Evolution Schematic 11.17.07: Black Machismo Jay Lethal

Writer’s Notes

So another WWE PPV is upon us. And apparently there’s some anniversary of something, some famous match for the title. I dunno, I’m just glad that Ron, in my tribute to him, given the obvious chose a guy in no way shape or form related to it. Huzzah! And goodbye Ron. Again.

This is the first ES written on my new comp, so huzzah me.

Oh, and in the HIGHLY unlikely event someone who works in Optus is reading this, how do I call America from my Optus home phone? I’ve got a wife to hit on…

Evolution Schematic Special Super Duper Bonus Video!

Time for another ESSSDBV! Apparently WWE Magazine is not the only division incapable of keeping a lid on something. Y2J’s new Titantron has been leaked. Assuming it’s still up on Youtube by the time this is posted…

Overview

Jay Lethal, Black Machismo, Hydro, is a young man full of a strange mix of headstrongness and tunnel vision. See, he’s gone through several surprising changes in the short time he’s been in the industry, from a young age he’s been in the ring, and he’s changed streams more time than some 20 year vets.

He’s been a nice young man, a raver, a protégé, a pissed off former protégé, an angry young man, a proud American, a Jackass, an impersonator and now, a champion. That’s the sign of someone who doesn’t know what he wants out of life.

Or, someone with tunnel vision. Like Big Show, Lethal is prone to listening to other people. Samoa Joe, Izzy & Dixie, Kevin Nash, he’s changed his style, his outlook, everything he is because of other people. And yet, when he has changed, when he finds a new path, he commits to it, 100%. Until someone else gets in his ear. This has lead to a varied, interesting career.

Oh Yeah!

Origins- Jersey Born, Jersey Bred, Maff and Whipwreck taught.

Lethal was a Jersey kid, born in Elizabeth New Jersey. He…

Elizabeth? Really?

Wow. How fitting.

Uh yeah, Jersey kid. He, like many wrestlers, grew up tough and mean, not a bad guy, but certainly not afraid to get rough if needed. He’s from Jersey, ya know?

Eventually, the Jersey kid made good, winning a contest to get free Pro Wrestling training under Mikey Whipwreck and Dan Maff, and in 2002, at just 16, he stepped into the wrestling ring for the first time.

Debut- Jersey All-Pro and Jersey Championship.

For the next two years, Lethal worked his way up the Jersey Indy scene, wrestling, working hard, training, winning a couple of belts here and there but not really doing anything huge, nothing major. He was just another hungry young kid, albeit quite a young one, trying to make a living. Eventually, some rich kids looking for a good time spotted him, and took him in, and told him how he should just be having a good time, just have fun and screw honor and stuff. A few drinks from Izzy & Dixie later…

Phase 2- Hydro’s Electric! Damm.

He debuted in Ring Of Honor in very, very late 2003, so much so that he didn’t really make any sort of impact until 04 a few days later. While he continued to work his hometown feds, winning the JAPW Light Heavyweight title, he began to focus more and more on ROH. The reason for this was that as Hydro, his Raver name, he quickly became the main guy in Special K, Izzy and Dixie’s group of Ravers. While Izzy and Dixie were the leaders, Hydro was the main guy, he was the one who seemed to be actually a good wrestler, and would often be the guy who got the win when they won in tag matches, and if they lost, someone else, as a rule, would eat the fall.

He impressed people so much, he got an offer from another group, Alex Shelley offering him a slot in Generation Next after Hydro took Shelley to the limit, Hydro refused.

A month later, CM Punk retained the tag titles by himself in a 4 way with Hydro involved. Hydro then challenged him to an impromptu match, which Punk won. However, Punk offered him a handshake, and Hydro took it.

See, back then the Code Of Honor was in full swing, something Special K refused to follow. So when Hydro did follow it, it marked an opening, and Samoa Joe decided to use it.

Phase 3- Joe’s Gonna Straighten You!

Reborn: Completion, July 17th, Elizabeth NJ. A double shot ROH show in Hydro’s home town. And Joe decided to confront him. Joe spoke to him, telling him to straighten up, fly right, get serious, so on and so forth.

Lethal listened to him, as he was to do at times, and so dropped the Hydro, dropped the raving, and once again focused on wrestling. He became known as Samoa Joe’s protégé, Joe teaching him a bit but more importantly Joe just kept him on track. Special K then almost immediately went on a losing streak while Jay Lethal, as he once again began calling himself, also went on a losing streak.

Special K disbanded, while he was forced to fight Matt Stryker with his job on the line. Luckily he won, and thus was around for Low Ki to target.

Phase 3b- I hate Joe! And his little boy too!

Low Ki chose a night when Lethal’s parents were in the crowd to humiliate and beat Lethal easily and then spit on his parents.

Lethal’s, not his own, although I wouldn’t put it pass him.

Lethal didn’t end up getting any real measure of revenge on Low Ki, at first, as he quickly got into more trouble with The Embassy.

Phase 3c- I hate Joe! And his little boy too! CROWN JEWEL!

Jimmy Rave and Prince Nana targeted Lethal, wanting to end his career to send a message to Joe in particular and everyone in general. They used some masked wrestlers, Nana calling them WMD’s. Lethal got past them, and in the new year he pinned Rave to become #1 contender to the ROH Pure Title.

He got the title shot immediately following that match, losing since Rave had worked the midsection and Doug Walters took the advantage. However, he got a real shot at the next major show, and won, winning the ROH Pure Title.

Phase 4- Pure Lethal!

Lethal was Pure Champ for a few months, until May came along, and he had to defend the title against Joe. Joe then beat him for the belt. Before Lethal could maybe decide that he didn’t appreciate that, The Rottweilers, lead by Homicide and Low Ki in this attack, attacked them both, Low Ki hitting a double stomp at the same time as Homicide hit a Cop Killa, injuring Lethal’s neck, setting him off the injured list for a couple of months.

Phase 5- I’ve come for my revenge! And won’t get any…

Lethal returned from injury, going after Low Ki.

He proceeded to lose several times, drawing a few times, finally getting a win in September in a normal single’s match after losing to Low Ki in a fight without honor earlier in the show. After a couple more tag matches, Lethal became sick and tired of his losing, and how people were telling him that he only could win when teaming with Joe. So, eventually, he demanded a chance to prove himself against Joe.

And in that match, he attacked Joe’s knee with a chair, winning thanks to said chair usage. He then shook Joe’s hand, and continued the attack.

Phase 6- His Own Man.

He had listened to the jives, the insults, and wanted to prove he was better than Joe, that Joe cheated to win the Pure title, so on and so forth. The standard existential crisis many wrestlers go through after a period of time under another person’s wing. Sammartino/Zybysko, Undertaker/Big Show, Trish/Mickie, TNT/Dynamite, Joe/Lethal.

It’s a shame then that the rest of Lethal’s ROH career saw him lose to Joe and then pretty much lose to everyone else as well, finally losing to Joe again in February 05 in his ‘final’ match with the company. He has made a few trips back for one night only, each time losing and thus leaving again, swearing he won’t return. After all, by this point, he was a TNA Superstar!

Well, Star.

Well…

Phase 7- TNA, Part 1.

Lethal had signed onto TNA at the start of 06, becoming TNA’s youngest employee, at a mere 21 years. (WWE then hired Kelly Kelly, a mere 19 year old. Co-incidence?)

After establishing himself, Lethal qualified for Team USA/TNA, and while not winning any match, was still a team member and thus could claim credit for their victory.

However, all this patriotism didn’t help out much, as he still floundered around a little until a 7 foot man entered his lift.

Phase 8- Kevin Nash.

Nash decided he was going to take on the X Division. With Alex Shelly as his loyal assistant, Nash went after Lethal first, Lethal being beat down to send a message to the rest of the division. Lethal got some wins over Shelly, but never got to pin Nash, but his standing up to Nash, and his guts and determination and so on and so forth did make his stock rise in the company.

And thus, in July, Team Canada had a last chance match, an 8 man tag, and Lethal was one of the participants against them. If Team Canada won, they could stick together. If they lost, they were screwed, and whoever got the pin got a title match of their choice. Lethal ended up getting the pin and a title match of his choice.

After he and Sabin beat Shelly and Nash in a tag match at Victory Road (Sabin pinned Shelly), Lethal had a choice. Go after the X Division Title? Give him and Sabin a tag title shot? Sting then walked up, and talked him into something.

In this case, taking a shot at the big gold ring, going for the NWA World Title. Sure, he lost, but it was a close match, proving to the world he was ready, and that he could hang with Jeff Jarrett.

And then Jackass ruined everything.

Phase 9- Fricking Jackass.

Jackass Number 2 the movie was coming out, so Sabin, Dutt and Lethal got into watching Jackass and emulating it.

Not a good time for him. Hey, easily led into new things, then gets focused on it. But after Low Ki, sorry, Senshi ended up attacking a blow up woman, the whole thing died down, thankfully, just in time for Nash to come back in. But not to destroy. No no, to shape!

Phase 10- Paparazzi Championship Series

Nash wasn’t out to conquer or destroy the X Division anymore. No, now he wanted to help bring out the personality, bring out the characters, make it interesting. He felt all X Division guys were similar.

He’s clearly never seen Senshi and Samoa Joe next to each other then.

Regardless, he created the PCS to help produce the inner character in some of the X Division guys. For the most part he struck out, but with Lethal…

By god, with Lethal he struck gold. Because part of the challenge was an American Idol rip-off. Lethal tried to sing, then found out the way to win was to annoy the judges. So he impersonated ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage.

Flawlessly.

The encouragement he got made him evolve his style, evolve his look, and “Black Machismo” was born.

Phase 11- Snap Into It!

The new and improved Lethal had Nash’s seal of approval (as well as Randy Savage’s, apparently). The Guru Dutt had less approval, and ended up splitting from Lethal for a while. Lethal, shrugging, set to work, and eventually won the X Division title off Chris Sabin, losing it on the very next Impact to Joe, who lost it to Kurt Angle. After fighting with Daniels for a bit, being on the receiving end of the XXX reunion and then beating Daniels for the #1 Contendership, he then fought and beat Kurt Angle, clean as a sheet, to win back the title, which he holds to this day.

Today- Double Trouble.

Of course, he doesn’t actually have the belt, Team 3D have it, given that they, like Nash before them, are going after the X Division. But Lethal, as the X Division Champion, is a good bet to be the guy who ends up setting them straight.

Conclusion

Jay Lethal is odd. He’s focused, but easily led. Talented, but prone to losing streaks. A champion, but beltless. His greatest successes have come by following in other’s footsteps, and then when he tries to be his own man, it fails. He’s a strange case. And yet, he’s the champ, and he’s popular, so who am I to judge?

Now excuse me, I have half-moonsaults to practice and poetry to write.

And now, another sliver of a fractured view of life, as from the pen of Dave Lovelace…