BANKIE'S HOT TAKE #126 - JAY LETHAL: ROH'S FIVE STAR CHAMPION
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At the end of 2019, our fearless leader Jon Harder wrote an article about how Jay Lethal was ROH’s first REAL Grand Slam Champion, holding the ROH World, Pure, Television, and Tag Team Championship. He even discounted Christopher Daniels’ claim at being the first Grand Slam Champion due to the Six-Man Tag Team Titles.
While I disputed Jon’s claim, Lethal still being a Grand Slam champion was still an amazing feat. ROH commentator Ian Riccaboni frequently called Lethal ROH’s “franchise”, which was spot on.
Now, he truly is in a league of his own.
This past Friday night at Death Before Dishonor 2026 at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA, Lethal, alongside his partners Lee Johnson and Blake Christian in the Lethal Twist, defeated ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Dalton Castle, arguably ROH’s greatest Six-Man Tag Team Champion ever, and the Outrunners to win the belts.
By winning the Six-Man Tag Team Titles, Jay Lethal finally won every single male ROH championship available. Here on HQ, we’ve decided to upgrade him from Grand Slam to FIVE STAR Champion.
It’s truly incredible to see the entire scope of Jay’s career in Ring of Honor. He began as a rich kid raver in Special K. Wanting to get serious, he became Samoa Joe’s protege, leading him to the Pure Title over John Walters on March 5, 2005. After a several year stint in TNA, Lethal returned to the company and became ROH Television Champion on August 13, 2011, defeating El Generico during the first tapings under Sinclair Broadcasting ownership. Jay then fell under the spell of Truth Martini and, while in the midst of his second TV Title reign, defeated the great Jay Briscoe on June 19, 2015 to become ROH World Champion for the first of two reigns as the face of the company. Then, at Final Battle on December 13, 2019, Lethal and Jonathan Gresham, who had a fantastic pure wrestling rivalry throughout 2019, became partners and defeated the Briscoes to win the ROH World Tag Team Titles.
The best part about Lethal winning the Six-Man Tag Team Titles Friday was the fact he did it with two of pro wrestling’s finest pure wrestlers in Christian and Johnson. As the Twist’s mentor, Lethal is guiding the future of ROH, and AEW, to future success. The Six-Man Tag Team Titles were just an added bonus.
Jay Lethal is undoubtedly ROH’s greatest homegrown talent ever. From RF Video and Cary Silkin & Gabe Sapolsky to Sinclair Broadcasting to Tony Khan, Lethal has seen and been through every facet of ROH’s history.
Now, he’s the first FIVE STAR champion. He’s truly the Franchise now. No dispute here.
Bankie Bruce
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