By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

Jay Lethal, the new Ring of Honor World champion, says his next goal is to make all previous ROH Champions an after-thought to his title reign.

Lethal, who finally conquered the goal of becoming top champion at "Best in the World" earlier this month, says he does not want to settle for a career highlight.

"The next (goal) that I want to get checked off is going to be hard to do. Not only do I want to become one of the greatest ROH champions ever, but there's a certain way that I determine whether or not you're a good champion," Lethal told Aaron Oster for RollingStone.com.

"During my ROH Television Championship reign, never once have I heard people list the names of people who have had it before me, and I think part of that is because I do such a great job with it. If I can do that with the Ring of Honor World Championship, where I have it and never once in an interview does someone say, 'Oh, like C.M. Punk' or 'like Samoa Joe,' or 'like Bryan Danielson.'

"If I can get them to not bring up the other guys, because what I'm doing is so good and innovative, then I can check off that last box on my list. Not to take anything away from any of the past champions. They're all great wrestlers, but the cool thing to me will be holding a championship as prestigious as the World Championship, and to not be compared to anyone who came before me. It'll be a big challenge, but that's what I want to do."

Lethal recognizes that being ROH Champion also means becoming a locker room leader. He said that Samoa Joe's official departure from ROH was a tough blow behind-the-scenes because Joe was the leader, but he anticipates other wrestlers, including himself, stepping into a collective leadership role.

"Most of the time, the champion is the leader in the locker room. Not to say that I'm the leader of the locker room, it just is usually someone in the championship picture, and who has been there a while. Samoa Joe, no matter how long he's been in Ring of Honor, or how long he's back, he's always the leader of the Ring of Honor locker room. It's sad to know that we'll never get that leader back. There's going to be a changing of the guard, someone will have to step up. If Joe ever came back though, he'd instantly get it back. It'll be sad that he's not going to be around the locker room, though," Lethal said.

Joe is heading to a full-time WWE role as part of the NXT brand, which intrigues Lethal. Lethal is reportedly on WWE's list of talent to scout from the independents, but Lethal says he is not in a hurry to leave his position as top champion in ROH.

"I haven't heard anything from them. Right now, I'm having the time of my life. I just had the greatest night of my life, and I still have tunnel vision. I just want to build my reign and my legacy to hopefully be the greatest ROH champion," Lethal said.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't cool to hear, though. Anybody in wrestling - especially those who are a part of my generation - their love of professional wrestling was created by WWE. I would have to say that most of the people from my generation, if given the chance, would definitely go to WWE. As time goes on, that goal changes as we develop a real, true, passion for wrestling. Whether or not that view changes for people in my generation, the goal is still there; it's something that you'd like to check off of your list. I would have to say that if the time is right, I would have to consider it, just to check it off that list."

[ LINK: Full Interview HERE ]

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

TV WRESTLING VIEWERSHIP - Week of Sept. 28: Full Break Down of last week's Pro Wrestling TV with DVR viewing

ROH NEWS: Big main event announced for "Champions vs. All-Stars"

TV RATINGS: Viewership for TNA Impact & ROH TV - Week 18 on Dest. America