Bobby Lashley & Michael Hayes Past Heat Over Racial Issues?

One of the reasons Bobby Lashley got a release from WWE on his terms, which lets him go to TNA if he chooses to, is because the feeling is that if went public on his complaints on Michael Hayes, and there was some corroboration, it would make the company look bad. So WWE agreed to release Lashley on his terms on the condition that he does not say anything negative about the company.

Back in January, Lashley talked about "evil prevailing" in WWE in his statement on his official website regarding his departure from the company. "I can't go into details of this now but like I said before sometimes people will hate you personally and try to destroy you, which has happened here. Evil has prevailed however like I said before if you continue your struggle doors will open around these people."

Additionally, one of the reasons Lashley moved from SmackDown to ECW in late 2006 was because Michael Hayes — who was the head writer of the blue brand at the time — wanted nothing to do with him. At the time, Lashley was saddled in a lame duck feud with Tatanka, who had just turned heel (and was fired three months later).