Bobby Lashley is perhaps the most dominating force to have ever stepped foot in the WWE ring. Lashley is a former two-time ECW World Champion and also the United States Champion in WWE. He was a modern-day hardcore wrestler who could decimate opponents of any size at his will. He was brutal, technical and an innovative wrestler at the same time.
He has retired from WWE almost ten years back, but WWE could never find a replacement for a wrestler of his stature till date. Though there is speculation over his return, however, there is no confirmed news as of now to validate this information.
Here are five reasons why WWE should consider bringing back Bobby Lashley to the roster which will be worthwhile for both Lashley and WWE.
#5 Lashley is a big-time player
Back when WWE had three brands - RAW, SmackDown and ECW, Raw enjoyed superiority over its sister shows and had higher ratings compared to the other two brands. Superstars like Triple H, Shawn Michaels and JBL in RAW, and Undertaker, Batista, Matt Hardy and such big names in SmackDown attracted fans to watch the respective shows.
The only basis people used to watch ECW are the plots and feuds revolving around the powerhouse Bobby Lashley.
Lashley is a former military soldier in the USA Army. He is also an MMA player with an outstanding record of 15 wins out of his 17 fights. He was also the ECW champion for a record number of 147 days in his first reign and was the first ever African-American to win the title.
His clash with the McMahons for the title helped him to climb the ladder in WWE and was the undisputed face of ECW for a considerable amount of time. During his second reign, he was stripped of his title and was drafted to Raw.
Lashley headlined several Main Events and pay-per-views. His classic match was against Umaga at WrestleMania 23 as a battle of billionaires (Donald Trump and Vince McMahon).
WWE should have him back, as Lashley is one such wrestler who can perform in any type of competitions and his matches incur high viewership. Whether it is RAW, SmackDown, NXT, dark matches, the Tribute to the Troops or in any kind of challenges, Lashley can be WWE's go-to man for all conditions.
#4 The new face of SmackDown
Despite all the efforts from Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan and their predecessors, SmackDown is looked upon as the B show of WWE, and RAW as its main brand. WWE has tried various plots, feuds and a multitude of wrestlers who could change the fate of this show, but all of that effort has proven to be futile. If WWE plans to bring Lashley in SmackDown, it will be a great move on the part of the WWE management to boost the TRP of this show.
Lashley competed and defeated several Superstars in SmackDown, including Mark Henry, Simon Dean, and Orlando Jordan. In RAW, he showed his vicious strength by defeating Viscera, Shelton Benjamin and various other heavyweights.
During his tenure in SmackDown, he defeated JBL for the United States Championship, and defended the title for two months against multiple Superstars.
WWE should try to utilize this extremely talented Superstar on SmackDown to increase ratings and contribute towards high viewership of the show. A feud between Lashley and AJ Styles in SmackDown will go down in WWE history as the most talked about clashes ever.
#3 Lashley as a surprise 'Money in the Bank' or 'Elimination Chamber' entrant
The Money in the Bank ladder match is perhaps the most brutal, career-threatening and life-risking match in WWE. But with such enormous risks, comes great rewards - a guaranteed World Championship match. Bobby Lashley has competed previously in the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 22, but could not register a victory.
If the creative team of WWE decides to bring Lashley in this match and he goes on to win the match, it could be the highest rated pay-per-view in television history. Lashley is a destructive force, and with a ladder, in his hand, he could wreak havoc. Fans would love to see such a comeback for him.
Similar to the Money in the Bank, another career-altering match is the Elimination Chamber match. Generally, the participants in this match are decided beforehand through a series of matches. However, Bobby Lashley has a history of breaking this trend, when he surprised everyone as a surprise entrant in the 2006 Elimination Chamber match 'December to Dismember' for the ECW championship.
He eventually won the contest and walked out as the new ECW Champion. He can do the same in the upcoming Elimination Chamber match and if he goes on to win the Universal Championship, a feud between him and Braun Strowman will please the WWE Universe.
#2 Bobby Lashley as the 'Paul Heyman' guy
Paul Heyman, over the years, has acted as an on-screen advocate for several Superstars including the likes of the Big Show, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam and others. Whoever came under his guidance, received a huge push and had a tremendous amount of success and various championship pursuits.
Heyman managed Lashley during his tenure in ECW. Though both of them shared story-lines, neither of them were on the same page. If Lashley returns as a Paul Heyman guy, it could be a historic comeback as there can be many plots, feuds and matches between Lashley and wrestlers like Brock Lesnar, Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns and other top-ranked superstars in WWE.
This will be equally beneficial for WWE as Paul Heyman creates some of the best promos. If he holds the microphone and addresses, 'I am the advocate for Bobby Lashley' this will generate excitement for fans worldwide.
#1 Bobby Lashley as a heel
Bobby Lashley has never been portrayed as a negative character in WWE. Throughout his stay in WWE, he was depicted as a competitor who fought other heels. It will be really interesting to see if WWE decides to experiment and showcase the other side of Lashley.
Lashley can team up with The Miz and take on various wrestlers and several tag teams. A villainous Lashley can feud with wrestlers like Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura in SmackDown. He can also pair with Bray Wyatt, Elias and can be part of many twists revolving around championship matches and other competitions.
Portraying a negative Lashley will get more reactions from the crowd. The WWE management can bring a breath of fresh air to the monotonous and customary plots which are aired prior to any main event if an alternate version of Lashley is shown.