Jay Lethal

2.1.1. Debut and various title reigns (2001-2004)

Shipman made his wrestling debut under the ring name Jay Lethal on December 7, 2001, at JAPW's "Class Of 2001 Student Show," where he defeated Dixie. His initial foray into Ring of Honor occurred in a dark match at Final Battle on December 28, where he lost to Homicide. Lethal secured his first championship, the JAPW Television Championship, on September 13, 2002, at Never Forget in Bayonne, New Jersey. He won a three-way match by defeating the champion, Ghost Shadow, and Rain. His reign lasted an unprecedented eleven months, a record that remains unbroken. Lethal eventually lost the title to Crazy Ivan on August 22, 2003, at Counter-Strike in Rahway, New Jersey.

He also held the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship, which he won on February 28, 2004, at Revolution in a four-way match, defeating Azrieal, Insane Dragon, and Jack Evans. Azrieal attempted to regain the title for eight months but consistently lost to Lethal. Their feud culminated on December 10, 2004, at Seasons Beatings, where Azrieal challenged Lethal to a "belt versus loser leaves town" match, which Azrieal won, forcing him to leave JAPW.

2.1.2. JAPW Heavyweight Champion (2005-2009)

By 2005, with two lengthy title reigns under his belt, Lethal had solidified his position as a dominant figure in JAPW and began pursuing the JAPW Heavyweight Championship, then held by Dan Maff. On January 29, 2005, at Wild Card, Lethal pinned Maff in a title match, but the decision was controversially overturned by referee Sean Hanson. In March 2005, Maff unexpectedly left JAPW and retired, vacating the Heavyweight Championship. Lethal was initially awarded the title on March 26 at Caged Fury 2 in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but he refused, stating his desire to "earn" the championship. This led to an impromptu match for the vacant title against JAPW veteran Homicide, which Homicide won. Lethal finally captured the JAPW Heavyweight Championship on May 21 in Braintree, Massachusetts, at Braintree Invasion, by pinning Homicide in a four-way match that also included Kevin Steen and Samoa Joe, following a diving headbutt.

Lethal successfully defended the title against Steve Corino on June 4 at HomeComing, with his father in his corner. However, after the match, Corino and Ricky Landell handcuffed Lethal to the top rope and attacked his father, with Corino applying a crossface. This assault led to a six-man tag match on July 16 at Gored, where Lethal and his father, outnumbered, eventually won with the surprise return of Charlie Haas as their partner, introduced by Lethal's mother. Following Haas's attack on Lethal during post-match celebrations, a title match was booked for Haas of Pain on September 10, which Lethal won. On October 22 at the 8th Year Anniversary Show, Lethal ended his feud with Corino by defeating him in a Dog Collar match, with assistance from Tommy Dreamer.

Lethal's next rivalry was with The D-Factor's Rhino, who attacked him after his successful title defense against B-Boy on November 12, 2005, at Fall Out. On January 7, 2006, at Wild Card II, Lethal lost the JAPW Heavyweight Championship to Rhino, who delivered a Rhino Driver through a table from the top rope. Lethal's attempts to regain the title on February 18 (in a three-way match with Teddy Hart) and May 20, 2006, were unsuccessful. After an unsuccessful challenge for the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship held by Frankie Kazarian, Lethal and former rival Azrieal won the JAPW Tag Team Championship on October 28, 2006, at the 9th Year Anniversary Show in Rahway, New Jersey, defeating The Outcast Killaz (Oman Tortuga and Diablo Santiago) and The S.A.T. (Jose and Joel Maximo) in a three-way dance. On June 9, 2007, at Back to Business, The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) defeated Lethal and Azrieal for the titles.

In early 2009, Lethal declared his intent to reclaim the JAPW Heavyweight title from Kenny Omega. On February 28, 2009, in Jersey City, at Jersey City Rumble, Lethal won a 21-person Jersey City Rumble to earn a title shot against Omega later that night. Lethal pinned Omega with a flipping release dragon suplex after Omega's associate Dan Maff turned on him, securing his second JAPW Heavyweight Championship. Despite Maff also attacking Lethal during the match, Lethal retained his title against Maff at Unfinished Business on March 28. Lethal defeated Maff again on April 18 at International Invasion, thanks to interference from Trent Acid. Their feud concluded on June 27 in Jersey City, at Caged Destiny, when Maff defeated Lethal for the title inside a steel cage. Lethal has not made any appearances for JAPW since.

2.2.1. Hydro (2003-2004)

Shipman debuted in Ring of Honor (ROH) as Hydro, a member of the stable Special K, on January 11, 2003, at Revenge on the Prophecy in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. On May 22, 2004, at Generation Next, he faced Alex Shelley in a singles match. Despite losing, Shelley recognized his talent and offered him a spot in Generation Next, Shelley's stable of future stars. Hydro declined, choosing to remain with Special K. Hydro won a four corner survival match at World Title Classic on June 12, earning him a spot in the Pure Wrestling tournament later that year. On June 24, at Survival of the Fittest, he and Dixie competed in a four-way tag match for the Tag Team Championship, losing as CM Punk single-handedly defended the title to allow his partner Colt Cabana to prepare for his own match. Hydro then challenged Punk to an impromptu match, which Punk also won. Notably, Hydro shook hands before the match, adhering to the "Code of Honor," a practice Special K typically disregarded.

2.2.2. Samoa Joe's protégé (2004-2005)

Hydro participated in the Pure Wrestling tournament on July 17, 2004, at Reborn: Completion. Prior to the event, World Champion Samoa Joe advised Hydro to change his name and adopt a more serious demeanor. Following Joe's advice, Hydro left Special K and reverted to the name Jay Lethal. He was eliminated from the tournament when Doug Williams pinned him in a four-way match with his Chaos Theory.

At Testing the Limit on August 7, Lethal competed in another four-way match against Alex Shelley, Ace Steel, and 2 Cold Scorpio. Despite the moral support of his parents in the audience, Lethal suffered another loss to Shelley. After again declining Shelley's offer to join Generation Next, Lethal requested a singles match against Shelley. Their third encounter took place on August 28 at Scramble Cage Melee, where Shelley cheated to secure a third victory. Having accumulated a lengthy losing streak, Lethal's ROH career was on the line against Matt Stryker at Glory by Honor III on September 11, a match Lethal won, breaking his losing streak. Low Ki, who had been feuding with Samoa Joe, challenged Lethal as Joe's protégé on October 2 at The Midnight Express Reunion. During the match, Low Ki's manager Julius Smokes harassed Lethal's parents (who were again in the audience), and Low Ki spat at Lethal's mother. Low Ki easily defeated Lethal and then mocked him.

Lethal lost to Chad Collyer at Gold on October 15, but rebounded with a victory over Delirious the following day at Joe vs. Punk II. On November 5, he teamed with Samoa Joe but lost to R. J. Brewer and Nigel McGuinness at Weekend Of Thunder: Night One, and then suffered another loss to The Embassy member Jimmy Rave the next evening. After his match with Rave, Lethal attacked Prince Nana, The Embassy's leader. This led Nana to recruit several masked mercenaries known as "Weapons of Masked Destruction" to end Lethal's career. Lethal defeated both WMDs at All-Star Extravaganza 2 on December 4 and Final Battle 2004 on December 26, concluding both matches with his signature flipping release dragon suplex.

Lethal's feud with The Embassy continued into 2005. On February 19, at Third Anniversary Celebration: Part One, he pinned Embassy member Jimmy Rave to become the number one contender for the ROH Pure Championship. Pure Champion and Embassy member R. J. Brewer, who could choose when to defend his title, opted for an immediate defense after Lethal's match, defeating the exhausted Lethal to retain his title with a trifecta of Lung Blowers. Lethal was scheduled for a rematch against Walters at Trios Tournament 2005 on March 5 in Philadelphia, but was attacked backstage by an unknown assailant, causing his eye to swell shut. Despite the injury, Lethal went on to defeat Walters later that night to win the Pure Championship, his first title in ROH.

On March 12 at Back to Basics, Lethal and Samoa Joe reunited to face CM Punk and Spanky, with Lethal pinning Spanky with a bridging dragon suplex. At the Best of the American Super Juniors Tournament on April 2, Lethal and Joe competed for the vacant Tag Team Championship against Jimmy Jacobs and B. J. Whitmer, but were defeated. Lethal retained his Pure Championship against Spanky at Stalemate on April 16, but on May 7 at Manhattan Mayhem, he lost the title to his mentor, Samoa Joe. After the match, both men were ambushed by The Rottweilers, who revealed that Low Ki was responsible for Lethal's attack at Trios Tournament 2005. This led to a tag match that night, pitting Lethal and Joe against Low Ki and fellow Rottweiler Homicide. The match concluded when Homicide delivered Da Cop Killa to Lethal, while Low Ki simultaneously executed a Ghetto Stomp, driving Lethal's neck into the ground. Lethal was stretchered from the arena, wearing a neck brace, simulating a serious injury.

After a month-long "injury" layoff, Lethal returned on June 12 at The Future is Now to save James Gibson from an attack by The Rottweilers. He returned to the ring on June 18 at Death Before Dishonor III, where his grudge match against Low Ki was declared a no contest after both men were disqualified. At Sign of Dishonor on July 8, Lethal teamed with former Special K member Dixie to defeat The Heartbreak Express. Later that evening, Mick Foley forced World Champion CM Punk, who had signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was attempting to leave ROH with the title, to defend his championship against Lethal. Punk retained his title with a muscle buster/rear naked choke combination, a move often used by Samoa Joe, who had come ringside to support Lethal.

Seeking revenge for his neck injury in May, Lethal challenged Homicide at Escape from New York on July 9, but lost due to Homicide using a chain. On July 23 at The Homecoming, he joined forces with Samoa Joe and James Gibson to face The Rottweilers (Homicide, Low Ki, and Ricky Reyes) but again suffered a defeat, with Homicide using the chain on Gibson this time. Lethal challenged Low Ki once more on August 12 at Redemption as part of his ongoing rivalry with The Rottweilers. The match ended in a draw after both combatants fought outside the ring and were counted out. After the match, Homicide attempted to attack Lethal but was stopped by his opponent for the night, Matt Hardy. On August 13 at Punk: The Final Chapter, Lethal and Joe defeated Low Ki and Homicide by disqualification after Homicide delivered an elbow drop to the referee. Following the match, the four men brawled throughout the arena, with Low Ki performing a Ghetto Stomp on Lethal off the bleachers, culminating in a Ki Krusher in the center of the ring.

At Glory by Honor IV on September 17, Lethal lost to Low Ki in a "Fight Without Honor" match. However, he went on to defeat Low Ki later that night in a standard singles match, bringing their feud to an end. He defeated Sal Rinauro to advance to the finals of the 2005 Survival of the Fittest tournament on September 24, but was eliminated by Roderick Strong.

2.2.3. Last feuds and departure (2005-2006)

After an unsuccessful challenge against Nigel McGuinness for the Pure Championship on October 1, Lethal remained undefeated until November 19, 2005, when he and Samoa Joe lost to Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in a number one contender's match for the Tag Team Championship. On December 3, 2005, at Steel Cage Warfare, Lethal wrestled Joe in an exhibition match. During the bout, Lethal executed a heel turn by attacking Joe's knee with a chair and then pinning him with the flipping release dragon suplex.

On January 27, 2006, Lethal teamed with Bryan Danielson, losing to Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in a Tag Team Championship match. At the Fourth Anniversary Show on February 25, 2006, in Edison, New Jersey, Lethal cleanly lost to Samoa Joe, ending their short-lived feud. He subsequently departed from ROH, though he returned three times for one-night appearances as a face. He lost to Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness on May 13, teamed with Colt Cabana in a losing effort against Jimmy Rave and Sal Rinauro on July 15, and lost a four-way survival match against Claudio Castagnoli, Christopher Daniels, and the eventual winner, Nigel McGuinness, on August 5, 2006.

2.3.1. Pursuit of the X Division Championship (2005-2006)

While wrestling for JAPW, Lethal caught the attention of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) producer and announcer Jeremy Borash, who offered him a spot on the TNA roster. Lethal debuted in TNA on the December 17, 2005, episode of Impact!, losing to X Division Champion and fellow ROH alumnus Samoa Joe. In January 2006, he signed a contract with TNA. He made his pay-per-view debut at Against All Odds on February 12, defeating Matt Bentley, Alex Shelley, and Petey Williams in a four-way match by pinning Williams.

On the February 18, 2006, episode of Impact!, Lethal defeated Roderick Strong and Shannon Moore to earn a spot on Team USA, the defending champions in the 2006 World X Cup. Other members of the team included Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt, and Alex Shelley. Team USA's first match was at Lockdown on April 23, 2006, where Lethal, Dutt, and Shelley lost to Team Japan (Black Tiger, Minoru Tanaka, and Hirooki Goto) after Black Tiger pinned Lethal with a Black Tiger suplex. On the April 27, 2006, episode of Impact!, Lethal unsuccessfully challenged Samoa Joe for the X Division Championship. On May 14, at Sacrifice, Lethal participated in the World X Cup Gauntlet match but was the second-to-last man eliminated by Team Mexico's Puma. The tournament concluded on the following episode of Impact! with Chris Sabin defeating Team Canada's Petey Williams to win the World X Cup for Team USA.

On the June 1, 2006, episode of Impact!, Lethal defeated Alex Shelley but was attacked after the match by Shelley's associate Kevin Nash, who had declared war on the X Division following Team USA's World X Cup victory. On the July 13, 2006, episode, Lethal won the right to challenge for a title of his choosing by securing the deciding fall in an eight-man "All or Nothing" tag team match. He teamed with Rhino and Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) against Team Canada (Petey Williams, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, and A1). The following week, Lethal challenged Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship but was defeated due to interference from Scott Steiner. Two weeks later, Lethal participated in a five-way X Division match to determine the number one contender for the title. Although Petey Williams won, Lethal was added to the match, making it a three-way X Division title match at Hard Justice involving Lethal, Williams, and defending champion Senshi. Lethal was pinned by Senshi after Williams hit him with his Canadian Destroyer.

In a notable product placement, Lethal, alongside Sonjay Dutt, helped fellow X Division star Chris Sabin prepare for his match at No Surrender by watching clips from Jackass Number Two, which TNA was heavily promoting. On a subsequent Impact! episode, during Chris Sabin's match with Alex Shelley, Shelley's partner Johnny Devine was pushed in a shopping cart and rammed into the steel post, enabling Sabin to pin Shelley. The following week, Lethal defeated Petey Williams after Sabin and Dutt distracted the referee, allowing Lethal to roll a bowling ball into Petey's groin. Lethal went on to defeat Williams again on September 24, 2006, at the No Surrender pay-per-view, after Williams was allegedly given laxatives by Dutt, impairing his ability to perform. Lethal and Dutt were also involved in Sabin's later match that night with similar antics involving a blow-up doll, though Sabin still lost. These incidents were also part of the Jackass Number Two promotional efforts, as were other segments for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

2.3.2. Black Machismo (2006-2008)

In December 2006, Kevin Nash recruited Lethal, Senshi, Austin Starr, Sonjay Dutt, and Alex Shelley to compete in the Paparazzi Championship Series. This series included various non-wrestling contests like a push-up contest, musical chairs, a Limbo contest, and Texas Hold'em. Lethal did not win the tournament, which concluded in January 2007. Afterward, Lethal and Dutt continued to appear in Paparazzi segments with Nash and PCS winner Alex Shelley, with Nash promising to give Lethal and Dutt "Extreme Makeovers" to advance their careers. The February 15 Impact! episode featured a "Paparazzi Idol" segment, a parody of American Idol. After Lethal's singing attempt was poorly received, judge Kevin Nash suggested an impression, to which Lethal responded with a spot-on imitation of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage. On the April 5, 2007, Impact! episode, Lethal and Dutt were introduced with their new gimmicks; Lethal's new persona was an impersonation of Savage. The following week, Nash introduced Lethal, who entered to a remixed version of Savage's theme "Pomp and Circumstance" and dressed in full "Macho Man" attire, as "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal. He mimicked Savage's trademark catchphrase "Oh yeah!" and defeated X Division Champion Chris Sabin using many of Savage's signature moves and mannerisms, most notably his diving elbow drop finisher.

At the Lockdown pay-per-view on April 15, 2007, Lethal nearly won the X Division title from Sabin in a five-person Xscape match. Both Lethal and Sabin were climbing the same side of the cage, fighting as they ascended, when Sabin kicked Lethal's leg, trapping it through the cage bars, allowing Sabin to jump down and win. On the April 26 Impact! episode, Lethal and his tag team partner, Sonjay Dutt (who had rejected Nash's gimmick idea for himself), won a shot at Chris Sabin's X Division Championship at Sacrifice. However, Dutt was unhappy that Lethal secured the pinfall. After their loss to Sabin at Sacrifice, Dutt and Lethal began brawling until Kevin Nash intervened, separating them, only for Dutt to kick Nash and storm out of the ring. On May 8, TNA Mobile announced that Randy Savage himself had called Jay Lethal, expressing his admiration for the "Black Machismo" character. However, Lethal later doubted whether he had genuinely spoken with Savage, given the ease of imitating the Macho Man's voice. At Slammiversary, Lethal defeated Chris Sabin in a singles match for the X Division Championship, marking his first title in TNA. Days later, on the following Impact!, he lost the title to Samoa Joe in a three-way qualifying match.

At Victory Road, Lethal competed in an Ultimate X gauntlet match but lost after Christopher Daniels retrieved the X. At Hard Justice, Lethal and Sonjay Dutt, who had reconciled after Dutt adopted a guru gimmick, defeated Triple X's Christopher Daniels and Senshi, and The Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) in a three-way tag match when Lethal pinned Daniels. This led to Jim Cornette booking a match on the August 16 Impact! episode between Daniels and Lethal, with the winner becoming the number one contender for the X Division title; Lethal won. Consequently, Lethal faced Triple Crown champion Kurt Angle for the X Division title at No Surrender, where Lethal cleanly defeated Angle with a roll-up to win the X Division Championship for the second time.

At Genesis, Lethal successfully defended his X Division Championship against his best friend, Sonjay Dutt, who again showed signs of annoyance toward Lethal during the match. However, after the match, Dutt reconciled with Lethal, who then invited SoCal Val, TNA's ring girl, to the ring to celebrate. The celebration was cut short by Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon), who were feuding with the then-fan favorite-turned Motor City Machineguns. Team 3D attacked both Lethal and Dutt and left the arena with Lethal's championship belt. Team 3D later declared war on the X Division, claiming its wrestlers were "little boys" who needed toughening. During the feud, Johnny Devine turned on the X Division and joined Team 3D, often carrying Lethal's stolen belt before officially winning it in a Street Fight on the January 24, 2008, Impact! episode, following interference from Team 3D. The feud concluded on February 10 at Against All Odds, where Lethal, Shelley, and Sabin defeated Team 3D and Devine in a six-man street fight, with Lethal pinning Devine to reclaim the X Division Championship. On April 17, 2008, Lethal lost his X Division title after Petey Williams attacked him from behind following a match and cashed in his "Feast or Fired" briefcase for an X Division title shot.

On the subsequent Impact! episode, Lethal proposed to his on-screen girlfriend SoCal Val, who accepted. At Slammiversary, Sonjay Dutt, after months of hinting, finally turned heel by interrupting the wedding ceremony, declaring his love for Val, and attacking Lethal and his wedding guests. On the next two Impact! episodes, Lethal attacked Dutt out of rage when Dutt claimed Val loved him. On the following Impact!, So Cal Val announced she wanted to postpone the wedding. Dutt and Lethal met at Victory Road in a singles contest, which Dutt won after Val pleaded with Lethal to stop hurting Dutt, allowing Dutt to roll him up. Lethal proposed to Val again, but found her ring missing, as Dutt had stolen it. Lethal and Dutt met again in a Black Tie Brawl and Chain match at Hard Justice, which Lethal won, despite Val distracting him by leaving the match because he would not stop hurting Dutt. During a "Karen's Angle" segment, Dutt confronted Val and attempted to seduce her until Lethal attacked him, accidentally elbowing Val in the face during the struggle. The following week, Val announced she would put the wedding ring up for grabs in a "Ladder of Love match" on September 14 at No Surrender. At No Surrender, Val turned on Lethal by delivering a low blow, allowing Dutt to climb the ladder and retrieve the wedding ring.

2.3.3. Lethal Consequences (2008-2009)

At Bound for Glory IV, Lethal won the Steel Asylum match to become the number one contender for the X Division title. On the October 23 live episode of Impact!, Sheik Abdul Bashir defeated Lethal to retain the championship. The following week, Lethal, along with A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Consequences Creed, Petey Williams, Eric Young, O.D.B., and The Motor City Machine Guns, formed a faction of younger wrestlers known as the TNA Frontline to oppose The Main Event Mafia.

On December 6, Lethal won one of the "Feast or Fired" briefcases, which was later revealed to contain a shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship. On the January 8, 2009, episode of Impact!, Lethal cashed in his briefcase, forming a team with Consequences Creed. They defeated then-champions Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm) after Roode's singles match with Matt Morgan to become the new TNA World Tag Team Champions. However, they quickly lost the titles back to Beer Money, Inc. at the Genesis pay-per-view on January 11.

On January 15, Lethal and Creed defeated Abyss and Matt Morgan to earn another shot at the Tag Team Championship. Upon becoming number one contenders, Lethal and Creed formally established a long-term tag team known as Lethal Consequences (a combination of their ring names) and began a feud with The Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) due to dissension between the Guns and the Frontline. They were scheduled to face the Guns on February 5, but Beer Money interfered during Creed's entrance, injuring his left shoulder. Frontline member Eric Young substituted for Creed, winning the match with a Death Valley driver to both Shelley and Sabin. Beer Money then retained the title at Against All Odds due to Creed's shoulder injury. After their title match, Lethal Consequences continued their feud with the Motor City Machineguns, with both teams winning one match each over the next two weeks. At Destination X, Lethal competed in an Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship, alongside Consequences Creed, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, and Suicide, who ultimately won the match and the Championship.

On April 24, 2009, TNAWrestling.com announced that Lethal had signed a new multi-year deal with the company. On the November 5, 2009, episode of Impact!, Jay Lethal announced an open invitational challenge. Following Hulk Hogan's announcement of joining TNA, Lethal challenged wrestling legends to face him. The following week, Jim Neidhart answered the challenge and defeated Lethal. The series continued on the December 17 Impact! episode, when Tatanka answered the challenge and defeated Lethal in a singles match. After months of inactivity, Lethal's alliance with Consequences Creed officially ended on March 29, 2010, when Creed was released from his contract.

2.3.4. Feud with Ric Flair and Fortune (2010-2011)

After spending most of early 2010 off television, Lethal returned on the March 29 Impact! episode by approaching Hulk Hogan, reminiscing about their days as "The Mega Powers" (Hogan's old team with Randy Savage). Playing along with Lethal's antics, Hogan put him in charge of the show during his one-week absence due to a business trip. After incurring the wrath of Hogan's business partner Eric Bischoff with his comedic booking ideas, Bischoff placed Lethal in a two-on-one handicap match against Beer Money, Inc.; however, Lethal managed to win by surprising Robert Roode with a roll-up. On the May 3 Impact! episode, Hogan gave Lethal Ric Flair's Hall of Fame ring, which Abyss had won from Flair the previous week. When Lethal, now imitating Flair, was confronted by Flair himself, he claimed no disrespect and respectfully returned the ring. This, however, was not enough for Flair, who attacked Lethal along with A.J. Styles, Desmond Wolfe, and Beer Money, Inc., before being saved by Abyss, Team 3D, and the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam. At Sacrifice, Lethal intervened during the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between champion Rob Van Dam and challenger A.J. Styles, locking Ric Flair in a Figure-four leglock to prevent his interference. On the May 20 Impact! episode, Lethal competed in his first match after dropping the Black Machismo gimmick, teaming with Rob Van Dam to defeat Beer Money, Inc. After the match, Lethal brawled with Flair. At Slammiversary VIII, Lethal defeated Flair's protégé A.J. Styles in a singles match. After defeating Desmond Wolfe, another of Flair's allies, on the June 17 Impact! episode, Hogan granted him a match with Flair at Victory Road. On July 11 at Victory Road, Lethal defeated Flair with Flair's own signature move, the figure-four leglock. On the August 5 Impact! episode, Lethal faced Flair in a rematch under Street Fight rules, with A.J. Styles, Kazarian, Robert Roode, and James Storm of Flair's Fortune stable banned from ringside. Flair won the match after interference from X Division Champion Douglas Williams, who officially joined Fortune the following week. On September 6, at the tapings for the September 16 Impact! episode, Lethal defeated Williams to win the X Division Championship for the fourth time.

On September 23, at a live event in New York City, Lethal lost the X Division Championship to Amazing Red. Lethal regained the title two days later at a live event in Rahway, New Jersey. At Bound for Glory, Lethal successfully defended the X Division Championship against Douglas Williams. After his title match at Bound for Glory, Lethal was attacked by Robbie E, who claimed Lethal was a disgrace to New Jersey and vowed to bring class to the X Division Championship himself. On the October 28 Impact! episode, Robbie E defeated Lethal in a non-title Street Fight, with interference from his manager Cookie, earning a right to challenge for the X Division Championship. At Turning Point, Lethal lost the X Division Championship to Robbie E, again due to interference from Cookie. After suffering another loss to Robbie and Cookie on the following Impact! episode in a mixed tag team match, where he teamed with Taylor Wilde, Lethal concluded that he needed someone to neutralize Cookie the next time he challenged for the X Division Championship. At Final Resolution, Lethal faced Robbie E for the X Division Championship, with Cookie suspended above the ring in a shark cage. Robbie retained the title via disqualification when Lethal was caught using Cookie's hairspray on him. On December 7, at the tapings for the December 16 Impact! episode, Lethal defeated Robbie E after Christy Hemme came out to neutralize Cookie, winning the X Division Championship for the sixth time. After the match, he celebrated with Hemme, which led to a kiss between the two; Lethal now shared the record for most reigns as the X Division Champion. On January 9, 2011, at Genesis, Lethal lost the X Division Championship to Fortune member Kazarian. On April 21, 2011, it was reported that Lethal had parted ways with TNA. His final match for the promotion was an eight-man Xscape match on April 17 at Lockdown. His last televised match aired on the April 19 Xplosion episode, a three-way match with Sangriento and Chris Sabin. Lethal's departure from TNA was later used to ignite a storyline feud between the X Division and Eric Bischoff, and to fuel the ongoing feud between the now-face Fortune and Bischoff's Immortal stable, with both Robert Roode and Brian Kendrick mentioning him on the May 5 Impact! episode.

2.4.1. Various feuds (2011-2014)

On May 2, 2011, ROH announced Lethal's return to the promotion on June 26 at the Best in the World 2011 internet pay-per-view. In his ROH return match, Lethal, as a face, defeated Mike Bennett. On August 8, ROH announced that Lethal had signed a contract with the promotion. On August 13, at the first Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings under the Sinclair Broadcast Group banner, Lethal defeated El Generico to win the ROH World Television Championship. On September 17, at Death Before Dishonor IX, Lethal teamed with fellow TNA alumnus Homicide in a tag team match, where they were defeated by The Embassy's Rhino and Tommaso Ciampa. On December 3, Lethal defeated nineteen other men in the Honor Rumble to earn a shot at the ROH World Championship in 2012. On December 23, at Final Battle 2011, Lethal successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship in a three-way match against El Generico and Mike Bennett.

At the January 7, 2012, tapings of Ring of Honor Wrestling, Lethal successfully defended the title against Bennett in a No Time Limit match. On January 20, Lethal unsuccessfully challenged Davey Richards for the ROH World Championship. On March 4, at the 10th Anniversary Show, Lethal's ROH World Television Championship match with Tommaso Ciampa ended in a fifteen-minute time limit draw. On March 31, at Showdown in the Sun, Lethal lost the World Television Championship to Roderick Strong, following outside interference from Ciampa. At the subsequent pay-per-view, Border Wars on May 12, Lethal defeated Ciampa in a singles match, ending his undefeated streak. On June 24, at Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, Lethal failed to regain the World Television Championship from Strong in a three-way elimination match that also involved Ciampa. The feud between Lethal and Ciampa culminated on August 11, at Boiling Point, where Lethal defeated Ciampa in a two-out-of-three-falls match. On September 22, Lethal won the 2012 Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn another shot at the ROH World Championship. Lethal received his title shot on October 6 in Rahway, New Jersey, but the match with Kevin Steen ended in a no contest.

Following the match, ROH staged an angle where Steen spat at Lethal's parents at ringside, leading to Lethal snapping and attacking several ROH officials, including Jim Cornette. Having found his "killer instinct," Lethal appeared at the subsequent internet pay-per-view, Glory By Honor XI: The Unbreakable Hope on October 13, securing a submission win over Davey Richards. After defeating Rhino on December 16 at Final Battle 2012: Doomsday, Lethal petitioned for a shot at the ROH World Championship, which was turned down by matchmaker Nigel McGuinness, resulting in Lethal spitting in his face and a brawl between the two. At the January 5, 2013, tapings of Ring of Honor Wrestling, Lethal managed to persuade Steen to accept a title match, which McGuinness then sanctioned. Lethal received his title shot on March 2 at the 11th Anniversary Show, but was defeated by Steen. On April 5, at Supercard of Honor VII, Lethal failed to earn another shot at the ROH World Championship, losing to Michael Elgin in a number one contender's match. After the ROH World Championship was vacated, Lethal entered a tournament to determine the new champion, defeating Sonjay Dutt in his first-round match on July 27. On August 3, Lethal was eliminated from the tournament in the second round by Adam Cole.

2.4.2. ROH World Television Champion and ROH World Champion (2014-2016)

On April 4, 2014, at Supercard of Honor VIII, Lethal turned heel for the first time in nearly a decade by accepting assistance from Truth Martini to defeat Tommaso Ciampa and regain the World Television Championship, becoming the first two-time holder of the title. After the match, Lethal declared the presence of a house in ROH, "The House of Truth," marking the return of the stable with Lethal as its figurehead. Over the next year, Lethal achieved recognition as the longest-reigning World Television Champion in ROH history, with successful championship defenses against opponents such as Matt Taven, Caprice Coleman, A. C. H., and Matt Sydal at Final Battle 2014. He also defended the title against Alberto el Patrón at the ROH 13th Anniversary Show. In March 2015, Lethal became the most successful World Television Champion of all time, with the most successful defenses, more than doubling the previous record held by Matt Taven. On April 4, Lethal's title reign reached a full year, securing him all records associated with the World Television Championship.

In April 2015, Lethal began proclaiming himself as "the" ROH Champion, asserting that his World Television Championship was the true top title in ROH, surpassing the World Championship. In May 2015, Lethal debuted a new World Television Championship belt, which omitted the word "Television" and simply read "ROH Champion." As a result, matchmaker Nigel McGuinness announced that at Best in the World 2015, Lethal would face Jay Briscoe in a winner-takes-all "Battle of the Belts" match, with both the ROH World Championship and ROH World Television Championships on the line. Lethal defeated Briscoe after executing Briscoe's own Jay Driller followed by a Lethal Injection to retain his television title and win the World Championship, thus becoming a double champion and the first African-American to win the championship. This victory also made him Ring of Honor's third Triple Crown Champion, as he was also a former ROH Pure Champion. On August 22, Lethal teamed with the "King of Strong Style" Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat reDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) at Ring of Honor's Field of Honor event. On October 23, at Glory By Honor XIV, Lethal lost the Television Championship to Roderick Strong, ending his reign at 567 days and 36 successful championship defenses.

As part of 2015's "supershow" series with Preston City Wrestling, Lethal retained the ROH World Championship in three separate defenses against Noam Dar, Doug Williams, and Joey Hayes. Through ROH's working relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Lethal made his debut for the Japanese promotion on January 4, 2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome, where he successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Michael Elgin. Lethal returned to the UK to defend the ROH World Championship, this time defeating Mark Haskins at a sold-out show in York Hall, London for Revolution Pro Wrestling. On February 20, Lethal main evented the second night of the ROH and NJPW co-produced Honor Rising: Japan 2016 event in Tokyo, Japan, successfully defending the ROH World Championship against Tomoaki Honma. Afterward, Lethal and Truth Martini joined Tetsuya Naito's Los Ingobernables de Japón stable. Lethal and Naito had previously worked together in TNA. On March 26 during ROH tapings, Lethal successfully defended his title against Hirooki Goto. Afterward, a rare double-turn occurred when Donovan Dijak came out with Prince Nana and attacked Truth Martini. Lethal then began a feud with a returning Colt Cabana, who had set his sights on the ROH World Championship. At Global Wars, Lethal and Cabana's match ended in a no-contest after The Bullet Club interfered and attacked everyone at ringside, including Lethal. During the attack, Lethal was zip-tied to the ring ropes and repeatedly superkicked by new Bullet Club member Adam Cole.

At Best in the World '16 on July 24, Lethal successfully defended his title against Jay Briscoe, and the two shook hands afterward. The following day, Lethal was again attacked by Cole and Bullet Club, who shaved his head bald. The following month, Lethal returned to NJPW, successfully defending the ROH World Championship against Satoshi Kojima on August 14. On August 19, at Death Before Dishonor XIV, Lethal lost the ROH World Championship to Adam Cole, ending his reign at 427 days.

2.4.3. Various feuds (2016-2018)

At Field of Honor, Lethal was involved in a Four Corner Survival match for the ROH World Championship, which was won by Adam Cole. On August 20, 2016, Lethal was betrayed by Los Ingobernables de Japón after they abandoned him during a six-man tag team match. At All Star Extravaganza VIII, Lethal defeated Tetsuya Naito. At Final Battle, Lethal was defeated by Cody after a low blow, followed by a post-match attack. Lethal defeated Jushin Thunder Liger in the first round of the Decade of Excellence tournament but was defeated by Jay Briscoe in the second round. On April 1, at Supercard of Honor XI, Lethal defeated Cody in a Texas Bullrope match. At an ROH TV taping, Lethal defeated Silas Young, Jay White, and Hangman Page in a four-way match to become the number one contender for the ROH World Championship. On May 12, at War of the Worlds, Lethal unsuccessfully challenged Christopher Daniels for the ROH World Championship in a three-way match that also involved Cody.

2.4.4. Second reign as ROH World Champion; ROH World Tag Team Champion; departure (2018-2021)

On the June 30, 2018, tapings of Ring of Honor Wrestling, Lethal defeated Dalton Castle for his second ROH World Championship. This marked the first time the ROH World Championship changed hands at a non-pay-per-view event, a television taping, and aired on tape delay. He held the title for 280 days before losing it to Matt Taven on April 6, 2019, in a triple threat ladder match (also involving Marty Scurll) at G1 Supercard.

On December 13, 2019, at Final Battle, Lethal, alongside Jonathan Gresham, won the ROH World Tag Team Championship for the first time by defeating The Briscoe Brothers. On the November 28, 2020, episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling, Lethal appeared with the newly formed faction The Foundation, comprising Jonathan Gresham, Rhett Titus, and Tracy Williams.

In October 2021, ROH announced a hiatus until 2022. Shortly after this announcement, Lethal joined All Elite Wrestling and was initially pulled from the Final Battle card. However, when ROH World Champion Bandido was diagnosed with COVID-19, it was announced that Lethal would replace Bandido in his Final Battle match against Jonathan Gresham. At the event, Lethal was defeated by Gresham. This marked his final appearance with ROH before its acquisition by Tony Khan in March 2022.