrios Tournament 2005 on March 5 inPhiladelphia, but was attacked by an unknown assailant backstage, resulting in Lethal's eye swelling shut.[32] Despite the injury, Lethal went on to defeat Walters later that night to win the Pure Championship,[24] his first title in ROH.[33]
On March 12 atBack to Basics, Lethal and Samoa Joe teamed once again to face CM Punk andSpanky, with Lethal pinning Spanky with a bridging dragon suplex.[24] At theBest of the American Super Juniors Tournament on April 2, Lethal and Joe facedJimmy Jacobs andB. J. Whitmer for the vacant Tag Team Championship, but were defeated.[24] Lethal retained his Pure Championship in a match with Spanky atStalemate on April 16,[24] but on May 7 atManhattan Mayhem he lost the title to his mentor Samoa Joe.[24][33] After the match, both men were ambushed after the match byThe Rottweilers, who revealed Low Ki was the one who attacked Lethal atTrios Tournament 2005.[34] This led to a tag match that same night pitting Lethal and Joe against Low Ki and fellow Rottweiler Homicide. The match ended when Homicide gave LethalDa Cop Killa while Low Ki simultaneously delivered aGhetto Stomp, driving Lethal's neck into the ground.[34] Lethal wasstretchered from the arena, wearing aneck brace, ostensibly seriously injured.
After being out "injured" for a month, Lethal returned on June 12 atThe Future is Now to saveJames Gibson from a beating at the hands of The Rottweilers.[35] He returned to the ring on June 18 atDeath Before Dishonor III, where he faced Low Ki in a grudge match which was declared a no contest after both men were disqualified.[24] AtSign of Dishonor on July 8, Lethal teamed with fellow former Special K member Dixie to defeat The Heartbreak Express.[24] Later that evening,Mick Foley forced World Champion CM Punk, who had signed withWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was trying to leave ROH with the World Championship, to defend his title against Lethal.[36] Punk retained his title with amuscle buster/rear naked choke combination, often used by Samoa Joe, who had come ringside to cheer Lethal on.[36]
Seeking revenge for the neck injury he had in May, Lethal challenged Homicide atEscape from New York on July 9, but lost due to Homicide using a chain.[37] On July 23 atThe Homecoming he joined forces with Samoa Joe and James Gibson to face The Rottweilers (Homicide, Low Ki andRicky Reyes) but again suffered a defeat, with Homicide using the chain this time on Gibson.[38] Lethal challenged Low Ki once more on August 12 atRedemption as part of his ongoing rivalry with The Rottweilers. The match ended in a draw after the enemies fought outside the ring and were counted out. After the match, Homicide came to the ring to attack Lethal, but was stopped by his opponent for the night,Matt Hardy.[39] On August 13 atPunk: The Final Chapter, Lethal and Joe defeated Low Ki and Homicide by disqualification after Homicide hit anelbow drop to the referee.[40] Afterwards the four men brawled all over the arena, with Low KiGhetto Stomping Lethal off the bleachers and ending with him giving Lethal theKi Krusher in the middle of the ring.[40]
AtGlory by Honor IV on September 17, Lethal lost to Low Ki in a "Fight Without Honor".[41] He went on to defeat Low Ki later that night, however, in a standard singles match to end their feud.[41] He defeatedSal Rinauro to advance to the finals of the2005 Survival of the Fittest tournament on September 24, but was eliminated byRoderick Strong.[42]
After unsuccessfully challenging Nigel McGuinness for the Pure Championship on October 1,[24] Lethal went undefeated until November 19, 2005, when he and Samoa Joe lost to Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in a number one contender's match for the Tag Team Championship.[24] On December 3, 2005, atSteel Cage Warfare, Lethal wrestled Joe in an exhibition match. During the bout, Lethal turnedheel by attacking Joe's knee with a chair and then pinned him with the flipping release dragon suplex.[43]
On January 27, 2006, Lethal teamed withBryan Danielson, losing to Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in a match for the Tag Team Championship.[24] At theFourth Anniversary Show on February 25, 2006, inEdison, New Jersey, Lethal lost cleanly to Samoa Joe to end their short-lived feud.[24] He departed from the promotion following this, but subsequently returned three times for one-night appearances (working all matches as aface), losing to Pure ChampionNigel McGuinness on May 13,[24] teaming with Colt Cabana on July 15 in a losing effort against Jimmy Rave and Sal Rinauro,[24] and losing a four way survival match againstClaudio Castagnoli,Christopher Daniels, and the match winner, Nigel McGuinness on August 5, 2006.[24]
While wrestling for JAPW, Lethal caught the eye ofTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)producer andannouncerJeremy Borash, who offered him a spot in the TNA roster.[14] Lethal debuted in TNA on the December 17, 2005 episode ofImpact!, losing toX Division Champion and fellow ROH alum Samoa Joe.[44] In January 2006, he was signed to a contract by TNA. He made hispay-per-view debut atAgainst All Odds in 2006 on February 12, defeatingMatt Bentley,Alex Shelley andPetey Williams in a four-way match by pinning Williams.[45]
On the February 18, 2006 episode ofImpact!, Lethal defeatedRoderick Strong andShannon Moore to earn a spot inTeam USA, the defending champions in the 2006World X Cup.[46] Other members of the team wereChris Sabin,Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley.[2] Team USA wrestled their first match atLockdown on April 23, 2006, where Lethal, Dutt and Shelley lost toTeam Japan (Black Tiger,Minoru Tanaka andHirooki Goto) after Black Tiger pinned Lethal with aBlack Tiger suplex.[47] On the April 27, 2006 episode ofImpact!, Lethal unsuccessfully challenged Samoa Joe for the X Division Championship.[48] On May 14 atSacrifice Lethal participated in the World X Cup Gauntlet match, but ended up being the second to last man eliminated from the match byTeam Mexico'sPuma.[2] The tournament ended on the following episode ofImpact! with Chris Sabin defeatingTeam Canada's Petey Williams to win the World X Cup for Team USA.[49]
In the June 1, 2006 episode ofImpact!, Lethal scored a win over Alex Shelley, but was after the match attacked by his associateKevin Nash, who had declared a war on the X Division in the aftermath of Team USA's World X Cup victory.[49][50] During the July 13, 2006 episode, Lethal won the right to challenge for the title of his choosing by scoring the deciding fall in an eight-man "All or Nothing" tag team match, where he teamed with Rhino andTeam 3D (Brother Ray andBrother Devon) against Team Canada (Petey Williams,Bobby Roode,Eric Young andA1).[51] The next week, Lethal challengedJeff Jarrett for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated following interference fromScott Steiner.[52] Two weeks later, Lethal took part in a five way X Division match to determine the number one contender for the title. Although Petey Williams won the match,[53] one week later Lethal was added to the match, making it a three-way match for the X Division title atHard Justice involving Lethal, Williams and defending championSenshi. Lethal was pinned by Senshi after Williams hit him with hisCanadian Destroyer.[54]
In a strongproduct placement, Lethal alongside Sonjay Dutt, got fellow X Division superstar Chris Sabin ready for his match atNo Surrender by watching clips ofJackass Number Two, which was being heavily promoted by TNA at the time.[55] One night onImpact!, during Chris Sabin's match with Alex Shelley, Shelley's partnerJohnny Devine was pushed in a shopping cart and rammed into the steel post, allowing Sabin to pin Shelley.[56] The following week, Lethal was able to defeat Petey Williams after Sabin and Dutt distracted the referee, allowing Lethal to roll a bowling ball into Petey's groin.[57] Following in this storyline, Lethal went on to defeat Williams again on September 24, 2006, at the No Surrender pay-per-view, following Williams allegedly being givenlaxatives by stable mate Dutt, rendering him incapable of doing most of his moves, and giving Lethal the victory when Williams could no longer "hold it".[58] He and Dutt were also involved in Sabin's match later in the night with similar antics involving a blow-up doll, but to no avail as Sabin would lose the match despite the interference.[58] These, too, were designed as advertising forJackass Number Two, as were other moments forMortal Kombat: Armageddon.
In December 2006, Kevin Nash recruited Lethal, Senshi,Austin Starr, Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley to compete in a tournament known as the Paparazzi Championship Series.[59] The series included a push-up contest, musical chairs, Limbo contest, Texas Hold'em and a few others, although Lethal did not win the tournament. After the tournament, which concluded in January 2007, Lethal and Dutt continued appearing in Paparazzi segments with Nash and PCS winner Alex Shelley, with Nash promising to give Lethal and Dutt Extreme Makeovers to help advance their careers.[60] The February 15 episode ofImpact! included a segment named "Paparazzi Idol", a parody ofAmerican Idol. After Lethal's attempt to sing was disliked by the judges, judge Kevin Nash suggested that Lethal do an impression, to which Lethal responded with a spot-on impression of wrestling legend"Macho Man" Randy Savage.[61] The April 5, 2007 episode ofImpact! presented Lethal and Dutt with their newgimmicks; Lethal's new gimmick was impersonating Savage.[62] The following week, Nash introduced Lethal, who was led to the ring by a remixed version of Savage's entrance theme "Pomp and Circumstance" and dressed in full "Macho Man" attire, as "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal. He imitated Savage's trademark catchphrase "Oh yeah!" and was able to defeat X Division Champion Chris Sabin using many of Savage's signature in-ring maneuvers and mannerisms, most notably hisdiving elbow drop finisher.[63]
At theLockdown pay-per-view on April 15, 2007, Lethal nearly won the X Division title from Sabin in a five-person Xscape match (five start the match in the cage; the first three eliminations are done by pinfall or submission; the final two must then try to escape the cage, with the first one to exit being declared the winner). Lethal and Sabin were both climbing over the same side of the cage, fighting as they went, and Sabin kicked Lethal's leg so that his leg went through the bars of the cage, trapping him there while Sabin jumped down and won the match.[64] On the April 26 episode ofImpact! Lethal andtag team partner, Sonjay Dutt, who had rejected Nash's idea for his new gimmick, won a shot at the X Division Championship held by Chris Sabin atSacrifice. Dutt, however, was unhappy at Lethal getting the pinfall.[65] After their loss to Sabin at Sacrifice, both Dutt and Lethal started brawling until Kevin Nash came out and separated the two until Dutt kicked Nash and stormed out of the ring visibly upset.[66] On May 8, TNA Mobile announced that Randy Savage himself called Jay Lethal and said that he loved the "Black Machismo" character as the two spoke on the phone for several minutes.[67] However, Lethal subsequently expressed doubt over whether he had really spoken with Savage as the Macho Man's trademark voice is easily imitated. AtSlammiversary, Lethal defeated Chris Sabin in a singles match for the X Division Championship, his first title in TNA.[68] Only days later, however, on the followingImpact!, he lost the title to Samoa Joe after Chris Sabin was pinned, in a Match of Champions three-way qualifying match.[69]
AtVictory Road Lethal competed in anUltimate X gauntlet match in a losing effort after Christopher Daniels retrieved the X.[70] AtHard Justice Lethal and Sonjay Dutt, who had made peace with Lethal after coming up with the gimmick of a guru, defeatedTriple X's Christopher Daniels and Senshi andThe Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) in a three-way tag match when Lethal pinned Daniels.[71] This led toJim Cornette booking a match on the August 16 episode ofImpact! pitting Daniels versus Lethal with the winner becoming the number one contender to the X Division title, which Lethal would go on to win.[72] As a result of that Lethal would go on to faceTriple Crown championKurt Angle for the X Division title atNo Surrender, where Lethal would beat Anglecleanly with a roll-up to win the X Division Championship for the second time.[73]
AtGenesis Lethal successfully defended his X Division Championship against his best friend, Sonjay Dutt, who during the match once again began showing signs of annoyance towards Lethal and his mannerisms.[74] However, after the match Dutt made peace with Lethal, who then invitedSoCal Val, TNA's ring girl, to the ring to celebrate the victory. The celebration was cut short by Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon), who were at the time feuding with thefan favorite-turned Motor City Machineguns, who beat down both Lethal and Dutt and left the arena with Lethal's Championship belt.[74] 3D later declared a war on the entire X Division, claiming that its wrestlers were just "little boys" and that they needed to be toughened up. During the feud Johnny Devine turned on the X Division and joined Team 3D, often carrying Lethal's stolen belt around, before officially winning it in aStreet Fight on the January 24, 2008, episode ofImpact!, following interference from Team 3D.[75] The feud ended on February 10 atAgainst All Odds, where Lethal, Shelley and Sabin defeated Team 3D and Devine in a six-man street fight, ending with Lethal pinning Devine to also win back the X Division Championship.[76] On April 17, 2008, Lethal lost his X Division title after Petey Williams attacked him from behind after a match and cashed in his"Feast or Fired" briefcase for his X Division title shot.[77]
On the next episode ofImpact!, Lethal proposed to hison-screen girlfriend SoCal Val, which she accepted. AtSlammiversary Sonjay Dutt, after months of teasing, finally turned heel by interrupting the wedding ceremony and proclaiming his love for Val, before attacking Lethal and his wedding guests.[78] On the next twoImpact! Lethal attacked Dutt out of rage when Dutt claimed that Val loved him.[79][80] On the nextImpact! So Cal Val said that she wanted to put off the wedding.[81] Dutt and Lethal met atVictory Road in a one on one contest, which Dutt won after Val pleaded with Lethal to stop hurting Dutt, which allowed Dutt to take advantage and roll up Lethal.[82] Lethal proposed to Val again, but found that her ring was missing, as Dutt had stolen it. Lethal and Dutt would meet again in aBlack TieBrawl and Chain match atHard Justice, which Lethal won, even though Val distracted him by leaving during the match, because he wouldn't stop hurting Dutt.[83] During a segment ofKaren's Angle, Dutt confronted Val and attempted to seduce her, until Lethal attacked him and during the fight accidentally elbowed Val in the face.[84] The following week Val announced that she would put the wedding ring up for grabs in a "Ladder of Love match" on September 14 atNo Surrender.[85] At No Surrender Val turned on Lethal by giving him alow blow, which allowed Dutt to climb the ladder and get the wedding ring.[86]
AtBound for Glory IV Lethal won theSteel Asylum match to become the number 1 contender to the X Division title.[87] On the October 23 live episode ofImpact!Sheik Abdul Bashir defeated Lethal to retain the championship.[88] The following week, Lethal along withA.J. Styles, Samoa Joe,Consequences Creed, Petey Williams, Eric Young,O.D.B. andThe Motor City Machine Guns formed a faction of younger wrestlers known as theTNA Frontline to opposeThe Main Event Mafia.[89]
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[90] On the January 8, 2009 episode ofImpact!, Lethal cashed in his briefcase, formed a team with Consequences Creed and defeated then-championsBeer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode andJames Storm) after Roode's singles match withMatt Morgan to become the new TNA World Tag Team Champions.[91] However, they quickly lost the titles back to Beer Money, Inc. at theGenesis pay-per-view on January 11.[92]
On January 15, Lethal and Creed defeatedAbyss and Matt Morgan to earn another shot at the Tag Team Championship.[93] Upon becoming the number one contenders, Lethal and Creed formed a long-term tag team known asLethal Consequences (a combination of their ring names) and then started a feud with The Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) after dissention between the Guns and the Frontline.[2] They were scheduled a match with the Guns on February 5, but Beer Money interfered in Creed's entrance, injuring his left shoulder. Frontline member Eric Young substituted for Creed, winning the match with aDeath Valley driver to both Shelley and Sabin.[94] Beer Money then went on to retain the title atAgainst All Odds due to Creed's shoulder injury.[95] After their title match, Lethal Consequences continued their feud with the Motor City Machineguns, with both teams winning one match a piece over the next two weeks.[2] AtDestination X, Lethal competed in an Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship, along with Consequences Creed, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley andSuicide, who ended up winning the match and the Championship.[96]
On April 24, 2009, it was announced on TNAWrestling.com that Lethal had signed a new multi-year deal with the company.[97]
On the November 5, 2009, episode ofImpact! Jay Lethal announced an open invitational challenge. Due to the announcement ofHulk Hogan joining TNA, Lethal challenged wrestling legends to take him on.[98] The following week,Jim Neidhart answered the challenge and defeated Lethal.[99] The series continued on the December 17 episode ofImpact!, whenTatanka answered the challenge and defeated Lethal in a singles match.[100] After months of inactivity, Lethal's alliance with Consequences Creed came officially to an end on March 29, 2010, when Creed was released from his contract.[101]
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After spending most of early 2010 off TV, Lethal returned on the March 29 episode ofImpact! by approaching Hulk Hogan, reminiscing about their days as "The Mega Powers" (Hogan's old team with Randy Savage). Playing along with Lethal's antics, Hogan placed him in charge of the show for his one-week absence due to a business trip. After raising the ire of Hogan's business partnerEric Bischoff with his comedic booking ideas, Bischoff placed Lethal in a two-on-one handicap match against Beer Money, Inc.; Lethal, however, managed to win the match after surprising Robert Roode with a roll-up.[102] On the May 3 episode ofImpact!, Hogan gave LethalRic Flair's Hall of Fame ring that Abyss had won from him the previous week. When Lethal, now imitating Flair, was confronted by Flair himself, he claimed that he meant no disrespect and out of respect towards Flair, returned the ring to him. This, however, wasn't enough for Flair, who attacked Lethal along with A.J. Styles,Desmond Wolfe and Beer Money, Inc., before he was saved by Abyss, Team 3D and theTNA World Heavyweight ChampionRob Van Dam.[103] AtSacrifice, Lethal came out during the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between champion Rob Van Dam and challenger A.J. Styles, and locked Ric Flair in aFigure-four leglock in order to prevent him from interfering in the match.[104] On the May 20 episode ofImpact!, Lethal competed in his first match after dropping the Black Machismo gimmick, and teamed up with Rob Van Dam to defeat Beer Money, Inc. in a tag team match. After the match, Lethal brawled with Flair.[105] AtSlammiversary VIII, Lethal defeated Flair's protégé A.J. Styles in a singles match.[106] After defeating Desmond Wolfe, another one of Flair's allies, on the June 17 episode ofImpact!, Hogan granted him a match with Flair atVictory Road.[107] On July 11 at Victory Road, Lethal defeated Flair with his own move, the figure-four leglock.[108] On the August 5 episode ofImpact!, Lethal faced Flair in a rematch, this time contested under Street Fight rules, with A.J. Styles, Kazarian, Robert Roode and James Storm of Flair'sFortune stable banned from ringside. Flair managed to win the match, after an interference from X Division ChampionDouglas Williams, who would officially join Fortune the following week.[109] On September 6, at the tapings of the September 16 episode ofImpact!, Lethal defeated Williams to win the X Division Championship for the fourth time.[110][111] On September 23, at alive event inNew York City, Lethal lost the X Division Championship toAmazing Red.[112] Lethal regained the title two days later at a live event in Rahway, New Jersey.[113] AtBound for Glory, Lethal successfully defended the X Division Championship against Douglas Williams.[114]
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After his title match at Bound for Glory, Lethal was attacked byRobbie E, who claimed he was a disgrace to New Jersey and vowed to bring some class to the X Division Championship himself.[115] On the October 28 episode ofImpact!, Robbie E defeated Lethal in a non–title Street Fight, after interference from his managerCookie, to earn the right to challenge for the X Division Championship.[116] AtTurning Point, Lethal lost the X Division Championship to Robbie E, after another interference from Cookie.[117] After suffering another loss to Robbie and Cookie on the following episode ofImpact! in a mixed tag team match, where he teamed withTaylor Wilde, Lethal came to the conclusion that he needed to find someone who could negate Cookie the next time he went for the X Division Championship.[118][119] AtFinal Resolution, Lethal faced Robbie E in a match for the X Division Championship, during which Cookie was suspended above the ring in a shark cage. Robbie retained the title via disqualification, when Lethal was caught using Cookie's hairspray on him.[120] On December 7 at the tapings of the December 16 episode ofImpact!, Lethal defeated Robbie E, afterChristy Hemme came out to negate Cookie, to win the X Division Championship for the sixth time, and after the match celebrated with Hemme which led to a kiss between the two; Lethal now shared the record for most reigns as the X Division Champion.[121][122] On January 9, 2011 atGenesis, Lethal lost the X Division Championship to Fortune member Kazarian.[123] On April 21, 2011, it was reported that Lethal had parted ways with TNA. His final match for the promotion was an eight-man Xscape match, which took place on April 17 atLockdown.[124] His last televised match was aired on the April 19 episode ofXplosion, in a three-way match withSangriento and Chris Sabin.[125] Lethal's release from TNA was later used to ignite a storyline feud between the X Division and Eric Bischoff, as well as add fuel to the ongoing feud between the now-face Fortune and Bischoff'sImmortal stable, with both Robert Roode and Brian Kendrick naming him on the May 5 episode ofImpact!.[126]
On May 2, 2011, ROH announced that Lethal would be making his return to the promotion on June 26 at theBest in the World 2011 internet pay-per-view.[127] In his ROH return match Lethal, as a face defeatedMike Bennett.[128] On August 8, ROH announced that Lethal had signed a contract with the promotion.[129] On August 13, at the firstRing of Honor Wrestling tapings under theSinclair Broadcast Group banner, Lethal defeatedEl Generico to win theROH World Television Championship.[130] On September 17 atDeath Before Dishonor IX, Lethal teamed up with fellow TNA alum Homicide in a tag team match, where they were defeated by Embassy's Rhino andTommaso Ciampa.[131] On December 3, Lethal defeated nineteen other men in the Honor Rumble to earn a shot at theROH World Championship in 2012.[132] On December 23 atFinal Battle 2011, Lethal successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship in a three-way match against El Generico and Mike Bennett.[133]
At the January 7, 2012, tapings ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Lethal successfully defended the title against Bennett in a No Time Limit match.[134] On January 20, Lethal unsuccessfully challengedDavey Richards for the ROH World Championship.[135] On March 4 at the10th Anniversary Show, Lethal's ROH World Television Championship match with Tommaso Ciampa ended in a fifteen-minute time limit draw.[136] On March 31 atShowdown in the Sun, Lethal lost the World Television Championship to Roderick Strong, following outside interference from Ciampa.[137][138] At the following pay-per-view,Border Wars on May 12, Lethal defeated Ciampa in a singles match to end his undefeated streak.[139] On June 24 atBest in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, Lethal failed in his attempt to regain the World Television Championship from Strong in a three-way elimination match, also involving Ciampa.[140] The feud between Lethal and Ciampa culminated on August 11 atBoiling Point, where Lethal defeated Ciampa in atwo-out-of-three-falls match.[141] On September 22, Lethal won the2012 Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn another shot at the ROH World Championship.[142] Lethal received his title shot on October 6 in Rahway, New Jersey, but the match with Kevin Steen ended in a no contest.[143]
Following the match, ROH shot anangle, where Steen spat at Lethal's parents at ringside,[144] which led to Lethal snapping and attacking several ROH officials, including Jim Cornette.[145] Having found his "killer instinct", Lethal appeared at the following internet pay-per-view,Glory By Honor XI: The Unbreakable Hope on October 13, earning a submission win over Davey Richards.[144] After defeating Rhino on December 16 atFinal Battle 2012: Doomsday, Lethal petitioned for a shot at the ROH World Championship, which was turned down by matchmaker Nigel McGuinness, leading to Lethal spitting in his face and the two brawling with each other.[146] At the January 5, 2013, tapings ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Lethal managed to coax Steen into accepting a title match with him, which led to McGuinness agreed to change his mind and make the match official.[147] Lethal received his title shot on March 2 at the11th Anniversary Show, but was defeated by Steen.[148] On April 5 atSupercard of Honor VII, Lethal failed to earn another shot at the ROH World Championship, when he was defeated byMichael Elgin in a number one contender's match.[149] After the ROH World Championship was vacated, Lethal entered a tournament to determine the new champion, defeating Sonjay Dutt in his first round match on July 27.[150] On August 3, Lethal was eliminated from the tournament in the second round byAdam Cole.[151]
On April 4, 2014, atSupercard of Honor VIII, Lethal turned heel for the first time in nearly a decade by accepting help fromTruth Martini, to defeat Tommaso Ciampa to regain the World Television Championship, becoming the first two-time holder of the title.[152] After the match, Lethal declared that there was a house in ROH, "The House of Truth", marking the return of the stable with Lethal as the figurehead. Over the next year, Lethal would become recognized as the longest reigning World Television Champion in ROH history,[153] with successful championship defenses against the likes ofMatt Taven,[154]Caprice Coleman,[154]A. C. H.,[154]Matt Sydal[155] on the last PPV of the year;Final Battle 2014 and again at theROH 13th Anniversary Show againstAlberto el Patrón.[156] In March 2015, Lethal became the most successful World Television Champion of all time, with the most successful defenses as champion, more than doubling the previous record held by Matt Taven.[157] On April 4, Lethal reached a full year in his title reign, effectively making him the holder of all records associated with the World Television Championship.[157]
In April 2015, Lethal began professing himself as "the" ROH Champion, claiming his World Television championship was now the true top title that mattered in ROH (over the World Championship). In May 2015, Lethal debuted a new World Television Championship belt, which omitted the word "Television" and now read simply "ROH Champion". As a result,matchmaker Nigel McGuinness announced that atBest in the World 2015, Lethal would faceJay Briscoe in a winner-takes-all "Battle of the Belts" match with both the ROH World Championship and RHW World Television Championships on the line. Lethal defeated Briscoe after hitting Briscoe with his ownJay Driller and then aLethal Injection to retain his title and win the World Championship, thus making him a double champion in the process, as well as becoming the first African-American to win the championship.[158] The win also made him Ring of Honor's third Triple Crown Champion, as he is also a former ROH Pure Champion. On August 22, Lethal teamed with the "King of Strong Style"Shinsuke Nakamura to defeatreDRagon atRing of Honor'sField of Honor event. On October 23 atGlory By Honor XIV, Lethal lost the Television Championship to Roderick Strong, ending his reign at 567 days, and 36 successful championship defenses.[159]
As part 2015's "supershow" series withPreston City Wrestling, Lethal retained the ROH World Championship in three individual defenses overNoam Dar,Doug Williams and Joey Hayes. Through ROH's working relationship withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Lethal made his debut for the Japanese promotion on January 4, 2016, atWrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome, where he successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Michael Elgin.[160] Lethal returned to the UK again to defend the ROH World Championship, this time defeatingMark Haskins at a sold-out show inYork Hall, London forRevolution Pro Wrestling.[161][162] On February 20, Lethal main evented the second night of the ROH and NJPW co-producedHonor Rising: Japan 2016 event inTokyo, Japan, successfully defending the ROH World Championship againstTomoaki Honma. Afterwards, Lethal and Truth Martini joinedTetsuya Naito'sLos Ingobernables de Japón stable.[163] Lethal and Naito knew each other from working together in TNA.[164] On March 26 of ROH tapings, Lethal successfully defended his title againstHirooki Goto. Afterwards, a rare double-turn took place whenDonovan Dijak came out withPrince Nana and attacked Truth Martini.[165] Lethal would then begin a feud with a returningColt Cabana, who had set his sights on the ROH World Championship. AtGlobal Wars, Lethal and Cabana fought to a no-contest afterThe Bullet Club interfered and attacked everyone in the ringside area, including Lethal. During the attack, Lethal was zip tied to the ring ropes and repeatedly superkicked by new Bullet Club member Adam Cole.[166]
AtBest in the World '16 on July 24, Lethal successfully defended his title after defeating Jay Briscoe. The two shook hands afterwards.[167] The following day, Lethal was again attacked by Cole and Bullet Club, who shaved him bald.[168] The following month, Lethal returned to NJPW, successfully defending the ROH World Championship againstSatoshi Kojima on August 14.[169] On August 19 atDeath Before Dishonor XIV, Lethal lost the ROH World Championship to Adam Cole,[170] ending his reign at 427 days.[171]
AtField of Honor Lethal was involved in a Four corner survival match for theROH World Championship which was won byAdam Cole.
On August 20, 2016 Lethal was betrayed byLos Ingobernables de Japón after they walked out on Jay in a six-man tag team match. AtAll Star Extravaganza VIII Lethal defeatedTetsuya Naito. AtFinal Battle Lethal was defeated byCody after he hit a low blow, then proceed to attack Lethal. Lethal defeatedJushin Thunder Liger in the first round of the Decade of Excellence. He was defeated byJay Briscoe in the second round. On April 1 atSupercard of Honor XI Lethal defeated Cody in a Texas Bullrope match. On ROH TV taping Lethal defeatedSilas Young,Jay White &Hangman Page in a four-way match to become #1 contender to the ROH World Championship. On May 12 atWar of the Worlds, Lethal unsuccessfully challengedChristopher Daniels for the ROH World Championship in a three-way match, also involving Cody.[172]
On the June 30, 2018 tapings ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Lethal defeatedDalton Castle for his second ROH World Championship, while also marking the first time the ROH World Championship changed hands at a non-pay-per-view event, a television taping and aired on tape delay. He would drop the title on April 6, 2019, toMatt Taven in a triple threat ladder match (withMarty Scurll also involved) atG1 Supercard, ending his second reign at 280 days.
On December 13, 2019, atFinal Battle Lethal, along withJonathan Gresham, won theROH World Tag Team Championship for the first time, after they defeated The Briscoe Brothers. On the November 28, 2020 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Lethal appeared with newly formed faction The Foundation (Jonathan Gresham,Rhett Titus, andTracy Williams).
In October 2021, ROH announced they would enter into a hiatus until 2022. Shortly after the announcement, Lethal joinedAll Elite Wrestling and was pulled from theFinal Battle card.[173] However, after ROH World ChampionBandido was diagnosed withCOVID-19, it was announced that Lethal would be replacing Bandido in his Final Battle match againstJonathan Gresham.[174] At the event, Lethal was defeated by Gresham. This marked his final appearance with ROH prior to its acquisition byTony Khan in March 2022.
Lethal made his first independent appearance since his release from TNA on May 28, working forLucha Libre USA. As a tribute to Randy Savage, who had died just a week earlier, Lethal worked in his Black Machismo gimmick in a tag-team match, where he andMagno were defeated by The Right (Jon Rekon and Petey Williams).[175] In Lethal's second appearance for Lucha Libre USA on June 18, he defeated Medianoche in a singles match.[176] On June 19 it was announced that Lethal would be taking part in the pilot tapings of All Wheels Wrestling on June 29, working under the ring name J.R. Lethal.[3] At the pilot tapings, his ring name was changed to RPM. At the tapings he first defeated Dubai, the former Sheik Abdul Bashir, in a five-minuteIron Man match, but was then defeated by Schwagg Dutt, the former Sonjay Dutt, in an Ultimate X match, which also included Dubai andAaron Aguilera.[4]
On February 25, 2012, Lethal defeated Damien Darling at aFamily Wrestling Entertainment (FWE) event to win the FWE Tri-Borough Championship.[177][178] He lost the title to Darling on March 24, but later that same day first won the FWE Rumble and then defeated Eric Young for the FWE Heavyweight Championship.[177][179] On July 28, Lethal lost the title to Tommy Dreamer in a four-way elimination match, which also included Brian Kendrick andCarlito.[177] On March 22, 2013, Lethal made his debut forSouthern California-basedPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), losing toEddie Edwards in a singles match.[180] The following day, Lethal defeatedWillie Mack at another PWG event.[181] On May 25, Lethal took part inEnglish promotion Southside Wrestling Entertainment's (SWE) Speed King 2013 tournament, eventually defeatingDean Allmark,El Ligero, Martin Kirby,Marty Scurll and MK McKinnan in a six-way final to win the tournament and become the new SWE Speed King Champion.[182]
On July 30, 2016, Lethal defended the ROH World Championship against Denis Rivera for CWA in Puerto Rico where the CWA Heavyweight Championship was also on the line. Lethal was victorious, retaining his ROH World Championship and gaining the CWA title in the process.[183]
Lethal made his What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) debut on the second episode of WCPW Loaded in a match againstEl Ligero with the stipulation that if Ligero won he would get a shot at Lethal's ROH Championship. During the match, the two men (both being babyfaces) showed tremendous respect to each other; however, the match ended in a no contest when Martin Kirby interfered and attacked both men. After the match, Lethal stated that in order to defend his title, he would have to get permission from the Ring of Honor officials who were not present, but he guaranteed Ligero a shot at the title in the future.[184] Later Lethal was againstNoam Dar for hisROH World Championship on July 25, 2016 on the episode ofWCPW: Built To Destroy, where Lethal won. Lethal was set to face El Ligero atWCPW Refuse To Lose on October 6, 2016. The match was originally scheduled to be for the ROH World Championship, but will instead be for the WCPW Internet Championship, due to Lethal no longer being ROH World Champion. In August, it was announced that Lethal would not be able to compete for the promotion due to contractual reasons. On WCPW Loaded episode 10 it was announced thatAlberto El Patron would be Lethal's replacement.
Lethal returned to the promotion on January 29, 2017, where he took part of Triple Threat match for the ROH World Championship, which he lost. The match also included El Ligero; the winner wasAdam Cole. On June 16 at the WCPW Build to Destroy 2017, Lethal would then defeat former ROH World ChampionDavey Richards. After the match, Lethal was attacked by Drake, but he was able to fend off the attack.
On August 17, 2019; Lethal made his debut forHigh Impact Wrestling Canada at Battle Arts VI inSaskatoon,Saskatchewan. He unsuccessfully challengedBobby Sharp for theHIW Wildside Provincial Championship.
On July 31, 2022, atRic Flair's Last Match event, Lethal teamed withJeff Jarrett losing toRic Flair andAndrade El Idolo.[185]
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On November 13, 2021, Lethal made his debut forAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) at theFull Gear pay-per-view, challengingSammy Guevara for theAEW TNT Championship on the November 17 episode ofDynamite, which Guevara accepted.[186] Lethal would go on to lose the match, but got his arms raised by the Inner Circle post-match as a sign of respect. Lethal would then enter a feud with Team Taz in January 2022, which eventually led him to challengeRicky Starks for theFTW Championship on the February 4, 2022 episode ofRampage; he eventually lost the match against Starks.[187]
On April 1, 2022, Lethal returned to Ring of Honor, now owned byTony Khan, and wrestled atSupercard of Honor XV. At the event, Lethal turned heel after using a low blow to defeatLee Moriarty and then attacked crutch-donning Matt Sydal.[188] He also would reunite withSonjay Dutt, who restrained him as he was attacking Sydal,[188] and the two began a feud withSamoa Joe after Joe won theROH Television Championship.[189]
On April 6, 2022, Lethal appeared on-screen with Sonjay Dutt, who was now his manager, and the two promised a present toSamoa Joe.[190] The next week,Satnam Singh attacked Joe and aligned himself with Lethal and Dutt.[189] On the May 6, 2022 episode of Rampage, Jay Lethal would defeatKonosuke Takeshita and have Dutt and Singh assist in attacking him, only forBest Friends (Orange Cassidy andChuck Taylor) and Samoa Joe to make the save.[191]
On Aug. 5, 2022, atBattle of the Belts III, Lethal failed to win theAEW TNT Championship fromWardlow.[192] On November 2, Jarrett attackedDarby Allin and aligned himself with Lethal, Dutt and Singh.[193] On November 19 atFull Gear, Lethal and Jarrett was defeated by Allin andSting.[194] On January 4, 2023 episode ofDynamite, Lethal and Jarrett challengedThe Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens andMax Caster) for theAEW World Tag Team Championship, but failed to win the titles. Two days later at theBattle of the Belts V event, Lethal and Jarrett had a rematch with The Acclaimed in aNo Holds Barred tag team match, which they were unsuccessful. On the January 18 episode ofDynamite, Lethal was unsuccessful at winning theAEW All-Atlantic Championship againstOrange Cassidy. On January 25 episode ofDynamite, Lethal was defeatedMark Briscoe in a tribute match to Jay Briscoe who died in a car accident one week prior on January 17. After the match, Lethal and Briscoe hugged in the ring. On February 22 episode ofDynamite, Lethal and Jarrett won theRevolution Tag Team Battle Royal to be added to the AEW Tag Team Championship match,[195] but were once again unsuccessful.[196]
On May 17 episode ofDynamite, The Lethal Connection attacked the AEW World Tag Team ChampionsFTR (Cash Wheeler andDax Harwood), withKaren Jarrett helping The Lethal Connection.[197] Lethal and Jarrett failed to win the title from FTR atDouble or Nothing with Mark Briscoe was thespecial guest referee.[198] On the June 14 episode ofRampage, Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett took on Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe and AEW refereeAubrey Edwards.[199] During the match, Lethal was hit with the Guitar by Edwards, who also made Karen submit with the figure four leglock.[200] Lethal was a participant in the inauguralContinental Classic, where he was placed in the Gold block. Lethal did not win a match in his block and recorded no points.
Shipman, under his Jay Lethal ring name, had a brief appearance in the critically acclaimed 2008 filmThe Wrestler.[201] In November 2010, he was a contestant on an all-TNA week ofFamily Feud, teaming withMatt Morgan,Mick Foley,Mr. Anderson, andRob Van Dam againstAngelina Love,Christy Hemme,Lacey Von Erich,Tara, andVelvet Sky.[202]
Lethal appeared in the video gamesTNA Impact!,TNA Impact!: Cross The Line, andTNA Wrestling Impact!.[203]
