Jay Lethal was recently interviewed by Wrestling Epicenter for a new interview. You can check out highlights below, and hear the full interview at this link.
On Silas Young being underrated:
"100 percent! That is an understatement. He is definately better than he is given credit for. I hadn't met Silas until my second time back here (ROH). My second run, as they say, in Ring of Honor after I left Impact Wrestling and came back to Ring of Honor, there were faces that I had to learn. Silas Young was one of those guys. In the ring, I've got to tell you, he is one of the guys who represents Ring of Honor well. In the ring, he is literally one of the best wrestlers in the world. He plays the role, he plays it right. I just love everything about him... Even that look! He's got a unique look with that mustache. I love him. Sometimes I think he was born just a little too late. He'd be a millionaire if he was born just a few years earlier. But, I think he is amazing in the ring."
On what sets ROH Apart from Other Companies:
"The fact that there are no pee breaks or filler matches. I think you have to do that to stand out. With Ring of Honor, it isn't about the bells and whistles. It isn't about "This wrestler has the coolest entrance" like Bray Wyat, I think he's got one of the best entrances ever - cool song. Not taking anything away from that aspect of wrestling. You know, we're (ROH) not pumping money into our entrances like the other companies do. No reason to play to our weakness there. We've got to play to our strengths which means we have to focus our product on the in-ring action. We've got to do that from the minute each episode begins to the minute each episode ends. It is the one thing the other companies don't do. Wrestling is called a soap opera. The last thing you want to see from a show that is new and innovative, the last thing you want to see is someone in the ring with a microphone saying someone stole his girlfriend when they were in the 3rd grade and he's going to get revenge and the tables will be turned. We think the minute you turn on that program, we've got to give you action to hook you and make you want to sit and watch the entire show and not give you that match, that segment, that break that makes you think, "OK, this is my chance to go pee." We want you to hold your pee until the show is over! (laughs) That's what helps us stand out above the rest. Also, we have one of the greatest rosters currently going and for years, Ring of Honor has always had one of the best rosters going. The proof is in the pudding because other rosters constantly pluck from the Ring of Honor roster.. For years! For example, look at WWE. Most of their champions and top guys came through Ring of Honor at one point. Those are the key reasons why Ring of Honor is standing out among all the other wrestling companies out there."
On GFW Impact Wrestling's recent rumored troubles:
"We are, and I consider Ring of Honor the #2 wrestling company in the entire world. Some people might take this the wrong way. Some people might take this out of context. So, if someone hears this, please listen to the whole thing. With the tought process that you are the #2 wrestling company in the world, you really don't look under you to see what the #3 wrestling company in the world is doing. You look up to see what the #1 wrestling company in the world is doing so that you can better yourself and not work down. That is in no way a knock on TNA, it is just a logical way of thinking. Take out the company names from the equasion. The #2 doesn't look at the #3, they look at the company that is in the #1 spot and that is all I'm saying. With that said, I did work for Impact Wrestling at one time. I had a great time there. They gave me one of the greatest days of my life when I wrestled Ric Flair live on pay-per-view. To see that they are going through such hard times, I don't get joy from this though some people might think that my thought process would be, "Yeah! This is what they get for letting me go!" No, no, no. I made a lot of great friends, a lot of great relationships from working there many of whom are still there. I have some great friends that just joined there. It hurts to see them going through any down or hard times because as we all have learned, the better each wrestling company does, the better the wrestling business as a whole does."
On why TNA/GFW Let Him Go:
"Again, not to talk negatively about them. I don't want this to be taken out of context like, "Jay Lethal says they got rid of him for no reason." But, there was no reason given to me. Only speculation. A few things that I've speculated. One was they had already gotten rid of my buddy Sonjay Dutt and they were already trying to make some budget cuts for guys, when your contract comes up for renewal, you get a little bump. They were trying to limit those bumps. I also heard a rumor that Dixie's mom came into the office because too much money was being spent and she made cuts. I also heard that, at the time, Jeff Jarrett was trying to start a new wrestling company up called... Something to do with NASCAR. Legally, guys who worked on that show could not work for Impact. I heard a rumor that was the reason I was let go. That one kind of made sense to me because shortly after I got released, I was contacted by Jeff Jarrett to work on that NASCAR show. I was never given a direct answer. They say things happen for a reason. When one door closes, another one opens. Everything they allowed me to do in the company prepared me for what I'd get to do in Ring of Honor. Lead the roster as the World Champion of a company that is recognized for its wrestling. That is one of my career highlights right there!"
On his stint as ROH World Heavyweight Champion:
"Oh my Gosh! I loved it, I loved it! It's a sick reason that I loved it. Here's the reason. You've got guys on the roster like the Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and you've got those guys and they should be in the main event. But, they're not. They're in matches, 3, 4, 5, and 6. And you've got to follow them! Because you're the World Champion, you've got to dig down deep and come up with something as entertaining or better than what they just saw. That will drive you crazy because it did drive me crazy for some events. The fact that I had to dig down deep and pull out something... People will go "The World Title match was good but this other match was better." I never wanted to hear that. I always wanted people to leave thinking, "Wow, what a main event!" That really makes you pull an extra something out of yourself that you didn't even know existed. I always enjoyed those moments where I'd leave the ring thinking, "Wow, I just followed all those amazing matches." That is the hardest part of being a part of the Ring of Honor roster. Our roster is full of literally the greatest wrestlers in the world. You've got to keep up or you've got to get out!"
Make sure to check out the full interview at this link.
