Bobby Lashley To Make A Return?

[Dave]

WrestleZone has learned that while there has been no official contact between the parties, WWE is expected to discuss a possible return with Strikeforce fighter Bobby Lashley.
Lashley, who just returned to pro wrestling over the weekend in Japan, was the victim of dehydration and lost in his recent Strikeforce outing, putting a huge dent in Strikeforce's plans to match Lashley against fellow former WWE headliner Dave "Batista" Bautista.

Now Lashley finds himself without any leverage in Strikeforce, and as far away from a headline fight against either Fedor Emelianenko or Strikeforce Champion Alistair Overeem as he has ever been.

Lashley, who many dubbed the next Brock Lesnar in MMA, has seen his mixed martial arts career fizzle out since his crushing defeat, and is said to be entertaining the idea of going back to WWE or TNA, with WWE being his first choice due to the higher profile and bigger money paid by the organization.

Bobby Lashley is entertaining the idea of going back to professional wrestling, is he?

Well I, for one, would love to see this happen. In my mind, a Bobby Lashley return could be quite profitable from the WWE’s standpoint. Yes, he may have left them for the “competition” and he may have been wrapped up in his MMA career when he left. However, I do think that Lashley could still have a place in the WWE if he chose to make a return.

The real question though, is whether Vince McMahon would welcome him back. Would he like to bring back a man whom he put a lot of effort into before he turned his back on the company? Would Vince entertain the idea of having Lashley back amongst the players in the WWE? Or would he, likely, “pull a Christian” on Lashley and demote him to the mid-card as retribution for the earlier actions?

Perhaps the most important question is though, is does Bobby Lashley have anything to offer Vince McMahon in exchange for a contract?

I mean, his popularity has fizzled out along with his MMA career and all he has going for him now is a history of quitting on both sectors that gave him an opportunity.

I’m anxious to hear your thoughts on the matter.

 

[The Raven's Epitaph]

I'd love to see Lashley back in the WWE picture. I really enjoyed him whilst he was there, he was somebody to watch out for if you were in the locker room. My only concerns with him actually coming back, would be that he'd have to start all over again from the mid-card championships, which he did the first time around.

If he were to come back, I would want to see something of him. I don't want him to turn into another Chris Masters now that he's back in the picture. If anything, I think he should be pushed abit higher than he was the first time around, I mean; people liked him and he held championships, no doubt.

Whether this is just another rumour or not, I'd really like to see it happen again. Lashley has major potential. TNA didn't really make use of him which is why he went to the MMA in the first place. If this again, is a rumour, then his MMA career musn't have been much better for there to be mention of a 2nd WWE run.

That's all I can really say until anything develops. I really hope this pulls through though. I could see something big outta' Lashley.

 

[Ferbian]

Not exactly sure where I'd stand on this matter. From one aspect, Bobby is exposed to some other fans now, and he's a big guy who could easily thrive in the upper mid-card or the main event against some of the new-comers. I could imagine Bobby Lashley vs Sheamus would be one hell of an epic fight to see.

However, from another aspect. I've never really seen the appeal in Bobby, he's big, and that's about it. There's definitely better choices out there to thrive already in the main event, Sheamus getting a good amount of shine, but Bobby would be one of those superstars who can't just return into the mid-card. He'd have to return into the upper mid-card / Main event position that he left from. And I don't want to see that right now.

Either way, I can't really say I'm too excited for the thought. But I wouldn't say that he should stay away if that's what he wants to do. He could probably do rather well on Smackdown though. But we pretty much all know he won't be going there.

 

[excel_excel]

I could see it happening. But as for how I feel about it....I don't know.

On one hand WWE did use him well and I can see him getting a push if he comes back. But on the other hand his TNA run was positively awful.
As far as Lashley himself I've never been exactly impressed with anything about him. Yes he's huge and looks like he's been inflated with a bicycle pump, but aside from that, he is just so limited in the ring, and his mic skills are non-exsitant.

I can see WWE taking him back and doing something to 'punish' him for a few months (you know the way WWE are) before they start to properly push him again, probably toward a mid card title.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

The thing I don't understand is why he's contemplating ending his MMA career. He lost ONE fight, all of his fights before that he looked pretty damn impressive, everyone loses at some point or another. I'm really surprised he's even considering bowing out of MMA, or even putting his career on the backburner because of one loss.

 

[D-Man]

I wouldn't want to see this. Lashley was all muscle and no dynamic. He was very agile, strong, and his look crushed most others on the roster. But so did Ahmed Johnson's... so did Lex Luger's... so did so many others.

Lashley failed miserably in WWE and TNA. Unless the guy decides to embrace his character and loosen that stiff tie of his, he's never going to be someone that pro-wrestling fans give a shit about.

 

[Dave]

The thing I don't understand is why he's contemplating ending his MMA career. He lost ONE fight, all of his fights before that he looked pretty damn impressive, everyone loses at some point or another. I'm really surprised he's even considering bowing out of MMA, or even putting his career on the backburner because of one loss.

It’s not just the fact that he lost, it is the fact that he lost to a “nobody” on the MMA stage. He also lost because he was dehydrated. To me, that doesn’t sound like a person that belongs in MMA. Mixed Martial Arts is a dog-eat-dog world and if you don’t believe that you are the best man to walk into that arena, then you really need to re-evaluate your career choices.

With that loss, Bobby Lashley has probably ruled himself out of any possible push with Strikeforce. I am more than sure that he would have been aiming at getting a hold of Fedor or Overeem but all the work he has done with his initial fights have basically been wiped out with that recent loss. MMA is like that. I mean sure, Bobby Lashley could learn from this and possibly go on to be a better fighter but I seriously doubt that is going to happen.

Lashley, at this point would be mad not to be considering something else. Strikeforce might not even want to extend his contract after that loss. If this is the case, then he is going to need to think about going back to wrestling and I think it would be a good move for him. I for one would like to see him on Smackdown to add a little depth to the main event over there. However, that might be some way down the line.

 

[Ducey13]

First of all, I do see Vince and WWE resigning him. Vince will always do what makes buisness sense first. But I do think he'll get the Christian treatment. He left and not only went to TNA but into MMA too(like Brock and Batista). So its kinda a double whammy.

If he comes back he'll be stuck in mid-card hell like Christian. Maybe win the US or IC title, but most likely not a World Title.

I perosnally don't remeber him having ANY charism so he would need a mouth peice too.

So here's my question. IF Bobby Lashley is just coming back to WWE to be a Mid-carder for life, Do we want him back?

My ANswer would be no. Knowing that a guy has very little chance to make it to the top or even room to grow takes alot out of their work. Unless your good on the mic and talented in the ring (Like Christian) it will be hard for people to stay interested knowing your not going anywhere.

 

[Rayne]

The thing I don't understand is why he's contemplating ending his MMA career. He lost ONE fight, all of his fights before that he looked pretty damn impressive, everyone loses at some point or another. I'm really surprised he's even considering bowing out of MMA, or even putting his career on the backburner because of one loss.

All of his other fights, he looked impressive because he was placed against opponents better suited to fighting 15 year-olds. Chad Griggs was Lashley's toughest fight to date, and Griggs isn't exactly elite level competition. It was supposed to be another walk-over for Lashley. What's worse, we learned Lashley can't recover from a solid shot. The fight changed entirely when he got caught once- he went from pressing the pace to backpedaling and trying to hold out for a win.

There was even a card in Florida (if my balky memory serves me right) earlier this year where the state boxing commission vetoed an opponent set up for Lashley on the grounds that it wouldn't have been remotely competitive.

Losing to Chad Griggs in MMA means that if you want your career to go farther, you're spending the next year of your life fighting in shitpot cards held in shitpot places like Utica, New York. In the high school gym. Lashley can still make a decent sum professional wrestling; his earning power in MMA is significantly diminished.

Look for him to make a WWE return. Don't expect him to get the "Christian treatment" (an aside- WTF?? Christian was promoted to lead guy of the ECW brand when the WWE was still trying to get ECW's numbers up. He's trusted with putting over up-and-comers on Smackdown now, which is a pretty serious responsibility that you need someone credible for. He was never going to be a world champion in WWE, and some of you folks seem to think that if someone isn't promoted to WHC after returning from another organization, they're getting short-shafted. He was a world champion in TNA, which, besides not meaning anything in the WWE, speaks more to the lack of depth in TNA then it says anything about Christian.) I'd expect a high-profile introduction followed by a feud with a former champion with name recognition (think Desmond Wolfe vs. Kurt Angle), then a build back into the world title picture. He's got the physique that the WWE loves, and, importantly (sorry, folks), he's black. There hasn't been a black WWE champion since Booker T, and I have trouble going back before that to find another. It's not an affirmative action move, it's the simple race pandering that wrestling has done since people started promoting cards at carnivals.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The only way I can see him coming back is if WWE bought him in only to make him look like a fool. This is the company that gave him one of the strongest pushes in years, he then left and became nothing, now he's possibly back with his tail between his legs. WWE don't need him, he looked terrible in TNA. Without Finlay, Booker T or Vince McMahon carrying him he looked like an a generic meathead from the 80's. He's big, black with very little personality or charisma. Much like Ezekiel Jackson then, only Ezekiel Jackson looks like a hard bastard, which makes him a much better prospect.

 

[NC_BMAN]

I respect the awesome ability that Bobby Lashley has in the ring but as for right now I hope that he doesn't come back to wrestling for either the WWE or TNA only because the only thing he brings back to either of those companies is his size and shape but he lacks two very important things that every wrestler needs 1) to be able to speak on the mike and cut a decent promo and 2) be able to handle the full time schedule of being on the road again for 50 weeks a year.

 

[Whatsinaname696]

Even though I don't watch WWE anymore, I'd prolly check it out if he came back and got into a feud with Zeke or if they teamed up, someone had a thread asking what happened to all the power teams, well there is a f'n power team if ever, and if wwe wanted to get their tag division off the ground again, they could easily hold the belts convincingly for awhile (a loooong while) and that would give them time to get a lot more teams up or in, if they wanted to build the tag division up that is, plus if they used them as a mean dominant force, wouldn't have to cut promos (or very few, jus make em bad asses) and as far as in ring ability, brute force could easily be believed

 

[bluejt16]

i would love bobby lashley back into a WWE ring, i was gutted when he left and i was p***ed of when he joined TNA. but if he came back into WWE he would have to go on the Smackdown brand and have a fued with jack swagger, both have huge amateur wrestling back grounds. they could produce some excellent matches. if he went on raw he would get lost pretty quickly, due to the amount of talent on raw.

 

[King_of_Swing1520]

the fact is he was good in wwe. very good. he was the ecw champion when it still meant something. i remember a three way match with booker t as the world and cena as the wwe champion. wrestlermania with umaga (rip) and vince v trump. i would lvoe fore wwe to go this move. to be the top face of smackdown? why not? christian is hurt, rey is out, takers fighting kane (and near the end of his career), who else you got. if they move quickly he could be on the live smackdown....

 

[hatehabsforever]

I would actually be fairly neutral and indifferent to a Bobby Lashley return to the WWE to be honest. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing him return, as he was a pretty imposing specimen of a man with above average in-ring skills. Granted, he has zero mic skills or charisma whatsoever, but he was more than competent in the ring and as such could be a benefit to the roster of either organization should he choose to return to professional wrestling instead of the world of MMA.

At the same time, I really wouldn't care if he never returned either. He hasn't really been missed by either company, and likely won't be as the two organizations move forward. There was no void left by his departure from either company by no means, and as such, I would be pretty apathetic about seeing Bobby Lashley head back to the WWE (or TNA for that matter).

I would say this, though. If he does return, he certainly wouldn't be fast-tracked back to the main event if it was up to me, especially if his return brings him back to WWE as opposed to TNA. Been there, done that. He'd be relegated back to the mid-card and would have to earn his way back to the top. There's no way he'd be leapfrogging over the dedicated guys who stuck around the WWE while he searched for greener pastures in TNA or MMA. He'd be nowhere near any titles for the forseeable future, and only once he's paid significant dues would I even consider bringing him back into a position of prominence in the WWE. Maybe he'd never make it back to the top, only time would tell. But there's no way he'd re-debut with the WWE in a high profile feud with some main eventer, not if it was up to me.

 

[Big Sexy]

I'm somewhat indifferent on Lashley. He was pretty bad on the mic and lacked charisma but he actually wasn't all that bad in the ring for a guy his size. I also thought his short run as a heel before he left TNA was semi-entertaining. Let's not forget he was only in the WWE for a little over 2 years and he definitely showed improvement throughout his time their. Remember it took Batista 6-7 years to really become an interesting character.

 

[thesweetness]

I really would like to see Bobby Lashley back. His feuds in TNA weren't memorable but I did like the idea they had of him being both a Champ in TNA and MMA. But I would much rather see him return to WWE. His feud with Mr. McMahon was great and very memorable.

As for "being in mid-card hell", this wouldn't happen with Lashley. He has history with Mr. McMahon and could use that to get back to the top. Right now, Smackdown! is his place, start him in a feud with Jack Swagger, they could really put on some true wrestling matches.

 

[BillAlfonso]

I think he can come back and be effective because he looks like he can fuck someone up and the majority of WWE's audience today, children, likely wouldn't watch any MMA other than UFC so the lost probably wouldn't even register with them. And, aside from just looking like he can fuck someone up, he has actual wrestling ability similar to Brock Lesnar though not as good but comparable. He doesn't have to have the greatest mic skills and personality to make it, Orton proved that, and Mr. McMahon has been looking for an African American champ and Lashley could be it. He'd certainly be more credible than any other African American that they have on the roster for championship material except for Tarver because he can actually cut a coherant interesting promo unlike Titus O'Neill, Percy Harvin, Kofi, Truth, Shad, JTG, and Darren Young, I think. Hell, I'd love to see a feud between Tarver and Lashley, think about it. Boxing vs. MMA in a pro wrestling ring, that shit'd be tight. My question is, can anyone tell me just how bad he loss? I still haven seen the fight but I'd think that he'd just keep plugging along after just one loss. I mean, Frank Mir beating Brock didn't hurt as much as everyone thought it would.

 

[HBKevin]

I just don't care about Lashley. He has an impressive physique, but his mic skills are just terrible. He sounds like Mike Tyson. He had a huge push at WrestleMania fighting for Trump against Umaga and McMahon, and he left. Somehow I don't think Vince would push him again.

 

[Theo Mays]

It is always being said that Vince is looking for that next African-American star and Lashley could have been just that if he stuck around. It seems like Vince has failed on his next big African-American stars. Ahmed Johnson probably could have been that guy but he was plagued with injuries and that killed his career. Vince has a 2nd chance here with Lashley and I was always a fan of Bobby and I'd love to see him brought back and have a nice run on SD to start things off. SD needs another top face and Lashley could be just that. Put him in a upper midcard feud and then build him to a world championship. I would love to see this done, but if it doesn't go down I won't be too upset.

 

[antvision]

First of all, let me say that i usually mark out for most returns, simply for that unkown factor. What will happen if Lashley returns will be interesting to say the least. While im a fan of lashley, some of his moves and mannerisms have always seemed "green" to me. He would do some amazing things in the ring. Its just he would get this look on his face like "what do i do next? Can somebody read my lines?" I hope that if he does come back, that he has matured not only his performance, but his personality, as well.

 

[#hamler]

The WWE are lacking big time in big men. Bobby Lashley was a strong, fast dude that could do most the things a smaller guy could do. His character needed some development but he was also very green in the WWE. I'd personally, would love to see this return. Batista left, and left a huge gap, and bringing back Lashley would fill that gap. Feuds with guys like John Cena, Nexus, or Sheamus would be priceless. I'm all for it. Just give him a small push and let him do the rest of the work. Hopefully this happens.

 

[MoneyMack]

My very 1st thought on this subject: Who cares about Bobby Lashley??

Whatever WWE may wanna do with Bobby- the same exact thing can be done with Mark Henry or even Zeke Jackson. Henry has been loyal for a long time (10+yrs I believe) & deserves that monster heel push if u ask me. But he needs mouth-piece! Lashley would be NO different. If he could handle the stick...I would be all-for bringing him back. But he just isnt even close. He'd honestly, just be a total waste of money for VKM. I dont see it happening. Maybe TNA- but not WWE.

 

[triple_b2k]

I really like Lashley but WWE shouldn't go all out to get him. He already left the company once and whose to say he wouldn't again if MMA offers him a good/high profile fight. If WWe does rehire him, it shouldn't be for much and they shouldn't put any gold around his waist. A nice push would be cool but don't build your main event around him. Don't make the same mistake twice WWE!

 

[brainsuks1234]

To be fully honest I wouldnt give a damn if he returned. The only reason he would return is for the money thats all. He's a john cena type wrestler to me. Yes he's had his moment and he dosnt have 5 moves like cena but they would bring Lashley back probaly put him on smackdown to make him a superhero for that show. I just dont like him returning back to the wwe.