For over 20 years, Bobby Lashley has been a true force in the pro wrestling world. A multi-time champion, Lashley has done it all, and he continues to evolve, competing with stars of various generations in WWE.
A multi-time NAIA National Wrestling Champion and an International Military Sports Council medalist, Lashley joined the pro wrestling world in 2005. Receiving a huge push when he first started in WWE, the Army veteran won the ECW Title, appeared at WrestleMania 23 in the Battle of the Billionaires with Vince McMahon and Donald Trump, and competed for the WWE Title multiple times. He was released from his contract in 2008 but still had a chip on his shoulder.
Lashley joined the world of MMA following his first WWE run and then signed with Impact Wrestling, where he became a world champion. The 47-year-old then returned to WWE in 2018 and once again made an immediate impact. He won the Intercontinental Title, the WWE Title, and the United States Title. Initially unaware of the business side of wrestling, Lashley gained knowledge at pace, and he cares about the growth of the sport, which makes him a fan favorite.
“Sometimes people have the ‘it’ factor. I feel like I had that when I first came around,” Lashley told The Sporting News. “I was that wrestler, that guy. If you talk about who a wrestler is, and you see me walking down the airport or something like that, you will say, ‘That guy is somebody.’ That’s the thing about being a star, and I think that when I first came into wrestling, I really put everything into it. I think the fans can see that. I love what I do. And when you love what you do and go out there, the fans feel that. A lot of the shows we’ve had as of late, the crowd goes crazy chanting my name. It’s nothing that I did. I don’t get shoved down people's throats or start social media fights. They see the genuine person that I am. I love to wrestle, I love the sport, I love the show, I love to train, I love to prepare. It’s just me, and that’s what the fans really like about me.
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“When I first came in, I didn’t really know pro wrestling, the business side of it. I came from an amateur wrestling background and poured everything into it. So when I got here, guys were talking about paying dues... I never understood any of that. I just came in as a wrestler and learned the pro wrestling business. When I left, I got a chance to go to the independents, and I got a chance to see the other side of the business, and that’s one thing I wanted to do. The same thing with fighting: I started right at the top, going from cards on Strikeforce, then I went elsewhere, smaller promotions, like in wrestling. So I can understand the business from a different standpoint. Now some of these guys who spent years in the independents couldn’t say, ‘You don’t know what it's like.’ I do because I’ve been there… I wanted to see all of it. I’ve been to the top, I wanted to see the bottom, the middle. That’s what helps me out in my career now. That’s what enabled me to win that world title.”
When Lashley returned to WWE, he was initially on his own, then he moved around, finding various partners and setting out goals for himself. The height of his new run so far was when he formed The Hurt Business in 2020 with Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, and MVP. The group took over WWE, holding various titles within the company.
One aspect of the group that upset Lashley was when fans were not allowed to enter arenas due to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lashley believes the group worked well because they were real friends who wanted one another to succeed.
The Hurt Business had great synergy, and the crowd could get behind them because, per Lashley, they know what every member went through in their career before being the leading team on WWE programming. Together, they were a core unit that just needed a boost.
Since the group split, Lashley fought against MVP, stayed in title contention, and participated in various stories. Recently, he has worked with The Street Profits, which consists of former tag team champions Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. The group looks out for one another in singles or tag team matches. Like The Hurt Business, Lashley believes this duo has the requisite fight needed to be a success. And he's not just guiding them -- they help him.
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“One thing they taught me was just have fun. I’ve been so religious and dedicated, staying true to working out, staying in shape, and preparing myself, and sometimes, when you do that, you forget to just have fun. With those guys, it’s easy,” Lashley said. “What they learn from me is… you can’t stand back and wait. That’s what they’ve been doing for so long. They are super nice guys and have great matches with everyone, but sometimes you need to bulk down and start swinging and taking people out to get what you want. That’s what they really need, and what I’m trying to instill in them… when the gloves come off, nobody can beat them.”
The Street Profits team has been around since 2016, during the prime years of NXT. The duo easily won the crowd over. It has transferred over to the main roster. Both are talented wrestlers, holding court wherever they go in WWE.
Some foresee scenarios in which the duo breaks up to see who can thrive. Lashley doesn’t see that as a necessity. He believes the closer they are, the stronger they will be.
“The more I’m around them, the more I see how great they work together. Some say Montez can go on a singles run, or ‘Dawk’ can go on a singles run. But when I’m around those two, those two work great together. It’s a type of bond that people really don’t understand,” said Lashley. “And when it got brought to them (splitting up), they immediately shut it down. They are like brothers. They are really that tight. I don’t see them needing to split up. I see them winning a tag team championship again real soon. From that, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun times building a group, a stable, and taking some titles.”
