Jonathan Gresham is taking the next step in his professional wrestling career with the creation of a new promotion. The former ROH World Champion has announced ROUND 1, a venture set to debut on January 9, 2027, in collaboration with QT Marshall’s 1 Fall Wrestling and PRODUCE.
Gresham revealed that the project will be built around what he calls Modern Age Grappling, or M.A.G. The announcement positions ROUND 1 as a new platform intended to showcase a distinct expression of professional wrestling, with Gresham working alongside two groups that have recently been part of his wrestling schedule.
“January 9, 2027. A new platform. A different approach. M.A.G. [Modern Age Grappling] is the style. ROUND 1 is the promotion. In collaboration with 1FW & PRODUCE, we’re creating a space for another expression of professional wrestling to exist. This is the beginning. ROUND 1 — January 9.”
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ROUND 1 Is Set for a January 2027 Launch
The announcement establishes January 9, 2027, as the starting point for ROUND 1. While further event details, including a venue, card, roster, and distribution plans, have not been announced, Gresham’s message makes clear that M.A.G. will be central to the promotion’s identity.
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The wording gives ROUND 1 a defined purpose beyond simply adding another independent banner to the schedule. Gresham described the venture as “a new platform” and “a different approach,” while emphasizing the goal of creating room for another style of professional wrestling. That direction is fitting for a wrestler whose career has regularly been associated with technical competition, grappling-heavy matches, and the traditional values represented by the ROH Pure Championship.
Gresham will not be launching alone. The partnership with 1FW and PRODUCE gives the new promotion connections to existing operations and to promoters with their own established experience in staging events. QT Marshall’s 1 Fall Wrestling is part of the collaboration, while PRODUCE has been particularly prominent in Gresham’s recent activity.
Recent PRODUCE Appearances Preceded the Announcement
Gresham wrestled twice for PRODUCE during the week leading into the ROUND 1 reveal. On September 13, he appeared in Jersey City. He then worked the Pez Whatley Invitational over the weekend in Red Bank, Tennessee. That event was co-promoted with ASÉ and ACTION Wrestling.
At the Pez Whatley Invitational, Gresham won the tournament that bears Whatley’s name. The victory added immediate momentum to a period that has now led into the announcement of his long-term relationship with PRODUCE and 1FW.
Those appearances also reflect the collaborative framework around the new promotion. PRODUCE’s recent events have put Gresham in front of audiences in different markets, and the Pez Whatley Invitational itself brought multiple wrestling groups together for one show. ROUND 1 is being introduced through a similarly cooperative model, with Gresham’s creative identity at the center of a project backed by 1FW and PRODUCE.
Both of Gresham’s PRODUCE appearances this past week streamed on pay-per-view through MyAEW. The recent events gave viewers a chance to see Gresham’s current work before his next major professional undertaking takes shape in 2027.
Gresham’s Pure Wrestling Background
Modern Age Grappling is a natural label for a project associated with Gresham. Throughout his career, Gresham has been widely identified with a technical and methodical style, frequently focusing on holds, counters, positioning, submissions, and strategy. His run with the ROH Pure Championship and later reign as ROH World Champion made him one of the most recognizable wrestlers connected to Ring of Honor’s wrestling-first presentation.
In July, Gresham wrestled Lee Moriarty for the ROH Pure Championship at a PRODUCE event. That match further tied his current independent appearances to the championship and rules-based style that has long been important to his body of work.
The new M.A.G. name does not yet come with publicly announced rules, weight classes, championship structures, or match formats. Still, Gresham’s description of a “different approach” invites attention to how ROUND 1 will translate his grappling-oriented philosophy into a full promotion. Whether it means a particular ruleset, a focused roster, or a broader presentation built around technical wrestling remains to be seen.
A Defining Chapter in Ring of Honor
Gresham’s path to launching his own promotion comes after a career that included one of the more unusual championship transitions in modern Ring of Honor history. He became ROH World Champion at the final show before the company entered its hiatus, shortly before ROH was acquired by AEW President Tony Khan in 2022.
Gresham continued to defend the championship when ROH resumed under Khan’s ownership. He put the title on the line at the first Supercard of Honor held during that era, and he also defended it on AEW Battle of the Belts and AEW Rampage. Those defenses placed the ROH World Championship and Gresham’s title reign in front of the broader AEW television audience during a key transition period for the promotion.
His reign ended at Death Before Dishonor 2022. The title loss was followed by the end of his run, after a backstage falling out with Khan concerning his presentation. The split brought a close to Gresham’s time in the AEW/ROH system, but it did not end his connection to the independent wrestling landscape or to the style of wrestling that defined much of his ascent.
That history adds context to the significance of ROUND 1. Gresham has competed at a high level within major wrestling organizations, carried one of Ring of Honor’s most important championships during a transitional moment, and continued working in independent settings. Now, he is moving into promotion-building with a stated mission to give a particular kind of wrestling its own space.
What Comes Next for ROUND 1
For now, the most important details are the name, the date, the style, and the partners. ROUND 1 will launch on January 9, 2027. M.A.G., or Modern Age Grappling, will serve as its stated stylistic foundation. Gresham, 1FW, and PRODUCE are aligned for the project.
There are several major questions still to be answered before the debut. Fans will be watching for the location of the first event, the wrestlers who will represent the M.A.G. approach, and whether Gresham will wrestle on the inaugural card in addition to his role in establishing the promotion. The relationship with 1FW and PRODUCE could also shape the talent pool and operating structure as plans develop.
Gresham’s announcement is direct in its ambition without overexplaining the final product. ROUND 1 is not being framed merely as a single event; it is being presented as the beginning of a platform. Its success will depend on how clearly it defines Modern Age Grappling in practice, but the concept already has a recognizable figurehead in Gresham and experienced collaborators in 1FW and PRODUCE.
January 9, 2027, will mark the first ROUND 1. Until additional information is revealed, the central message is clear: Jonathan Gresham is preparing to create a new home for the kind of professional wrestling he believes deserves its own expression.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.