Jay Lethal No Longer With TNA

[bigron570]

For Jay Lethal I hope that WWE would pick him up feel that he can def matchup some good feuds with a Dolph Ziggler The Miz CM Punk def has reall good wrestling technique and think would be a win win fow both Jay Lethal and WWE. Would like to see if anyone form TNA would be success crossing over to WWE.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Which begs the question. Who is worse? Lethal with his imitations or Santino Marella with his imitations. Honestly, I would rather see Lethal over Santino. Lethal was at least HALF (ok, maybe 1/4 of the way) serious. Santino is a 100% joke.

I have no idea, guy, I don't watch WWE. All I know is that Jay Lethal is an awful personality that TNA tried desperately to get over as a babyface in the depleted X Division, and it failed every single time. No one cares about the guy. At all. And what reason do they have to when he's not impersonating Flair or Savage? He gives them no reason to.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

All I know is that Jay Lethal is an awful personality that TNA tried desperately to get over as a babyface in the depleted X Division, and it failed every single time. No one cares about the guy. At all.

You don't think he got over? In the Impact! Zone? I don't think there is any TNA wrestler who isn't over in the Impact! Zone, and Jay Lethal always gets quite the crowd reaction, especially during his feud with Flair.

And what reason do they have to when he's not impersonating Flair or Savage? He gives them no reason to.

I think he's a natural talker, never looks manufactured, or scripted. He's a charismatic guy, and a more than decent worker. I thought he did really well with Flair, and even managed to make me not turn the channel when Robbie E. came onto my screen.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

You don't think he got over? In the Impact! Zone? I don't think there is any TNA wrestler who isn't over in the Impact! Zone, and Jay Lethal always gets quite the crowd reaction, especially during his feud with Flair.



I think he's a natural talker, never looks manufactured, or scripted. He's a charismatic guy, and a more than decent worker. I thought he did really well with Flair, and even managed to make me not turn the channel when Robbie E. came onto my screen.

Not really. He was cheered because of what he did in the ring, but he was not over. AJ Styles is over. Sting is over. Mr. Anderson is over. Lethal was marginally successful because of what he was able to do in the ring, but his character was never over. The only time it even came close was when he was Black Machismo, and Black Machismo IMO ≠ Jay Lethal.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Not really. He was cheered because of what he did in the ring, but he was not over. AJ Styles is over. Sting is over. Mr. Anderson is over. Lethal was marginally successful because of what he was able to do in the ring, but his character was never over. The only time it even came close was when he was Black Machismo, and Black Machismo IMO ≠ Jay Lethal.

I think there's a difference between not being over, and being booked like you're not over. I think Jay Lethal ended up being booked like a guy who wasn't over, but definitely was. If a guy can work, and cut a decent promo, in TNA, he can be a big deal, if those in charge want him to be a big deal. And by big deal, no, I don't mean headlining the show.

The Impact! Zone goes crazy for just about every wrestler on that roster, and Lethal was no exception. Definitely had the most potential among X-Division guys, character-wise. Who else is there? Kaz? He works fine because of Fortune, otherwise, he's as dry as they get. The Gen Me kids are absolutely awful on the mic, and have no character to speak of. Same goes for Amazing Red. I honestly think Jay Lethal was the most interesting character in that group, and had the ring skills to back it up.

 

[neildittmar]

How many folks were really missing Jay Lethal in the time he had little exposure in the company right before his release? How many threads were created on Wrestlezone (or anywhere) about the subject? How many "Where's Jay Lethal?" posts came about when folks were discussing iMPACT? How many signs in the crowd? Though I certainly haven't scoured every post on every subject or reviewed every bit of audience footage, from what I can gather the answer is "not many, if any."

The above entirely encompasses my point. Jay Lethal is, unfortunately, forgettable. I liked his imitations (both Macho and Flair) and thought he had a really strong program with Flair that should've (operative word) made him. Then he became "Jay Lethal: Just Another Guy From the Neighborhood" in those poorly structured and presented vignettes that did more to hurt his TNA career than help. This was his opportunity at shining individually, and also the begining of the end I think.

Yes, he had a decent personality when it did shine through, mostly when he was mimicking other guys. Jason Sensation did that too in the 90's... now he makes Youtube videos of those same impersonations that garner tens of views. Yes, he was a fairly good wrestler particularly in more athletic (read: X-division) matches. Problem is, the X division hasn't been a primary focus in TNA for at least the last year and a half. Yes, he even had somewhat of a marketable look, though not entirely unique or different. Unfortunately with Jay Lethal, the total package doesn't equal the sum of his "parts" and probably never will. He was a forgettable guy in a somewhat overcrowded roster (in regards to the stars to TV time ratio) and his release doesn't surprise me in the least.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I think there's a difference between not being over, and being booked like you're not over. I think Jay Lethal ended up being booked like a guy who wasn't over, but definitely was. If a guy can work, and cut a decent promo, in TNA, he can be a big deal, if those in charge want him to be a big deal. And by big deal, no, I don't mean headlining the show.

The Impact! Zone goes crazy for just about every wrestler on that roster, and Lethal was no exception. Definitely had the most potential among X-Division guys, character-wise. Who else is there? Kaz? He works fine because of Fortune, otherwise, he's as dry as they get. The Gen Me kids are absolutely awful on the mic, and have no character to speak of. Same goes for Amazing Red. I honestly think Jay Lethal was the most interesting character in that group, and had the ring skills to back it up.

Using the iMPACT! Zone to gauge how "over" a guy is is a poor standard, Nick. As you just said, "everyone is over" there. I look more at the responses he gets from live crowds, much of which you can watch online, or what he gets when they tour. The response is marginal, at best.

Yes, Gen Me, Red, etc. are all equally as unimpressive, and none of them are really over either, but that's irrelevant to this discussion. This is about Lethal.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Using the iMPACT! Zone to gauge how "over" a guy is is a poor standard, Nick. As you just said, "everyone is over" there. I look more at the responses he gets from live crowds, much of which you can watch online, or what he gets when they tour. The response is marginal, at best.

As much as I hate the Impact Zone, from a fanboy point of view, it matters. That's really the only place where he needs to be over, seeing an overwhelming majority of what they do on television/PPV comes from the Impact Zone.

Yes, Gen Me, Red, etc. are all equally as unimpressive, and none of them are really over either, but that's irrelevant to this discussion. This is about Lethal.

Maybe it's irrelevant, only because TNA isn't putting much focus on the X-Division. I'm not a big-spot guy, so I don't go crazy about it. However, if plans change, and the X-Division were to become a more featured part of the show (along the lines of the Knockouts division), they need guys with natural talking ability, with potential to build a character. Someone like Jay Lethal can fill that spot, much more so than Red, Gen Me, etc.

This really isn't that big of a deal, he wasn't going to be used much anyhow, but I like the guy.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

As much as I hate the Impact Zone, from a fanboy point of view, it matters. That's really the only place where he needs to be over, seeing an overwhelming majority of what they do on television/PPV comes from the Impact Zone.

Yes, it matters in terms of making sure the guys stay over there, but it doesn't in terms of their success outside of it. It's on them to get over outside the same fans who see these guys week-after-week. Jay just didn't do that, IMO.

Maybe it's irrelevant, only because TNA isn't putting much focus on the X-Division. I'm not a big-spot guy, so I don't go crazy about it. However, if plans change, and the X-Division were to become a more featured part of the show (along the lines of the Knockouts division), they need guys with natural talking ability, with potential to build a character. Someone like Jay Lethal can fill that spot, much more so than Red, Gen Me, etc.

This really isn't that big of a deal, he wasn't going to be used much anyhow, but I like the guy.

I agree, but that's also like choosing between rotten apples and rotten oranges. Either way it's gonna taste pretty bad.

 

[Henhouse]

With the ring skills that he's got, WWE should hire him. TNA didn't really know what they were doing with him gimmick-wise, whereas WWE could make him work.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I noticed he is not listed on the TNA wikipedia employee page either.
is he for sure done right now?
when I was reading the spoilers for this weeks Impact, one of the sites lead me to another page that had matches from last night. Lethal wrestled just last night in an Explosion match against Chris Saban and a new masked Mexican wrestler. I assume this match is going to air on an upcoming Explosion? I don't even know when/where Explosion airs.
maybe he asked for his release?
he hasn't been used lately, but I don't think that's his fault. he was recently X division champion. he could still be someone exciting to watch in X division matches. he seems good on the mic, and his look is decent.

I'm not saying this is a reason, but some people might use the excuse that he is black. Hogan/Bischoff did give Lethal a push there for awhile with Flair/ect, but TNA really hasn't done much with black people since Hogan/Bischoff came in. since the start of 2010, what black people are out? Lashley, Kong, Flash. who's left? Pope, Devon, Jordan.
I doubt this has any connection, I'm just saying.

be interesting to know how/why Lethal is no longer there.

EDIT: according to sites I have read TNA has decided to release him, but that it was also mutual.

 

[DethMetal]

So, TNA gets rid of Jay Lethal, but keeps Robbie E? I'm upset with this decision and kinda OK with it simultaneously. Without impersonating, Lethal was as dull as dirt. Seeing him impersonate Flair was gold! However, there's nothing more for him to do. Quite a shame. I doubt WWE will pick him up. They have enough wasted talent as it is...

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Eh, I don't think it's a very big loss for TNA generally speaking. As a few others have noted, apart from Black Machismo or impersonating Ric Flair, Lethal hasn't really brought anything special to the table.

Lethal was pretty fun to watch in the ring most of the time and could put on some enjoyable matches. Apart from that, however, there just really wasn't anything special about Jay Lethal as himself. We know he could impersonate a couple of legends pretty well, but Jay Lethal in and of himself was dry and uninteresting.

Over the past few months, TNA has made it pretty clear who they intend to use, or attempt to use, in any sort of meaningful way and Lethal's just not in that crop. He'd pop up occassionally, just as he has been, and he'd most likely wind up being fed to someone during those rare appearances.

If Lethal was on a paid by appearance deal with TNA, as the large majority of the roster is, then he could probably make more money out there on the indy circuit. According to several stories put out last year, TNA doesn't lend out stars they have signed to other companies on the indy circuit very often. When they do, they ask for what's been termed in the reports as an "unreasonable" fee from the other companies. Most of the time, TNA doesn't return the calls from indy promoters. Of course, that's all if the reports are true.

I'd say Lethal will at least contact WWE if nothing else. He'll most likely go on the indy circuit at this time with an occassional pop up in TNA, at least that's what I'm guessing will go on.

 

[shattered dreams]

At times I have seen it but Lethal can never sustain it. He is quite good in the ring but only technically speaking. He lacks the ability to make people care when he isn't doing an impression. I refused to believe this until it became all too clear. He is still young so he could overcome this flaw but if he wanted to go for whatever reason I do not see it as much of a loss. Just another in the string of guys that read one too many internet reports that they could do better elsewhere only to come back in 6 months when it becomes clear that isn't the case. If he came back in a little while with the real Macho Man that would be pretty cool. Unless TNA is getting another show I am not going to knock them for getting rid of anyone that isn't essential. Lethal certainly isn't essential.

 

[Version4]

I like Jay Lethal. I won't necessarily say the TNA dropped the ball with him, but I do think the guys has talent and a good bit of charisma. I'm pretty sure he would be a welcome addition to the ROH roster. Not sure how he would o in the E, or if they would even want him there. Then again, they picked up Consequences Creed a while back, so who knows. Lethal is definitely a better talent than the Darren Young's and the Lucky Cannon's of the world.

I think the bigger question should be "what does this say about the future plans for the X-division?", because Lethal was one of the better talents in that division. I fear with all the rumors of major changes in TNA, including a possible name change... that the X-division may be officially done soon.

 

[Post]

I feel bad that I won't be seeing Jay on TV anymore, but I don't see him fitting in with TNA at this point.

Maybe what he needs is to explore other wrestling venues and push his limitations.
This could be an opportunity to make some noise in the international scene.

Unfortunately, for the product to grow, sometimes individuals get lost in the shuffle.
Jay seems like a nice, hardworking guy...he should be fine.

I seriously doubt this will be the last we hear from Jay Lethal.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I'm not surprised at all by this news considering the fact that Jay Lethal hasn't been on TV for a long time. He can really move in the ring. His skills are far from boring or conventional. But, he wasn't climbing the ranks any higher than the X-Division and quite frankly, he conquered that division by becoming a multiple-time Champion. There's nothing left for him in TNA. His lack of personality as Jay Lethal has prevented him from entering any meaningful battles or storylines. Still, his wrestling matches alone offered entertainment and I'll miss him in that regard.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Jay Lethal always reminded me of a slightly less built Shelton Benjamin minus the tag-team track record of success.

Both men are above-average in in-ring agility, technique and energy and have adequate personalities to speak coherently in interviews and promos, but fail to actually convey enough emotion in anything they're doing to make the crowd care, which is the most important part of any story.

Lethal is young. Let him go to ROH for a while and work on his game and maybe in a few months like SD noted earlier he can come back and actually mean something.

 

[JJYanks121]

Jay Lethal always reminded me of a slightly less built Shelton Benjamin minus the tag-team track record of success.

Both men are above-average in in-ring agility, technique and energy and have adequate personalities to speak coherently in interviews and promos, but fail to actually convey enough emotion in anything they're doing to make the crowd care, which is the most important part of any story.

Lethal is young. Let him go to ROH for a while and work on his game and maybe in a few months like SD noted earlier he can come back and actually mean something.

Yeah, see that's where you are totally wrong. This is a guy that had very few chances to shine, but when give the chance, he did. That should tell you something right there. To me, it seems more than Lethal took the ball and ran with it, but TNA didn't actually want to push him anywhere. They just thought it would be funny to do the Flair impression stuff in hopes that it would showcase FLAIR in his reaction to it. They never had an interest in pushing Lethal but he forced their hand and they had to put him over The Nature Boy.

That was the time to push him and they chose against it. The dude is young but you can tell that he's just bursting at the seems to be let out of his shell to just be awesome. Unfortunately, someone in TNA sees a 5'9" dude and figured it better to make him bland so that he doesn't commit the cardinal sin and get over any more. I wonder if that same TNA official was the one that said 5'9" Chris Jericho could never be a star........(no I'm not comparing the two, but I do think Jay Lethal is incredibly talented and incredibly wasted).

 

[imdaman316]

Jay Lethal is one of the few talents from TNA that WWE should snatch up immediately. His Black Machesmo gimmick was some of the funniest stuff in years. Someone with that talent with the WWE machine behind him will be gold. He may never be WWE champion, but Santino has made a nice living being the Raw comic relief.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yeah, see that's where you are totally wrong. This is a guy that had very few chances to shine, but when give the chance, he did. That should tell you something right there. To me, it seems more than Lethal took the ball and ran with it, but TNA didn't actually want to push him anywhere. They just thought it would be funny to do the Flair impression stuff in hopes that it would showcase FLAIR in his reaction to it. They never had an interest in pushing Lethal but he forced their hand and they had to put him over The Nature Boy.

That was the time to push him and they chose against it. The dude is young but you can tell that he's just bursting at the seems to be let out of his shell to just be awesome. Unfortunately, someone in TNA sees a 5'9" dude and figured it better to make him bland so that he doesn't commit the cardinal sin and get over any more. I wonder if that same TNA official was the one that said 5'9" Chris Jericho could never be a star........(no I'm not comparing the two, but I do think Jay Lethal is incredibly talented and incredibly wasted).

Uh, and how is that not anything like Benjamin who went through the same thing with WWE trying and trying to push him but him never really getting over?

Benjamin beat guys like Jericho to win the IC title, still didn't go anywhere.

Lethal beat guys like Flair, still didn't go anywhere.

 

[Notorious718]

Meh. Lethal was a lot of fun to watch and he was pretty solid. It's a shame to see him get released after riding a big push last year. But that said, he didn't really have much to offer TNA in the past few months so this doesn't exactly come as a shock to me. As Black Machismo, he was great. As Jay Lethal, he was okay at best. I'm sure he'll come back at some point in the future. I highly doubt he'll be gone forever.

 

[JJYanks121]

Uh, and how is that not anything like Benjamin who went through the same thing with WWE trying and trying to push him but him never really getting over?

Benjamin beat guys like Jericho to win the IC title, still didn't go anywhere.

Lethal beat guys like Flair, still didn't go anywhere.

Because Lethal DID get over and then it was simply ignored. I know he got over because of the Flair impersonation and you'll point to that and say it was a one time thing, but the control he had over those segments tells a fan with a brain that the guy can work a crowd when given the chance. HE stole the show OVER Flair in that feud and that should have propelled him places. For some unexplained reason, he got pushed to the back of the line and strapped with the most uninspiring gimmick (if there even was one).

TNA had a chance to push him and they chose not to. They gave him a small win, he smashed the freakin thing apart, stole the show, and it went ignored and he was pushed to the back of the line.

Lethal would KILL to have Shelton's career. Shelton has beaten Triple H in his career! Some guys may never be destined to be world champions, and I won't say that for Lethal just yet since he's 24, but at the very least, he's be pretty exciting if he was allowed to let loose in a midcard type role. Give me Pope vs. Lethal and I GUARANTEE Lethal makes Pope look like the overrated hack that he is. It's all a matter of choice by management and they chose to drop the ball with Lethal. He's a talented guy and he's not on the wrong side of 30 yet. I'm sure he'll do something awesome somewhere.

Plus, anyone who has banged AJ Lee is ok in my book.....

 

[Rasha]

Yeah, see that's where you are totally wrong. This is a guy that had very few chances to shine, but when give the chance, he did. That should tell you something right there. To me, it seems more than Lethal took the ball and ran with it, but TNA didn't actually want to push him anywhere.

Shining is in the eye of the beholder, because Lethal never shined to me. When he wasn't doing an impression I found his persona to be unentertaining. He was always fun to watch in the ring, but the minute he'd open his mouth it just fell flat. He had a great chance to rise with Flair giving him the rub but he didn't capitalize on it. I don't think you can kill TNA for not being able to draw blood from a stone.

Because Lethal DID get over and then it was simply ignored. I know he got over because of the Flair impersonation and you'll point to that and say it was a one time thing, but the control he had over those segments tells a fan with a brain that the guy can work a crowd when given the chance.

I think this is where you're confused. Lethal didn't get over; his impressions were over. But once the impression stopped so did the crowd's overall interest in him. It's basically like he changed characters. And as we know from the The Ringmaster/Stone Cold, different gimmicks can make all the difference for a single person.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Because Lethal DID get over and then it was simply ignored. I know he got over because of the Flair impersonation and you'll point to that and say it was a one time thing, but the control he had over those segments tells a fan with a brain that the guy can work a crowd when given the chance. HE stole the show OVER Flair in that feud and that should have propelled him places. For some unexplained reason, he got pushed to the back of the line and strapped with the most uninspiring gimmick (if there even was one).

TNA had a chance to push him and they chose not to. They gave him a small win, he smashed the freakin thing apart, stole the show, and it went ignored and he was pushed to the back of the line.

Lethal would KILL to have Shelton's career. Shelton has beaten Triple H in his career! Some guys may never be destined to be world champions, and I won't say that for Lethal just yet since he's 24, but at the very least, he's be pretty exciting if he was allowed to let loose in a midcard type role. Give me Pope vs. Lethal and I GUARANTEE Lethal makes Pope look like the overrated hack that he is. It's all a matter of choice by management and they chose to drop the ball with Lethal. He's a talented guy and he's not on the wrong side of 30 yet. I'm sure he'll do something awesome somewhere.

Plus, anyone who has banged AJ Lee is ok in my book.....

We just don't agree, Yanks.

I saw it from a completely different perspective. To me, Lethal was pushed hard and given reign-after-reign with the X Division title and even a win over Flair by making him tap to his own friggin' move and it was Lethal who flopped, because "Jay Lethal" the character is incredibly boring, monotonous and dull. The guy came out in a Hogan-colored robe, pointed to TNA's letters and talked about being from Jersey. Who cares? Why should I care about that guy? His persona had NOTHING to do with his name. The only thing lethal about him was his ability to cut a promo or an interview where he wasn't impersonating someone else and make the fans care.

You may not like Pope, but Pope IMO is the superior talent between the two. Pope has more confidence, more swagger, and his gimmick and look actually fit together. Jay Lethal was a good ol' boy from Jersey who had dreads and Hogan-colored rights. Um... OK?