The Unstoppable Bobby Lashley Finally Meets an Immovable Object: The Injury List
Just when the “All Mighty” era seemed ready to shift into high gear in AEW, the wrestling gods decided to pull the emergency brake. Because, of course, they did. We can’t just have nice things without a little drama, right?
If you were tuning into AEW Collision expecting to see the human tank that is Bobby Lashley wrecking shop and tossing bodies around like ragdolls, you were met with a different kind of update. It turns out that even guys who look like they were carved out of granite by Michelangelo himself aren’t immune to the wear and tear of the squared circle.
The Hurt Syndicate Takes a Literal Hit
The news broke in the most wrestling way possible: via a promo. MVP, the mouthpiece of the Hurt Syndicate and the man responsible for revitalizing careers, took the microphone to deliver the bad news. He revealed that Bobby Lashley is officially on the shelf with an injury.
There was a distinct lack of specifics, which is par for the course in this industry. Was it a knee? A shoulder? A bruised ego from that Casino Gauntlet loss at Full Gear? We don’t know. MVP kept the medical chart close to the vest, offering no timeline for a return and no details on the severity of the issue.
It’s a massive blow, not just for the faction but for the fans who were just getting used to seeing Lashley in an AEW ring. The man hasn’t had a match since the Full Gear pay-per-view back in late November. If you recall, he and Shelton Benjamin kicked off the National Title Casino Gauntlet match—a match eventually won by Ricochet. Since then? Radio silence in the ring. Now we know why.
Shelton Benjamin Steps Into the Spotlight
There is a silver lining here, though it comes at Lashley’s expense. With the big man out of commission, a spot opened up in the upcoming Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal. And who better to fill the void than the “Gold Standard” himself?
MVP announced that Shelton Benjamin will take Lashley’s place in the battle royal on the next episode of Dynamite. If we’re being honest, this isn’t a bad consolation prize. Benjamin has been doing some of the best work of his career lately, proving that age is just a number when you have that level of athletic freakishness like Benjamin has had throughout his career.
So, while we lose the spectacle of Lashley tossing 20 men over the top rope, we gain the technical prowess of Shelton Benjamin trying to secure a title shot. It’s a pivot, sure, but a solid one.
The MJF Connection and What Comes Next
Reports have been swirling that MJF is factored into something major for AEW Worlds End later this month. It doesn’t take a detective to connect the dots here. The injury to Lashley shakes up the board, but the destination likely remains the same: someone is on a collision course with the “Wolf of Wrestling.”
It’s a shame we won’t get to see Lashley potentially mix it up with MJF. The visual of Lashley turning MJF inside out with a spear is something I think we all deserve to see. Along with the many directions of story they can go, the sky is the limit for the feud. But for now, that fantasy booking has to go back in the drawer.
Here’s hoping the injury is minor and just a precautionary measure. The Hurt Syndicate works best when all its cylinders are firing, and let’s be real: the roster is just better when the All Mighty is active. Until then, Shelton Benjamin has some heavy lifting to do.
