WWE: 3 directions for Bobby Lashley at the Royal Rumble
Since losing the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar at the Elimination Chamber event in February 2022, Bobby Lashley has hovered around the upper mid-card.
He spent the earlier part of the year feuding with his former manager, MVP, and his new protege, Omos. From there, he went on to win the WWE United States Championship from Austin Theory before dropping the title to Seth Rollins in October.
With the WWE Royal Rumble on the horizon, many fans are wondering what's next for Bobby Lashley. He is slated to once again meet Theory for the WWE United States Championship on the 30th anniversary edition of Monday Night Raw and has already declared his entry into the Royal Rumble match.
While he is not expected to win either of those matches, it will be interesting to see how he is positioned heading into WrestleMania.
Below are three possible directions the creative team could go in with Lashley in the coming weeks. As always, there will be a lot of debate and conversation around what exactly is the best path for WWE to take.
#1. Lashley reconciles with MVP
I appreciate you helping get me back, @The305MVP. That’s all I have to say right now.
#WWERaw https://t.co/VsK91JzJZk
The creative team has been teasing a reunion between Bobby Lashley and MVP over the past several weeks. Should this story continue, there is a good chance that it will lead to a reformation of The Hurt Business.
If WWE takes this course of action, several questions will emerge. Will the group include the other original members, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander? Alternatively, will the group expand to include new members, and if so, who would they be? Finally, how does Omos fit into this scenario? Will he and Lashley make amends, with Omos serving as the added muscle behind the group?
Lashley has never been presented as someone who needs protection, so that dynamic might be a little awkward, and it will be interesting to see how they would interact with each other.
#2. Lashley challenges Brock Lesnar to a match at WWE WrestleMania 39
After their last meeting at WWE Crown Jewel in November, which Brock Lesnar won, Lashley attacked him to keep the feud alive. Also, given the fact that each has a victory over the other in the last year, WrestleMania would be the right time for the rubber match to decide the winner of the feud.
It's also interesting to keep an eye on Vince McMahon since his return as Executive Chairman of the Board, as he and Lesnar hold each other in high regard.
That said, there's a very good possibility that Lesnar will land a top spot on the WrestleMania card. Given the history between the two, Lashley could be the logical opponent.
#3. Lashley forms a new faction to feud with The Bloodline
🏽🩸 #Bloodline #SurvivorSeries 
Levels above. ☝🏽🩸 #Bloodline #SurvivorSeries
@WWEUsos @HeymanHustle @WWESoloSikoa @SamiZayn https://t.co/JQQrQou9tl
Lashley could look to reform The Hurt Business, but could plan to do so with new members and the objective of feuding with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline.
Potential candidates would be mid-card talent without direction at the moment, including The Street Profits and the returning Bronson Reed. NXT could also supply some members, with stars such as Apollo Crews and Carmelo Hayes coming to mind.
Hayes would be an interesting choice as he has proven to be a credible star on his own. However, the creative team may decide to put him in a faction before branching him out on his own.