WWE Payback proved to be a night of success for The Hurt Business and, in particular, Bobby Lashley. On this night, he faced WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews in the opening match. Leading up to this match, Crews has been at odds with The Hurt Business. He continuously butted heads with MVP, turning down his offers to join his group.
This feud also involved Ricochet, Cedric Alexander, and Mustafa Ali, all of whom had their own issues with The Hurt Business. Despite their best efforts, Ricochet, Alexander, and Ali found themselves on the receiving end of punishment from Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin. While Crews has been able to hold his own against The Hurt Business, the “All Mighty” Lashley routinely proved to be an irresistible force. This was evident at Payback, when Lashley cut Crews’ momentum as champion short.
14 years apart. We run this now!! #THB #WWEPayback pic.twitter.com/KtmB5CXMtV
— Bobby Lashley (@fightbobby) August 30, 2020
During the match, Lashley was the more powerful combatant of the two. This motivated Crews to utilize his superior agility, including a standing moonsault. All the while, MVP and Benjamin of The Hurt Business watched from ringside. They didn’t become physically involved in the match, confident that Lashley would be able to get the job done. Ultimately, Lashley applied the Full Nelson Lock in Crews, the champion left with no other choice but to submit.
With this victory, Bobby Lashley is a two-time United States Champion. Previously, Lashley won the title back in 2006, when he bested WWE Hall of Famer JBL. During this time, Lashley held the title for 48 days, as recognized by WWE, before ultimately dropping it to Finlay. In addition, Lashley is recognized by the company as a two-time Intercontinental Champion and two-time ECW World Champion.
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