History of Jay Lethal: The Future of TNA

Jamar Shipman is a professional wrestler, better known as Jay Lethal. He is only 25 years old, but has an impressive resume. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and debuted in the pro wrestling world on December 7, 2001.

Jay Lethal has quite an impressive wrestling history. He wrestled in Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and, currently, Total Nonstop Action. Throughout his professional wrestling career, Jay Lethal has won thirteen championships.

Jersey All Pro Wrestling  (2001-2009)

Jay Lethal started wrestling in Jersey All Pro Wrestling in 2001. In JAPW, he became a star. A year after his debut in JAPW, he won the JAPW TV title.

He held the TV championship belt for an outstanding eleven months. On February 8, 2004, Lethal won the JAPW Lightheavyweight Championship, defeating Azrieal, Insane Dragon and Jack Evans in a four way match.

With two long title reigns in a matter of two years, Jay Lethal established himself as a dominant member of the JAPW roster.

The JAPW World Heavyweight Championship was vacant and the title was offered to Lethal. He denied and said he wanted to "earn" the belt. He fought Homicide for the belt and lost.

About two months after losing to Homicide, Lethal was involved in a four way World Title match. On May 21, 2005, Jay Lethal defeated Homicide, Kevin Steen and Samoa Joe to win the JAPW World Heavyweight Championship.

Jay Lethal held the World Championship until January 7, 2006 where he lost the belt to Rhino. After two failed attempts at regaining the title, Lethal went after the Lightheavyweight Championship, at that time held by Kazarian.

It was another failed attempt at a belt. Lethal and his former rival, Azrieal, won the JAPW Tag Team Championships in a three way tag team match, beating the teams of The Outcast Killaz and The S.A.T.

Lethal and Azrieal held the titles from October 28, 2006 until the Latin American Xchange defeated them on June 9, 2007.

Ring of Honor (2003-2006)

Jay Lethal debuted in ROH under the ring name Hydro in 2003. He debuted as a member of a group named Special K, a heel group in ROH at the time. Their gimmick was rich kids that got everything from their parents and most members wrestled X-Division style matches.

Lethal lost his debut match against Alex Shelley and then entered a tag team tournament with his partner, Dixie. The two lost to co-tag team champion CM Punk.

Lethal challenged Punk to a one-on-one match, which Punk won, and they shook hands afterwards, following ROH's Code of Conduct and ending his time in Special K (Special K usually ignores the Code of Conduct).

From 2004 to 2005, Samoa Joe had picked Jay Lethal to be his protege. Lethal was on a losing streak for several months and had to beat Matt Styker to keep his job in ROH.

Lethal kept his job and kept his losing streak. He had a tough time beating guys like Low Ki and members of the Embassy.

Lethal continued to lose to Low Ki and Prince Nana's Embassy, until he won No. 1 contendership to John Walters' Pure Championship.

Walters defeated Lethal the first time the two squared off. The second time, Lethal was attacked backstage and had his eye swollen shut. Even with a swollen eye, Lethal managed to beat John Walters for the Pure Championship on March 5, 2005. It was the only belt Lethal ever held in ROH.

On May 7, Lethal lost the title to his mentor Samoa Joe. Following the match, the two were attacked by The Rottweilers, thus starting a feud.

The Rottweilers, Low Ki mainly, gave Lethal a hard time. Low Ki beat Lethal almost every time the two had a match.

After the feud with Low Ki, Lethal challenged Nigel McGuiness for the Pure Championship. After Lethal failed to gain the Pure Championship, he developed an undefeated streak. The streak came to an end when he and his mentor, Samoa Joe, lost a tag team match to Austin Aries and Roderick Strong.

On December 3, 2005 Lethal turned heel at Samoa Joe's expense. Lethal attacked Joe's knee with a steel chair, then pinned his mentor for a three count.

On January 27, 2006, Lethal teamed with Bryan Danielson in an attempt to win the tag team titles. Danielson and Lethal suffered a loss.

Lethal departed from the company following a loss to Samoa Joe on February 25, 2006.

Total Nonstop Action

While in JAPW, Lethal seemed to impress some of the higher power in TNA. Well, not exactly higher power, but he impressed someone in TNA. That someone was JB, Jeremy Borash.

JB offered Lethal a roster spot and he accepted.

Lethal's first match was a loss to his ROH mentor, Samoa Joe. He made his PPV debut at Against All Odds in 2006, defeating Matt Bentley, Petey Williams and Alex Shelley.

On February 12, 2006, Lethal qualified for the TNA World X Cup, joining Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley and Sonjay Dutt on Team USA.

Team USA lost their first match to Team Japan at Lockdown. On April 27, Lethal unsuccessfully challenged Samoa Joe for the X-Division title.

On May 14, at TNA Sacrifice, Lethal took part in a World X Cup Gauntlet match, but was the second to last man eliminated. The World X Cup ended the following iMPACT!, when Sabin beat Petey Williams to win the X Cup for Team USA.

Jay Lethal won an eight man "All or Nothing" match, which granted him the right to challenge for any title he wanted. The next week, he challenged Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a losing effort after interference from Scott Steiner.

Two weeks later, Lethal was in a five man X-Division No. 1 contender match. Where Petey Williams became No. 1 contender, but a week after, Lethal was announced into the X-Division title match, making it a three way. Senshi retained his title after pinning Lethal.

Kevin Nash picked Jay Lethal, Alex Shelley, Sonjay Dutt, Senshi and Austin Starr for a Paparazzi Championship Series. The series included musical chairs, limbo contest, push-up contest and Texas Hold'em.

Despite losing the series (Shelley won, if you're wondering), Nash gave Dutt and Lethal "makeovers" to help excel their careers. Sonjay became "The Guru" and Lethal became "Black Machismo."

Neither gimmick helped excel their careers, but were plain stupid. Give me an "Oh Yeah!" if you agree.

At Slammiversary, Lethal beat Sabin for the X-Division, one of many X-Division titles Lethal will win.

Lethal's biggest win of his career came at Slammiversary in 2007. He beat Kurt Angle and won the X-Division title for the second time.

Shortly after, Team 3D declared war on the X-Division and said there was an X-Division traitor.

The traitor revealed himself to be Johnny Devine. Devine won the X-Division title from Lethal in a street fight on January 24, 2008.

The feud ended in a street fight at Against All Odds in 2008. Lethal beat Team 3D and Johnny Devine to retain the X-Division title and save the X-Division.

Fast forward to Bound for Glory 2008, where Jay Lethal won the Steel Asylum Match featuring every X-Division athlete.

On December 6th, Lethal won a "Feast or Fired" case with a tag team title shot inside. Lethal chose Consequences Creed to be his partner and together, the two won the TNA Tag Team Championships. 

When Hulk Hogan was announced to join TNA, Lethal began an open challenge to any legends. The challenge was accepted twice. First Jim Neidhart beat Lethal, then two weeks later, Tatanka beat Lethal.

Hogan put Black Machismo in charge when he had a business trip and pissed off Bischoff, due to Lethal's way of booking matches.

Bischoff put Lethal into a handicap match against Beer Money, which he won. On March 3rd, Hogan gave Lethal Ric Flair's WWE Hall of Fame ring that Abyss had won.

The following week, Lethal came out and did Ric Flair impressions, thus starting the Jay Lethal vs. Fortune feud. Lethal gave Flair his ring back, but Flair and the original Fortune (Styles, Beer Money and Desmond Wolfe) beat him down.

The following week, Lethal attacked Flair during a match between AJ Styles and TNA champ at the time, RVD. Lethal locked Flair in a Figure Four Leg Lock.

At Slammiversary VIII, Lethal defeated AJ Styles one-on-one. After Lethal defeated Desmond Wolfe on iMPACT!, Flair kicked Wole out of Fortune and Flair had to face Lethal at Victory Road.

Lethal made Flair submit from a Figure Four Leg Lock.

Lethal was flying high and was at a great point in his career.

The following week, Flair beat Lethal with help from X-Division Douglas Williams. On the September 6th edition of iMPACT!, Lethal beat Williams to win the X-Division title for a fourth time.

In October, Lethal lost the title to Amazing Red at a TNA live event in New York City. Two days later, Lethal won the belt back, making him a five time champion.

After he defended his title against Douglas Williams at Bound for Glory, Lethal was attacked by TNA new comer, Robbie E. Robbie E. defeat Lethal for the X-Division title at Turning Point and kept retaining the title against Lethal with help of Cookie.

On December 16 edition of iMPACT!, Lethal won back the X-Division title with help of Christy Hemme. Then Lethal lost the title to Kazarian at Genesis.

Jay Lethal is tied with AJ Styles for the most X-Division title reigns, each with six.

Thoughts

How isn't Jay Lethal main eventing TNA? He is a six time X-Division Champion and one time TNA Tag Team Champion. He proved he can hang with TNA's major players. Lethal put on good matches with Desmond Wolfe, Douglas Williams, "The Olympic Gold Medalist" Kurt Angle and "The Face of TNA" AJ Styles.

TNA booked Lethal to defeat every member of Fortune for what? To put him back down into the X-Division? Jay Lethal deserves a World Title reign. Jeff Hardy has had two with big drug charges on his head.

Jay Lethal is only 25 years old and is ready for the spotlight. TNA is sitting on a potential goldmine with Lethal. Fortune should want Lethal to help them after Lethal beath them all over the summer.

Jay Lethal should have moved up the ladder. He should main event. He could put on great matches with anyone in the company. Imagine Jay Lethal versus RVD or Mr. Anderson or Jeff Hardy or AJ Styles. To me, his name fits in with the rest of those.

Jay Lethal can be the center of a TNA youth movement. He can be a new face to the main event scene. TNA should build Jay Lethal to "Mr. TNA" status. He would make a great World Champion or TV Champion. I want to see more Jay Lethal in 2011 and either a long World Title reign or TV Title reign.

TNA, make it happen.