Bobby Lashley has strong opinion of Hurt Business's booking in WWE

The COVID-19 Global Pandemic almost put a halt to professional wrestling as we know it. The WWE found a way to continue operating, even as several stars opted to stay home or were forced to do so due to medical reasons. Yet, one faction in WWE reigned supreme. The Hurt Business was one of the best acts in wrestling during that time. Once the pandemic was over, the group was treated as a third-rate act, and now only Cedric Alexander remains with the company. Bobby Lashley opened up about his thoughts on how the group was booked and had some key things to say about his experience.

“It was kind of a spit in the face,” Lashley said while speaking during a virtual signing with K&S Wrestlefest. “We were never in front of a live crowd. During the pandemic, a lot of guys sat at home. We did everything. We were on half the show most the time. We came out of the pandemic and people started resurfacing. What about the guys who were putting the time in during this dangerous time? We got overlooked. That was a little bit of a spit in the face. I think we could have come back and done some big things together. They just didn’t want us. Different strokes for different folks. Different people like different things. When the regime changed, the regime wasn’t too high on me at all.”

That’s quite the statement that comes at a time when fans, media, and critics alike are watching how WWE utilizes its roster closely. There’s open criticism of the main roster product, specifically Triple H, as single Black male talent and Asian talent are sparsely represented across the main roster product. At the same time, Shawn Michaels continues to elevate women and people of color on WWE NXT each week with just two hours of television.

WWE had something special in The Hurt Business. They were a group of established performers that looked every bit the part of sports entertainers and excellent professional wrestlers. In many ways, they should have been booked as main event-level threats for years to come. But they were leveraged for a while, then quickly fed to Bill Goldberg. Lashley was never able to overcome the 50/50 booking he saw against Brock Lesnar, then completely disappeared from the show before leaving the organization during the Summer of 2024.

Shelton Benjamin and MVP have appeared in All Elite Wrestling, with Lashley expected to make his appearance soon. It will be interesting to see how Tony Khan books this group, especially with its packed main event scene. Fans are watching closely as well. Pitting them against Swerve Strickland is an excellent first move, elevating the status of all the men at once while creating a storyline featuring only Black talent. That sends a strong message to fans who are looking for representation and performers looking for an opportunity to stand at the top.

The Hurt Business is truly a story of what could have been in WWE. They were hot when they were hot, but those behind the scenes had other thoughts of them. Bobby Lashley’s powerful words show just how he felt about the situation. Here’s to hoping they see better days in AEW.