Tony Khan does it again! Bobby Lashley's baffling status exposes an old AEW problem

AEW signed one of its most accomplished roster members in Bobby Lashley last year, months after his WWE tenure came to an end. The former MMA fighter immediately reunited The Hurt Syndicate with MVP and Shelton Benjamin, and the faction has dominated ever since. However, Tony Khan is catching significant heat over a certain aspect of Lashley's All Elite run, which is a recurring problem for AEW when it comes to how they use top-level stars from WWE and NJPW.

The All-Mighty left WWE on August 16, 2024, when his contract expired, around the same time as Montel Vontavious Porter. Lashley signed with AEW in September but did not debut until the Fright Night Dynamite on October 30, where he jumped into MVP and Shelton's ongoing feud with Swerve Strickland. There was strong fan optimism over how Lashley's AEW run began, but the criticism seems to be increasing week after week, and here are a few of the reasons.

Bobby Lashley may be lost in the shuffle already

Bobby Lashley started his AEW run in dominant fashion after the arrival attack on Swerve Strickland. The two-time WWE Champion won a Handicap Match squash for his Dynamite in-ring debut, then defeated Swerve at Full Gear.

Lashley and The Hurt Syndicate seem to have no real direction, with various, somewhat random, enemies and challengers fed their way to pop a crowd. There's a feeling among some that Lashley is already lost in the All Elite shuffle, which is another familiar problem for Tony Khan's company.

AEW has historically fumbled the use of top stars after their heavily hyped debut, and it's looking like that could be the case for the former Bellator MMA star as well. While the faction will certainly find success, early signs for the long term are not great for Lashley and The Hurt Syndicate.

AEW seemingly used Bobby Lashley's star power wrong

Following AEW Full Gear at the end of November, Bobby Lashley did not return to the ring until January 1. The first Dynamite of 2025 also served as the Fight for the Fallen special and saw Lashley and Shelton Benjamin defeat The Acclaimed.

The Hurt Syndicate's win over the one-time World Tag Team Champions and one-time World Trios Champions came in just four minutes but also foreshadowed things to come for Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP. Bobby defeated Mark Briscoe the following week via referee decision, but this led to The Hurt Syndicate's first trios match at last week's inaugural Maximum Carnage Dynamite special.

The trios announcement fueled online discussions about how Lashley quickly went from being a potential World Championship challenger to a veteran great challenging for tag team gold. Maximum Carnage saw The Hurt Syndicate defeat Briscoe and Private Party in just over nine minutes.

Bobby Lashley rumored for first AEW championship

The Hurt Syndicate, amid rumors of new members, will be represented by Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin when they challenge Private Party on this week's Dynamite. Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen will put their World Tag Team Championship on the line.

Despite Private Party's short reign, Lashley and Benjamin seem to be the favorites to leave this week's Dynamite with the tag team titles. The Dominator chasing the World Tag Team Championship is obviously good for the All Elite tag team division, but AEW officials could have already used Lashley's immense star power more with the faction.

The Hurt Syndicate vs. Private Party and their associates could continue past Dynamite if Lashley and Benjamin come up short. There's also the chance to have MVP, Lashley, and Benjamin feud with The Death Riders for their World Trios Championship in another high-profile feud for Tony Khan.