5 mistakes Triple H made with Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley has been away from WWE television for quite some time due to an injury he suffered back in May this year. However, a rumor regarding the multi-time champion has been making the rounds on the internet. Lashley is said to have been removed from WWE's internal roster, which seems to indicate his departure from the Stamford-based promotion.
The All Mighty's WWE run had been a roller coaster ride that saw both highs and lows. Even after the company transitioned into a new creative regime under Triple H last year, things did not pan out well for him. From abysmal bookings to a lack of character progression, several things went wrong with the former WWE Champion, which became a roadblock for him.
This article explores five mistakes Triple H made with Bobby Lashley under his regime as WWE's Chief Content Officer.
#5. Lack of meaningful storylines
Bobby Lashley was involved in a high-caliber feud with Brock Lesnar back in February 2023. Just when fans thought that this dream match would culminate in a final showdown at The Grandest Stage of Them All, WWE made a sharp deviation, withdrawing The All Mighty from this highly anticipated feud.
Despite riding high on red-hot momentum, the Triple H-led management fumbled with him, failing to put him in any meaningful storylines following that. Lashley also missed WrestleMania 39, as WWE had no plans for him after his initial plans with Bray Wyatt got canceled.
Following his feud with Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley went downhill as he became a victim of poor bookings and a lack of direction. He failed to find a way into any good feud or long-term storyline on the main roster, which seems to be a huge blunder in the Triple H-led creative.
#4. Depriving him of the title picture
A major mistake Triple H made with Bobby Lashley was failing to put him in any title picture after the WWE Draft 2023. Lashley is a renowned veteran who can uplift both the babyface champions and the heel champions by feuding with them and making them look dominant.
However, WWE overlooked him and his abilities by not involving him in any championship pictures. Things were quite different in the Vince McMahon era when The All Mighty had a phenomenal run with the WWE Championship on Monday Night RAW.
However, Bobby Lashley failed to win any gold in the Triple H-led regime, which kept him away from the championship conversation. This gradually withered away his credibility and led to his downfall on the main roster.
#3. Failing to capitalize on the momentum
The formation of The Pride was a major move under the Triple H-led regime. Due to his alliance with Street Profits, Bobby Lashley was riding red-hot on momentum and fans were absolutely thrilled to witness the faction changing the landscape of SmackDown. But things did not go the way they should have.
The Game could not harness the full potential of the faction despite having every opportunity, which affected Lashley's credibility. While several prominent feuds and rivalries were possible for The Pride, WWE involved it in a storyline with The Final Testament, which was stretched redundantly.
Not only did it hinder its growth but it also portrayed the veteran superstar's leadership as weak. The faction, which looked promising, miserably went downhill due to abysmal booking and a lack of creative plans, which is arguably another huge mistake in Bobby Lashley's career under Triple H-led management.
#2. Inconsistent character development
Another major mistake WWE CCO Triple H arguably made with Bobby Lashley was inconsistent character development over the years. Neither was he showcased as a vicious heel nor was he portrayed as a proper babyface, which made it hard for fans to connect with him.
Things turned more bemusing as Lashley transitioned into the leader of The Pride. While he formed the faction as a heel, WWE had to eventually turn the group into a babyface, which was quite an abrupt adaptation. Despite being a face, The All Mighty did not look like a dominant babyface leader.
The lack of direction of his character was arguably a huge blunder by The Game under his creative direction. This became a major hindrance in the evolution of his persona, despite starting afresh with The Pride.
#1. Downgrading Bobby Lashley's character
During the Vince McMahon era, Bobby Lashley was showcased as an indomitable force, exuding an aura of intimidation. However, his on-screen persona underwent significant changes in the last two years under Triple H's regime, as WWE arguably downgraded Lashley's character.
The All Mighty's aura of invincibility crumbled as he lost several matches over the course and failed to capitalize on every big occasion. Moreover, his alliance with The Street Profits arguably exacerbated the situation as the former WWE Champion adopted more of a managerial role than a dominant leader.
The intimidating aura that Bobby Lashley once possessed gradually diminished due to the Triple H-led management downplaying his character. This is arguably one of the biggest mistakes the Stamford-based promotion made with the former WWE Champion.