10 Times Wrestlers Told You They Were FINISHED

7. Jonathan Gresham (2022)

CM Punk
AEW/ROH

It was easy to sympathise with Jonathan Gresham’s situation when, after being trusted with the proverbial ball during possibly the most tumultuous period in Ring Of Honor’s history, he had it rather unceremoniously ripped from his hands by his new boss at said gaffer's first real opportunity.

It was subsequently just as easy to see that he was less than impressed with the decision.

Gresham had re-unified the title in a match against Bandido at the first Tony Khan-booked Ring Of Honor pay-per-view in April 2022, however, he didn't make it out of the second one with the title intact. He didn't close the show either - Gresham's loss to All Elite Wrestling newcomer Claudio Castagnoli was in the opening spot on the card, with the Champion now working heel thanks to a turn that had taken place almost exclusively on Rampage.

You could see the disappointment and annoyance with the booking written all over Gresham's face as he entered, and that was the point. Rather than arriving for this ostensibly massive bout with his trademark octopus head and flag, he instead sported a t-shirt and a glum expression. He hasn't worked for Tony Khan since.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett