4 Reasons why AEW won't sign Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley is seemingly on his way out of WWE. The All Mighty's deal with the Stamford-based promotion is set to expire soon, and the 48-year-old star does not seem interested in renewing his contract. Besides Lashley, MVP is also rumored to depart from WWE.
If the two former stablemates end up parting ways with WWE, they will likely head over to All Elite Wrestling. Known for being impressively active in the free agent market, Tony Khan would likely welcome the duo with open arms.
While Bobby Lashley can still contribute a lot to the pro wrestling business, certain factors suggest he may not be the right fit for AEW. In this article, let's take a look at four reasons why the Jacksonville-based promotion would not sign Bobby Lashley.
#4. Bobby Lashley does not seem like a suitable addition to AEW's product
Bobby Lashley's entire presentation screams WWE. Although he has previously been a part of TNA Wrestling as well, The All Mighty's greatest run as a pro wrestler has arguably come as a part of the Stamford-based promotion. Known for his incredible feats of strength, the former WWE Champion is not necessarily renowned for being extraordinary inside the squared circle.
Bobby is an extremely reliable talent who can put on good matches when paired with the right opponents. However, Lashley is nowhere near the level of the high-quality in-ring action fans have witnessed in AEW over the years.
The former leader of the Hurt Business strikes fear into his opponents with his larger-than-life persona. However, he may not fit well enough in a wrestling-centric environment like AEW, where the work is given the topmost priority.
In recent years, Tony Khan has signed many exciting ex-WWE talents, who eventually became an afterthought on the AEW roster. The 41-year-old may refrain from repeating the same mistake with Lashley, who is highly likely to get lost in the shuffle in All Elite Wrestling.
#3. The Hurt Business revamp may not work in AEW
As per rumors, Bobby Lashley and MVP are seemingly frustrated with how WWE handled the Hurt Business during its final stages. The faction was an extremely popular act among wrestling fans, as it significantly helped carry the company during the pandemic era in 2020-21. The Hurt Business was a massive success as it helped revitalize the careers of Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander.
The All Mighty is seemingly interested in reviving the Hurt Business in AEW. With Shelton Benjamin yet to sign with any promotion, there is a good possibility that fans get to see the dominant stable reunite in the Jacksonville-based promotion. However, it may not be as good of an idea as it seems on the surface.
The Hurt Business thrived in WWE because it was consistently featured every week on television. It was the main act on RAW during the pandemic era and also enjoyed the backing of the creative team backstage.
The faction may not be able to recreate its magic in the Tony Khan-led company, where there are already countless stables that are fighting for TV time.
AEW currently has a very saturated roster. Even if he brings the Hurt Business to his promotion, Tony Khan would not be able to provide them with the proper TV time. The faction will struggle for a proper creative direction, eventually meeting the same fate as it did in WWE.
#2. Bobby Lashley may not be as great of an investment
While Bobby Lashley's AEW potential debut would certainly pop the ratings temporarily, it will not be a great long-term investment for the Jacksonville-based promotion. At the age of 48, The All Mighty only has a limited time left before he draws curtains on his pro wrestling career.
As popular as he is, the former WWE Champion is nowhere as big of a draw as someone like Roman Reigns or Seth Rollins. Despite bringing in widely popular talents like Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone, All Elite Wrestling has struggled to get rid of its poor performances on the ratings front.
Despite his impressive past accomplishments, it is highly unlikely that Bobby Lashley could help AEW much in overcoming their ratings problem. While Tony Khan rarely misses out on signing a hot free agent, he may consider not striking a deal with The All Mighty, who is unlikely to contribute much to the AEW product.
#1. The young top stars will feel threatened by Tony Khan bringing in another ex-WWE talent
AEW is currently riddled with a problem of plenty. The Jacksonville-based promotion has one of the largest talent pools in the world, which makes it difficult to properly showcase the majority of its stars.
The situation is not helped much by the overly competitive attitude of Tony Khan, who keeps bringing in hot free agents to his company. The newly signed ex-WWE talents often do more harm than good, as they push down the AEW originals further down the ranks.
In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, The Acclaimed's Max Caster explained why he was against the idea of Tony Khan signing new talents. As per the 34-year-old star, Khan sends the wrong message to AEW's homegrown talents by constantly expanding the talent roster.
Caster believes that several underutilized stars in AEW could prove to be better assets to Tony Khan compared to all the free agents that come up.
Several performers in AEW, specifically the hungry young talents, would not be open to the idea of Bobby Lashley taking up a spot in the Jacksonville-based promotion. The up-and-coming stars would want to keep the spotlight on themselves, and not on Bobby, who only has a limited years left in the pro wrestling business.