Bobby Lashley on AEW’s Hurt Syndicate: ‘We all believe in each other’
Bobby Lashley says the Hurt Syndicate is a real team, one focused on helping each other succeed.
Lashley spoke with Justin Barasso of The Undisputed recently and said that everyone in the group believes in one another, and their different skill sets complement each other.
Lashley said:
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘Sometimes you have to believe in someone else’s belief in you.’ We all believe in each other, and look what’s happened so far. Tony put Shelton in a couple matches right away, and both of those matches opened people’s eyes. Maybe someone didn’t see that in him before. Tony sees it, he sees how impressive Shelton is. And we all believe in each other. I believe in MVP, I believe in Shelton, and they believe in me.”
Lashley and MVP first aligned in TNA Wrestling, where they discovered they had synergy. Along with Kenny King, they were the original members of The Beat Down Clan.
“When we got thrown together in Impact, we didn’t know what to expect–but it just worked. There is a synergy. He’s a natural bad guy. He’s the voice, I’m the power. Handling yourself against MVP on the mic and against me in the ring, that’s a challenge for everyone in AEW.”
“We are exactly who we say we are. I’m a nice guy but I can hurt people. MVP does not hold his tongue. At all. That gets him in trouble sometimes, but he’s real. He means what he says, and you need to respect that. If you don’t, you’ve got to deal with me.”
Shelton Benjamin has been the most active member of The Hurt Syndicate since the group debuted in AEW. He’s entered into the Blue League in the Continental Classic, where he has a 1-1 record after a win over Mark Briscoe and a loss to Kyle Fletcher.
Lashley continued to say of Benjamin:
“Shelton came from a world where he was taught to be humble. In the pro wrestling business, it’s unfortunate, but that’sused against you. Shelton shows you what he can do.”
Lashley also reiterated that his decision to leave WWE and sign with AEW was made because he wanted to reunite with MVP and Shelton Benjamin in a group similar to The Hurt Business in WWE.
“We didn’t get the opportunity to show what we really wanted to do before,” said Lashley. “Now we do. The possibilities and ideas about what we can do in AEW, that keeps me up at night.”
“Swerve, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Okada, there are so many guys here to get in the ring with,” Lashley continued. “That’s good for us. That’s good for them, too.”
Lashley says his goal is to be the AEW World Champion, but he’s not asking Tony Khan to give him the belt; he’s going to make his being champion “undeniable.”
“I’m not asking for anything more than an opportunity, and that’s what Tony Khan gave me,” said Lashley. “I’m definitely not asking to be world champ. Of course, that’s where I want to be, but that’s not how I approach it. I don’t go around telling people I am going to be champ. I make it so I am undeniable.”
“I’m going to give people a reason to chase me,” Lashley continued. “I did that in WWE, I did it in Impact, and I’m going to do it here in AEW.”
The full interview with Justin Barrasso is available here.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.