The writing might be on the wall for Bobby Lashley. After a fairly successful second stint with WWE, he has been removed from the internal roster page. This has sparked rumors that Lashley’s time with WWE could be coming to a close. This would end a remarkable WWE career that always had the question of what could be.
Now that it looks like Lashley is on the way out it’s the perfect time to look back at his WWE career. Lashley has had a career that most of us would only dream of. As we look back at his WWE tenure we will always wonder why WWE didn’t do more with “The Almighty.”
WrestleMania 23 vs. Umaga
Bobby was a star in the making for WWE. He had been pushed to the moon but had never been given his big chance. Well, that chance came when he was put in his first major WrestleMania match against Umaga. Sure, the match was more about the men outside of the ring than those in it, but it still got a massive spotlight on Lashley.
Lashley was great during the match. He matched the intensity of Umaga wonderfully and did a great job of keeping the eyes of Detroit on him. It was a night when he proved that he was a force to be reckoned with.
Lashley Finally Wins The Big One
For all the hype that surrounded Bobby Lashley, he didn’t accomplish a whole lot in terms of hardware. He had his runs with the United States and ECW Championship, but these were not reigns that were taken seriously. Lashley had all the talent in the world, but WWE never seemed to give him his run with the big strap.
His drought finally ended in his second WWE run when he went over The Miz. You could see the relief on Lashley’s face as he finally achieved his dream. After years of hard work and sacrifice, he was able to call himself WWE Champion.
The Hurt Business Is Formed
Bobby Lashley was always going to be great. He had an amazing look and was more athletic than many on the roster. He would put on amazing matches and was a great talent, but something was missing. He didn’t have the charisma that many had hoped that he would. There was a side to him that was missing, a side that came through in droves when he formed the Hurt Business.
Putting together this heel faction brought out the best in Lashley. He was able to lean into a dominant heel character. His personality shone through more than it had ever before. For the first time, we saw the performer that was hiding underneath. It was one of the best parts of Lashley’s second run.
Lashley Wins His First Championship
The Almighty was the next big thing in WWE. He was the exact type of wrestler that WWE loved to push, and they were well on their way to making him a star. All he needed was a championship win to solidify his status on the roster.
After his King of the Ring finals lost, to Booker T, Lashley set his sights on the blue brands mid-card championship. He got the big win by beating JBL and hoisting gold. It was great to see him have the United States Championship in his possession. SmackDown needed a strong U.S. Champion, and he provided that.
The Almighty and The Beast Finally Lock Horns
Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley were always going to be viewed in the same lens. They came from the same amateur background, both had MMA careers, and were both massive men who cut through WWE opponents like butter. There was always a want to get these two together and see what they could create, but it took forever for it to happen.
They weren’t able to cross paths in their first run but by 2022 things had changed. They were both in WWE and the WWE Championship was the goal. Over the next year, they competed in big-ticket matches for the strap. It was a dream match come true for many, and the biggest of Lashley’s career.
The Face Of ECW
The failure of WWE’s version of Extreme Championship Wrestling has been well documented. It lacked the indie feeling that made it successful to begin with, but it at least was able to help Lashley develop into a star.
ECW needed a man to be the leader. A wrestler to set the tone for everyone else on the roster, and Lashley was that man. He was gaining popularity with the fanbase, and this was his chance to show what he had. He didn’t have much to work with, but he proved that he was capable of being the one a show could lean on.
Sure, ECW tanked but that can’t be the fault of Lashley. He did all he could to keep that ship from sinking.
Lashley Crosses The Boss
For all that Bobby has accomplished, in WWE, he might be most remembered for his first big-ticket program against the unlikeliest of opponents. Mr. McMahon, wanting to destroy ECW, took issue with its champion Lashley.
It was an odd pairing but one that put the spotlight directly on The Almighty. McMahon was full-blow crazy during this program, making it one of the more entertaining of the year.
Lashley got over huge during this angle. His constant thwarting of the boss was great and made him look like a champ. He was a thorn in the boss’s side and that is a proven winner for WWE.
Vince did his best to smash the man over and it worked. Lashley was seen as a true main event star, even having a marquee match at WrestleMania 23.
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