With Survivor Series just around the corner, WWE is in full brand supremacy mode. Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown will clash at one of the biggest events of the year; which will reign supreme? Among the confirmed matches for the show are champion showdowns. Case and point, Bobby Lashley, the United States Champion on RAW, will contend with Sami Zayn, the Intercontinental Champion on SmackDown. It will be a sight to see the power and might of Lashley meet the sheer cunning of Zayn.
To say that Bobby Lashley has an interesting Survivor Series record would be an understatement. Despite making his initial WWE debut in 2005, the current CEO of The Hurt Business has only three appearances at the event to his name. Despite this, Lashley won all three encounters, making him undefeated. As Lashley prepares for his upcoming Survivor Series match this year, let’s take a look back at his record at the event that calls for teamwork and endurance alike.
Bobby Lashley made his WWE debut in September of 2005. As a no-nonsense babyface, Lashley was nothing short of a blue chipper for the company. Only a few short months later, Lashley qualified for that year’s traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match. In this match, he teamed with fellow SmackDown stars JBL, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and Batista. Lashley showed explosive offense against Team RAW’s Carlito and even muscled out of Chris Masters‘ Masterlock attempt. Even against the legendary Shawn Michaels, Lashley held his own.
However, a surprise chokeslam by Kane caused Lashley to become the first man eliminated, not just from Team SmackDown but the Survivor Series match itself. Regardless, Team SmackDown fought back as the proverbial dominoes fell, one after another. Ultimately, Orton stood tall, picking up the win for Team SmackDown. Given that Lashley was part of the winning team, this marked a notable victory in his wrestling career that was just getting started.
The young Bobby Lashley continued to be a force on SmackDown, even feuding with the likes of JBL and Booker T, the latter of whom would go on to become the pompous King Booker. In May of 2006, Lashley received his first taste of gold when he bested JBL for the United States Championship. By the end of the year, Lashley would make his way to the ECW brand before winning the ECW World Championship at the ill-fated December to Dismember event. Despite the hiccup in question, it was clear that Lashley’s star was on the rise. Speaking of December to Dismember, let’s rewind.
2006 also marked the year when Lashley made his second Survivor Series appearance. Though brand supremacy wasn’t the name of the game this time, his role was no less important. In this match, he was part of Team Cena, which also consisted of Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Kane, and of course, John Cena. Their opponents were Test, Umaga, Finlay, future Hurt Business partner MVP, and their team captain, The Big Show. Lashley would go on to clash with the seven-foot giant multiple times.
As far as this match was concerned, Lashley’s significance was much greater than it was in 2005. Lashley entered the match with more experience under his belt, meaning that he not only fought stronger but smarter to boot. Case and point, near the end of the match, Lashley eliminated Finlay, one of the men the current two-time United States Champion feuded with early in his career. The finale of the match came when Cena, with assistance from Lashley, landed the FU on The Big Show. One pinfall later and Cena and Lashley were the final two men standing. Needless to say, this was a glowing endorsement for the up-and-comer.
However, Lashley’s next Survivor Series appearance wouldn’t take place until nearly a decade and a half later. This wasn’t to say that Lashley wasn’t prominently featured in the company; the biggest example of this at WrestleMania 23. Representing Donald Trump, Lashley defeated Umaga, who was fighting for Vince McMahon in this “Battle of the Billionaires” feud. Who could forget the image of Lashley, Trump, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin shaving McMahon’s head bald? Up until this point, this match marked the biggest moment in Lashley’s career. However, by early 2008, he was gone from the company.
Lashley remained active in competitive endeavors, not just professional wrestling but mixed martial arts as well. He would also see a character renaissance of sorts in IMPACT Wrestling. It was here he first aligned himself with MVP in The Beat Down Clan; this would also lay the groundwork for The Hurt Business a few years later. It was in IMPACT that Lashley became a four-time World Heavyweight Champion, further establishing himself as a legitimate force. Thus, when he made his return to WWE in the spring of 2018, hopes were high.
However, Lashley’s second run in WWE wasn’t without its bumps in the road to begin with. His storyline with Zayn, which also featured Lashley’s “sisters,” and his romantic pairing with Lana, did little to help the credibility he built away from WWE. If anything, fans began to write him off as a bust. It wasn’t until MVP took Lashley under his wing, once more, that the latter’s legitimacy started to take shape once again. With the future additions of Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander, The Hurt Business was open.
Prior to this, Lashley found himself on the WWE brand battlefield once again at Survivor Series in 2018. Lashley represented Team RAW alongside Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, and Braun Strowman. Their opponents, Team SmackDown, were Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, The Miz, and Shane McMahon. Around this time, Lashley, as a villain, aligned himself with McIntyre and Baron Corbin, their focus being on the “Monster Among Men” himself. Would Team RAW be able to work as a cohesive unit in the meantime?
In short, yes. Furthermore, it was an easy day at the proverbial office for “The All Mighty” Lashley. Strowman proved to be a one-man wrecking crew during the match, eliminating four of the five members of Team SmackDown. By the end of the match, it was the trio of Lashley, McIntyre, and Strowman that stood tall. Corbin attacked Strowman following Team RAW’s victory, the future “King” of WWE quickly escaping with Lashley and McIntyre. Once again, Lashley scored a victory at Survivor Series, bringing his record up to a perfect 3-0.
This year, at Survivor Series, Bobby Lashley finds himself in a unique situation. For the first time at this event, he isn’t part of a traditional Survivor Series match. Instead, he is set to represent RAW as he squares off against SmackDown’s Sami Zayn. Can Lashley overcome the inevitably nefarious tactics of Zayn? If so, the “All Mighty” founding member of The Hurt Business will be able to elevate his Survivor Series record to 4-0.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. WWE fan? You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the WWE Network.
Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!
