10 Things You Didn't Know About Jay Lethal
The ROH World Champ and new WCPW signing has had one heck of a ride...
How many professional wrestlers can claim to have had a World Title reign longer than CM Punk's and have received the personal blessing of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage? Jay Lethal can, although it's his Ring Of Honor World Title reign that topped Punk's, not any run with the WWE gold.
Shockingly, Lethal hasn't yet made his way to Vince McMahon's juggernaut. At 31 years old, there's still time yet, but the artist formerly known as 'Black Machismo' can look back on well over a decade of memorable moments in the pro wrestling industry even if WWE never come calling.
Should the McMahon family elect to continue passing over the (former) TNA, (current) ROH and now WCPW star, they'd be missing out on one heck of a talent. Whilst Lethal's exploits as Black Machismo and lengthy reign as ROH World Champion are well-known, just what do fans need to know before seeing him defend that title against Noam Dar at WCPW?
Let's take a look at 10 things you probably didn't know about one of the most under-rated men in wrestling today, Jay Lethal...
10. He's The Fourth Longest Reigning ROH World Champion Ever
When he defeated Jay Briscoe at Ring Of Honor's Best In The World 2015 event, Jay Lethal became only the 20th unique titleholder in the history of the ROH World Title. That June 19, 2015 victory stands out, because Lethal's reign wasn't a quick fix for the promotion.
Far from a placeholder in the title position, Lethal has now held the championship for over 348 days. In that time frame, he has amassed no less than 22 successful title defences. Due to the length of his tenure as champion, Jay is now the fourth longest reigning champion in the lineage of the title.
The only men who are above him read like a 'who's who' of legends in Ring Of Honor's history. At an incredible 645 days, Samoa Joe still leads the pack. Exactly 100 days behind him is Nigel McGuinness, who held the belt for 545 days. Then, the man closest to Lethal is none other than Bryan Danielson, who called the title his for 462 days straight.
Lately, Lethal passed Kevin Steen (328 days) in the rankings, but there's no shame in being behind some of the men listed.