Bobby Lashley On Always Being Asked About WWE, Past TNA Pay Issues, Having Good Matches With Anyone
We recently interviewed former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley. Below is the full interview:
Being asked about WWE when he's competing for Impact Wrestling:
"(Laughs) All the time. I don't mind it because when you think about it, WWE is the flagship of wrestling. They started it all, we all know that. But, when you look over there, look at all the stars that are over there. They were over here. And that's how it is. I mean, we have quality, and we're going to build up on the people – the quality that we have. I mean, I don't mind the questions. I don't mind it all. I'll talk about WWE."
What the rebranding and new management, and the transition mean for the wrestlers in the locker room:
"Yeah, this is an obvious answer for us – it doesn't matter. You know why it doesn't matter? We had some rough times in TNA. We had some pay issues, and this and that, they were some other issues. But at that time, we were working harder than we ever worked. Even though, you know, we were being paid late and all, we worked harder than we worked before. And after that, when the new management came in, when the new crew came in, we didn't skip a week. We just kept working. And then they said they were replacing – there were some people that went out and some people that came in, but as far as how have we've worked, we're going to continue what we're doing, because we're wrestlers.
"When you put wrestlers on TV, they're the highest professionals in the business. We're the highest professionals in this business. In that way, we just go out there and work. The good thing is, things are now alright. We've had the opportunity to come [to India], which we didn't have before. Some of the guys are saying they've had some issues that are being taken care of now. So there are positives.
"But as I said, there is nothing different in how hard we work. So we're going to continue what we're doing regardless of if he get paid, if we don't get paid. Regardless of if we have him as the leader, or if she's the leader. It doesn't matter. We love what we do. So we work as hard as we can, no matter what."
How it felt being the 'ring general' against former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Josh Barnett:
"I can do that – I love it. I love it. Because, look, I can go and wrestle a match with anyone. You want a match right now, and we can go out there and put on a 30 minute match, and put on a hell of a match. That's how you are. When you get to a certain level in wrestling, you got to be the ring general, and I've been in wrestling for a long time. And I can be a ring general against anybody.
Like, I've been having matches? if you're extremely good, we're going to put on an extremely good match. If you've never stepped in a wrestling ring, and you're with me, we can still have an excellent wrestling match, because that's how good I believe I am."
His rivalry with EC3 being organic and how that rivalry went over so well with the fans:
"I think it really is because – in wrestling, there are so many different characters. And in real life, there are so many different characters – and there are so many different characters that really don't get along in real life. And that's how we had it, and I think the fans saw that – he was like the traditional, um, the kid that got everything handed to him. He was kind of like the brat that was an athlete.
"There was always some dissension between (us), so I think the fans saw that. It wasn't acting. Me and Eddie Edwards, it was natural – two different people, two truly and uniquely different characters going against each other. So, I think the crowd just kind of sees it, and said, "Oh, we like this." You never know what's going to happen. You never know if I'm against Eddie – it doesn't matter how much "heat" there is between us. There's just so many guys in there that there's natural reaction between two wrestlers. I had it with Drew, I had it with Eddie Edwards, I had it with EC 3. My characters separates (me) from everyone else, so whenever we go together, it's real. I like that."