Tag: Jonathan Gresham

Jonathan Gresham Departs TNA Wrestling

Jonathan Gresham’s tenure with TNA Wrestling has officially come to an end. On the January 18 episode of the Insight podcast, Gresham’s wife, Jordynne Grace, confirmed that his contract with TNA expired that same day. While his next move in professional wrestling remains uncertain, Grace hinted that Gresham has some “conversations to have” regarding his future.

Gresham’s TNA Run

Gresham, a technically gifted performer known for his grappling and ring psychology, last competed on the December 14 edition of iMPACT Wrestling. In that match, he teamed with Eric Young and Steve Maclin in a six-man tag against The System. While his time with TNA didn’t see him capture championship gold, Gresham remains a decorated competitor with an impressive résumé.

Prior to his time in TNA, Gresham established himself as a cornerstone of Ring of Honor (ROH), where he held multiple championships, including the ROH World Championship, the ROH Pure Championship, and the ROH World Tag Team Titles. His reputation as a technical wrestling specialist and his accolades on the independent scene have made him one of the most respected names in the industry.

The Grace-Gresham Connection

Gresham’s exit from TNA coincides with a major career milestone for his wife, Jordynne Grace, who has signed a multi-year deal with WWE. Grace recently wrapped up her TNA commitments at the Genesis pay-per-view and is expected to appear in Indianapolis for the Royal Rumble this weekend.

While Gresham’s future remains uncertain, there’s already speculation about what’s next for the former ROH standout. Whether it’s a return to the independent circuit, a stint in AEW, or even joining his wife in WWE, the options are wide open for this accomplished performer.

What’s Next for Gresham?

Gresham’s in-ring style and championship pedigree make him a valuable addition to any promotion, and fans are eager to see where he lands next. With Grace moving to WWE, there’s buzz about whether Gresham could eventually follow suit. For now, it appears he’s taking time to weigh his options before making his next big move.

Backstage News On Jonathan Gresham Requesting ROH/AEW Release

The former Ring of Honor World Champion Jonathan Gresham is seeking to be immediately released from his AEW/ROH contract, according to a new report from “Fightful.” It’s explained that Gresham asked for his release Saturday ahead of the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view and his ROH World Title defense against Claudio Castagnoli — a bout he ultimately lost.

The report cites “a lack of communication between the company and Gresham leading up to the weekend,” inspiring the technical wrestling specialist to feel “disrespected.” The lack of time given to the World Title match during last night’s show was also a noted “tipping point.”

Gresham reportedly met with Tony before the show began and got heated enough to the point that he was “cussing out” the AEW/ROH President. “Fightful” notes that several people backstage have corroborated this story after what occurred between the two. Gresham has since responded to inquiries about the ordeal and claimed he is “done with wrestling for the foreseeable future after this month.” Part of the reason Gresham came out in his regular entrance attire last night was that he was unsure if that would be his final match before hanging up the boots. Tony Khan has yet to comment, and it remains unclear if Gresham has been granted his requested release from ROH and AEW.

After a successful career in the former ROH, Gresham made his AEW in-ring debut when he competed at their Battle of the Belts II against the flamboyant Dalton Castle. Gresham managed to hold on to his ROH World Title on that occasion when he defeated Castle by submission. His first time working with Tony Khan was at the ROH SuperCard of Honor XV this past April, the first ROH show following Tony Khan’s acquisition of the company.

UPDATE

According to Fightful, Gresham met with Khan before the pay-per-view and was already more heated than usual regarding the direction of his booking and character, but while their dialogue had been expected to stay private, details couldn’t help but spill into the locker room as the conversation increased in volume, with even the building’s security being able to hear it. Fightful’s previous report had stated that Gresham ‘cussed out’ Khan.

Gresham reportedly had contacts within AEW in the form of QT Marshall and Sonjay Dutt had also been a contact for him from within the company. Despite that, Gresham was frustrated with the creative direction of his character — specifically, he had been against the idea of turning heel, and more broadly, he “a vision for his creative direction” that Khan did not share. Gresham had apparently been told that creative changes had to go through Khan, but he was unable to meet with Khan until just a few hours before the event on Saturday. The finish of Gresham’s match with Claudio Castagnoli, which saw him lose the ROH World Championship, is believed to have been hinted to him, but it’s unclear whether he knew before the day of the show itself. Fightful claims that the typical creative process involves talent speaking to AEW coaches, as well as Marshall, Christopher Daniels, Marshall, and Pat Buck, who then act as intermediaries between the talent and Khan. The report also notes that while Khan does try to speak directly to talent, that practice has declined “due to the changing of the world and travel in general.”

The general lack of communication within AEW is not a new complaint, as former talent like Joey Janela, Marko Stunt, and Chavo Guerrero have discussed similar issues in the past. It remains to be seen whether Gresham will have his release granted, as neither Khan nor the company have made an official comment.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jonathan Gresham Reportedly Signs With AEW

ROH World Champion & PROGRESS Unified World Champion Jonathan Gresham has reportedly signed with AEW.

After weeks of speculation, a new report from Fightful Select confirms that Gresham has signed an AEW contract that will also see him perform for ROH.

Gresham will make his AEW TV debut at Battle of The Belts II this Saturday night on TNT as he defends the Ring of Honor strap against ROH veteran Dalton Castle.

AEW has also signed “Gates of Agony” Kaun and Toa Liona to similar contracts, as reported earlier this week. Word is that there are other talents who are signed to these AEW/ROH contracts, and names should be confirmed soon.

Gresham became the Undisputed ROH World Champion by defeating Bandido in the main event of ROH Supercard of Honor on April 1, which was the first show booked by new ROH owner Tony Khan.

Gresham has worked for Impact Wrestling in recent months, and will face Eddie Edwards in a non-title match at the Rebellion pay-per-view on April 23. There’s no word yet on if this will be his final date for Impact.

Gresham has also worked several indie dates in recent months, but there’s no word on if this new AEW/ROH contract will allow him to continue taking those bookings. Gresham captured the PROGRESS Wrestling Unified World Title on March 20 at Chapter 130 by defeating Cara Noir. Since then he has retained over Malik and Warren Banks, but there’s no word on how the AEW/ROH contract will impact his PROGRESS run.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Top ROH Star Jonathan Gresham Announces New Promotion, Seth Rollins Comments

Jonathan Gresham announced he is starting up a new wrestling promotion called Terminus.

“Terminus. Modern age grappling. 1/16/22 Atlanta, GA,” Gresham wrote on social media.

In the video promo, it also teased “all roads lead to Terminus.”

Jonathan Gresham defeated Brody King over the weekend at ROH Honor For All to become the new number one contender.

The ROH World Champion is currently Bandido and he will meet Gresham for the title at ROH Final Battle on December 17.

Ring of Honor is set to go on hiatus after the PPV until April 2022. The company is reportedly going to operate more as an independent promotion in the future as it is not renewing contracts.

“Throughout the pandemic, our top priority was to keep everyone healthy and safe, and despite not producing any live events over 18 months, we were able to keep everyone fully contracted,” ROH wrote in a statement last month. “We now find ourselves at a time where we need to make changes to our business operations and are planning a pivot for Ring of Honor, with a new mission and strategy.”

WWE Superstar Seth Rollins retweeted Gresham’s video and recalled a story:

“One time a young JG paid my booking fee — when the promoter couldn’t come up with the cash — so I would stay and work. We ended up tearing it up in front of about 6 people, & had a couple more bangers months later. He never looked back. Invest in yourself, friends.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.