Ring of Honor World Champion and Television Champion Jay Lethal recently spoke with Ring Rust Radio while promoting the Field of Honor event in Brooklyn last week.
Lethal talked about being a dual champion and if he felt any pressure holding both titles, where he is at skill wise, the current WWE dual title angle with Seth Rollins, if he thinks WWE borrowed from ROH, and more. You can read a few excerpts, and listen to the full show in the player below:
Jay Lethal Talks Ring Of Honor, Being The ‘Face’ Of ROH:
I hope this doesn’t sound too cocky, but I don’t feel any pressure in that aspect. To use your words, I feel like if ROH hitched their wagon to me, it’s because they are enjoying, like, agree, and approve of everything I am doing. If I didn’t remain to just do what I am doing, then I feel that could have some negative impact. I am in the spot I am in because I deserve it and work hard and have been doing something the company likes. Just keep doing what I am doing and the company will keep liking it and happy that they put me in that spot. I don’t feel any pressure in that aspect because I will just keep doing what I have been doing. No need for the extra pressure or to make it more interesting, just keep doing what I have been doing and everything should be good, that’s my logic.
Does he think there’s anything he can improve about his character or skills?
Is there an aspect of my game that I am still trying to improve at? If you ask any good wrestler that, their answer should always be, “I am still trying to improve on everything”. There is always room to improve. The moment you feel like you are good on this, so now let me work on this, that’s the start of any wrestlers’ downfall. Any performer or professional athlete stops and focuses on something else that’s the bad way to go about it. I am still working on everything I can, especially my in ring work. I love being on the mic and am still trying to improve on that but I wish I could do something more with my in ring work. Even though I think it’s good, I wish I could just make it a little bit better. Which do I think is more important, the in ring work or mic work? If I had to force myself to pick one, I would pick mic skills. When I was growing up, a man I looked up to and eventually go to work with was Ric Flair. He was hands down the greatest on the mic. I feel like a lot of people possibly watched Ric Flair matches because he was so good at getting you to want to see those matches. On the same token, his in ring work was so great it would make you want to watch again.
Does Lethal think WWE borrowed from ROH to have a dual champion?
I just happen to think its total coincidence. In wrestling, you’re constantly trying to do what’s never been done or what hasn’t been done in a really long time. I can only remember such an event happening and the one that comes to mind is Warrior and Hogan, intercontinental title and world title. That was our mindset, and I’m sure it’s their mindset too. To say that we inspired their story line, if I could find out that it was 100% true, I would be so honored. Man what an honor to say you did something that inspired the number one wrestling company in the world. Especially since for years they have done things that have inspired other wrestling promotions.
