Bobby Lashley seemingly replaced by 5'5" WWE star yet to appear at a single Big 4 PLE
Bobby Lashley's month has gone from bad to worse after he was seemingly replaced by an up-and-coming WWE star. The company recently removed Lashley from its latest Superstars banner, putting NXT's Thea Hail in his place.
In a post on X/Twitter, WrestleTalk shared that WWE updated its Superstars banner on the official website. One of the talents removed from the promotional material was Lashley, who is out with an injury. The former world champion was replaced by Hail, one of the youngest stars on the roster at the age of 20.
Bobby Lashley was supposed to compete in the King of the Ring Tournament earlier this month. However, Lashley suffered an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Angelo Dawkins, who lost in the first round against Tama Tonga of The Bloodline. Meanwhile, Thea Hail is one of the youngest stars on the roster and has been with WWE since March 17, 2022, when she was just 18 years old.
Hail gained popularity as part of Chase University. The 5'5" star challenged Tiffany Stratton for the NXT Women's Championship twice, but couldn't secure the gold. She has yet to compete at a Big Four premium live event in the company.
Lashley was not the only superstar removed from the WWE Superstars banner. Solo Sikoa, Trick Williams, Sami Zayn, and Roxanne Perez replaced Finn Balor, IYO SKY, Carmelo Hayes, and Lyra Valkyria, respectively.
Is Bobby Lashley's injury legitimate?
Bobby Lashley was quickly pulled from the King of the Ring Tournament several weeks ago after reportedly sustaining an injury while training. The nature of Lashley's injury was not disclosed. Hence, there were questions about whether he was legitimately hurt.
Dave Meltzer reported in a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Lashley's injury was real and WWE was informed in advance about his status. The same can be said for Zelina Vega, who was replaced by Maxxine Dupri in the Queen of the Ring Tournament due to injury.
"Lashley's injury that kept him out of King of the Ring was known well in advance. [Zelina] Vega's was known well in advance because those involved with the [Shayna] Baszler match knew she was getting a new opponent early last week, if not earlier," Dave Meltzer reported.
It's unclear when Bobby Lashley will return from his injury, but it seems like a minor one and he may be back soon.