Report: Jonathan Gresham Requests AEW Release After Losing ROH Title

Former ROH Champion Jonathan Gresham has requested his release from AEW and ROH, according to a new dirt sheet report. Sean Ross Sapp at Fightful posted the news on Twitter with the promise of a followup on the site’s paywalled Fightful Select brand. Gresham lost the ROH World Championship to Claudio Castagnoli in the opening match of Death Before Dishonor on Saturday. After the match, Gresham also apparently deleted his Twitter account.

According to Sapp’s follow-up report, Gresham and AEW and ROH owner Tony Khan had a heated conversation and Gresham asked for his release before the match. Gresham was said to be upset about lack of communication from the company (a complaint other AEW wrestlers have echoed recently regarding contract renewals) and the time allotted to the match, leading to Gresham reportedly feeling disrespected. The report says Gresham could be done with wrestling; one would think that could change after Gresham cools off.

In a good example of foreshadowing, Gresham was interviewed by WrestlePurists ahead of Death Before Dishonor where he discussed the communication issue with Tony Khan. From a Fightful transcription:

To be honest, I’ve not really talked to him. I don’t know what he thinks about me. I’ve had very short conversations with him, when I say short I mean short. So I don’t know. I would hope that he values me, I don’t know though. So we’ll find out in the coming weeks, months I guess.

Indeed, it looks like we did find out. If Gresham is granted his release and wants to continue wrestling, he should have no problem landing a prominent role somewhere.