AEW must turn 48-year-old star into a "superhuman" to avoid ratings defeat to WWE, says Bill Apter (Exclusive)
AEW needs to make Bobby Lashley their top guy, according to Bill Apter, after a recent ratings defeat. NXT and Dynamite went head-to-head a couple of weeks ago where the WWE's developmental brand defeated Tony Khan's promotion in ratings.
Bobby Lashley debuted on the Fright Night edition of AEW Dynamite a couple of weeks ago. The All Mighty reunited with his former business associates MVP and Shelton Benjamin and formed The Hurt Syndicate. He is set to make his in-ring debut for the company against Swerve Strickland at Full Gear.
Speaking on the recent edition of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine podcast hosted by Mac Davis, Bill Apter noted how the NXT show from the 2300 Arena was successful and defeated Dynamite in ratings. He also questioned when the reset Jon Moxley talks about will occur in AEW and encouraged the promotion to invest in Bobby Lashley as their top guy. Bill claimed that All Elite Wrestling doesn't have one star which would make the fans tune in on their weekly shows.
"Well, first of all, WWE did an amazing promotional job of having NXT at the old ECW 2300 Arena. They brought in ECW legends like Francine, Bully Ray, RVD, and Rhyno. So, that was out there when AEW had their regular line-up of talent. Jon Moxley recently said that they're resetting, things are gonna change."
He added:
"If they don't make Bobby Lashley into a superhuman character that he is and that the fans want to see, I don't know what they're gonna do to increase their viewership because right now, it's a very level-off kinda bland situation. They don't have that one star that they are pushing, that amazing talent that you want to turn on on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Fridays, and watch." [6:40 - 8:04]
Bobby Lashley recently left WWE to sign with AEW
The All Mighty returned to WWE in 2018 for his second run with the promotion. Lashley's run was successful as it brought him his first-ever WWE Championship as well as Intercontinental and United States Championship reigns. However, after the shift in regime and Triple H taking over the creative reigns, Lashley's spot on the roster took a major hit.
Despite getting booked in some top matches, Lashley reportedly still felt a little lost on the main roster. He was paired with the Street Profits and B-Fab during his last days with the promotion but quietly made his exit from WWE in August 2024. Bobby Lashley then joined MVP and Shelton Benjamin in AEW and is currently a part of The Hurt Syndicate.
Fans will have to wait and see if Lashley is successful in his debut bout, defeating Swerve Strickland at Full Gear.
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