Bobby Lashley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Lashley
Lashley in 2017
Birth name	Franklin Roberto Lashley
Born	(1976-07-16) July 16, 1976 (age 48) Junction City, Kansas, U.S.
Alma mater	Missouri Valley College (BA)
Children	3
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Blaster Lashley Bobby Lashley Lashley
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Billed weight	273 lb (124 kg)
Billed from	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Trained by	Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut	January 2005
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1999–2002
Rank	Sergeant

Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976), known as Bobby Lashley, is an American professional wrestler. He also used to be a mixed martial artist. As of September 2024, he works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). There, he is part of The Hurt Syndicate. He is also one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin.

Lashley is famous for his time in WWE (2005–2008 and 2018–2024). He also wrestled for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2009–2010 and 2014–2018. In mixed martial arts, he fought for Bellator MMA and Strikeforce.

He started in WWE in 2005 on the SmackDown show. He won the United States Championship once. The next year, he moved to ECW. There, he became a two-time ECW World Champion. He had a big fight with Vince McMahon, the company boss. Lashley represented Donald Trump at WrestleMania 23. He left WWE in 2008.

After leaving WWE, Lashley started his MMA career in December 2008. He won 10 fights and lost 2. In 2014, he joined Bellator MMA. He won all five of his fights there between 2014 and 2016.

In 2009, Lashley joined TNA (later called Impact). He became a four-time TNA/Impact World Heavyweight Champion. He also won the X Division Championship once. He was the final King of the Mountain Champion. After leaving Impact in early 2018, he returned to WWE in April. He became a two-time WWE Champion. He also won the Intercontinental Championship twice. He won the United States Championship two more times. He left WWE in August 2024. Then, he signed with AEW and debuted in October at Fright Night Dynamite.

He has been the main event at many big wrestling shows for WWE and TNA/Impact. This includes Bound for Glory in 2016.

Early life

Lashley during his time in the United States Army.

Franklin Roberto Lashley was born in Junction City, Kansas, on July 16, 1976. His father was a U.S. Army drill sergeant. Lashley's family is from Panama. He grew up with his mother, who had trouble finding a good job. He has three older sisters. One of them was still in the U.S. Air Force in 2015. His family often moved because of his father's military work.

While his father was at Fort Riley in Kansas, Lashley went to Fort Riley Middle School. He started amateur wrestling in seventh grade. It was a sport he could do when football was not in season. He later finished high school at Junction City High School, where he kept wrestling. He went to Missouri Valley College. He was the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Wrestling Champion three times (1996, 1997, 1998). He earned a college degree in 1999.

After college, he joined the United States Army, like his father. He continued wrestling in the Army's World Class Athlete Program. During his three years in the Army, he won gold and silver medals in wrestling. In 2003, Lashley was training to join Team USA for the 2004 Olympic Games. He saw a bank robbery and had to hide from gunfire. This caused a knee injury that needed surgery. It ended his amateur wrestling career.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005–2008)

Starting Strong (2005–2006)

In January 2005, Lashley started wrestling for Ohio Valley Wrestling. This was a training ground for WWE. In mid-2005, he appeared at some live World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events. He had tryout matches for both Raw and SmackDown!. On September 23, 2005, he made his TV debut on SmackDown!. He was introduced as a top amateur wrestler. In his first match, he beat Simon Dean. He also beat him at his first big show, No Mercy.

On January 6, 2006, Lashley was the first SmackDown! wrestler to get into the Royal Rumble. At the Royal Rumble, he was the eighth wrestler to enter. He was later eliminated by Big Show and Kane. After this, Lashley started a fight with John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). He lost to JBL at No Way Out. This was his first loss in a singles match. This led to a fight with Finlay.

Lashley then competed at his first WrestleMania (WrestleMania 22). He was in the Money in the Bank ladder match. He then entered the SmackDown! 2006 tournament. He reached the finals but lost to Booker T. Lashley then fought "King Booker" and his group. During this time, Lashley won his first wrestling title. He beat JBL for the United States Championship. He lost the title to Finlay almost two months later.

ECW World Champion and Leaving (2006–2008)

Lashley at a WWE house show in May 2007.

On November 14, 2006, Lashley moved to the ECW brand. He joined a big match for the ECW World Championship. At December to Dismember, Lashley won the ECW World Championship. He became the first African-American to win that title. He successfully defended his title against many wrestlers. On March 19, 2007, Lashley broke Chris Masters' famous "Masterlock" hold.

In early 2007, Donald Trump chose Lashley to represent him. This was for a "Battle of the Billionaires" match. Lashley fought Umaga, who represented Vince McMahon. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the special referee. At WrestleMania 23, Lashley won. He helped Trump and Austin shave McMahon's head.

Lashley then fought Mr. McMahon. McMahon, his son Shane McMahon, and Umaga fought Lashley in a 3-on-1 match. McMahon pinned Lashley to win the ECW World Championship. Lashley hurt his shoulder during this match. At Judgment Day, Lashley won a rematch but did not get the title back. He pinned Shane, not Vince. On June 3, Lashley beat Vince McMahon in a street fight. He won the ECW World Championship for a second time.

On June 11, Lashley moved to the Raw brand. Because of this, Vince McMahon took away his ECW World Championship. Lashley then tried to win the WWE Championship. He lost to John Cena at The Great American Bash. Lashley was "injured" in a match on July 30. This allowed him time off for his real shoulder injury. WWE announced that Lashley left the company on February 4, 2008.

Other Promotions (2008–2014)

After leaving WWE, Lashley wrestled for other companies. He appeared in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Japan. In July 2009, he signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He joined a group called The Main Event Mafia. But he soon turned against them.

Lashley made his TNA wrestling debut in a tag team match. He and Mick Foley beat Kurt Angle and Kevin Nash. Lashley pinned Nash to win the Legends Championship. He later started a fight with Samoa Joe. At Bound for Glory, Lashley beat Joe. Lashley left TNA in early 2010 to focus on his MMA career. He returned to Japan and other independent wrestling shows.

Return to TNA / Impact Wrestling (2014–2018)

Lashley in October 2015.

Lashley came back to TNA at Lockdown in March 2014. He later joined MVP and Kenny King. At Slammiversary, Lashley beat Samoa Joe. On June 19, Lashley defeated Eric Young to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. This was his first title in TNA. He successfully defended the title many times. He lost the title to Bobby Roode in September 2014.

Lashley won the championship back on January 7, 2015. He lost it again later that year. In 2016, Lashley defeated Kurt Angle in Angle's last match with the company. He then won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for a third time at Slammiversary. He also won the X Division Championship and the King of the Mountain Championship. He lost the Impact world title to Eddie Edwards in October 2016.

In January 2017, Lashley won his fourth TNA World Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to Alberto El Patron in July 2017. Lashley then announced he was leaving wrestling to focus on MMA. He had a final fight against Moose at Bound for Glory.

Return to WWE (2018–2024)

Chasing Titles (2018–2019)

Lashley made his return to WWE by interrupting Elias in April 2018

On April 9, 2018, Lashley returned to WWE after 11 years. He joined the Raw brand again. He teamed with many wrestlers and won his matches. At Backlash, he and Braun Strowman won their match. Lashley then fought Sami Zayn and won at Money in the Bank. He then fought Roman Reigns. Lashley beat Reigns at Extreme Rules.

In September 2018, Lashley introduced his new manager, Lio Rush. Lashley turned into a "bad guy" wrestler in October. At Survivor Series, Lashley was one of the last wrestlers left for Team Raw. He then fought Elias in a ladder match, which he lost.

Intercontinental Champion (2019–2020)

On January 14, 2019, Lashley won the Intercontinental Championship. This was his first time winning that title. He lost the title to Finn Bálor in February. At Fastlane, Lashley teamed with Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre but lost. The next night, Lashley won the Intercontinental Championship back from Finn Bálor. He lost the title again to Bálor at WrestleMania 35.

Lashley then fought Braun Strowman. Their fight ended when Strowman tackled Lashley through a video wall. They had a Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules, which Lashley lost.

Lashley returned in September 2019. He started a storyline with Rusev and his wife Lana. Lashley and Lana pretended to be in love. At TLC, Lashley beat Rusev. Their storyline ended in February 2020. At WrestleMania 36, Lashley lost to Aleister Black.

The Hurt Business (2020–2022)

On May 11, 2020, Lashley joined with MVP. This made Lana angry. At Backlash, Lashley failed to win the WWE Championship. The next night, Lashley ended his storyline with Lana. Lashley and MVP formed a group called The Hurt Business. Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander later joined them.

At Payback, Lashley beat Apollo Crews to win his second United States Championship. He kept the title against many challengers. At Survivor Series, Lashley beat Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn.

At Elimination Chamber, Lashley lost the United States Championship. Later that night, Lashley attacked Drew McIntyre. This helped The Miz win the WWE Championship. The next week, Lashley beat Braun Strowman to get a shot at the WWE Championship. On March 1, Lashley beat The Miz to win the WWE Championship for the first time. He defended the title against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 37. He also beat McIntyre at WrestleMania Backlash and Hell in a Cell.

Lashley then fought Kofi Kingston. At Money in the Bank, he kept his title. Goldberg then challenged Lashley for the WWE Championship. At SummerSlam, Lashley kept the title when Goldberg could not continue.

On September 13, Lashley lost the WWE Championship to Big E. At Extreme Rules, Lashley teamed with AJ Styles and Omos but lost. The Hurt Business seemed to reunite. Lashley fought Big E for the WWE Championship in a steel cage match, but lost.

At Crown Jewel, Goldberg beat Lashley. At Survivor Series, Lashley was eliminated from his match. On December 13, Lashley won matches against three other wrestlers. This earned him a spot in the WWE Championship match at Day 1. He failed to win the title there. He beat Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble to win his second WWE Championship. He lost it at Elimination Chamber due to a storyline injury.

United States Champion (2022–2023)

On March 28, 2022, Lashley returned from injury. He challenged Omos. At WrestleMania 38, Lashley beat Omos, ending his winning streak. After WrestleMania, MVP turned against Lashley and joined Omos. Lashley lost to Omos at WrestleMania Backlash. But he beat him in a steel cage match later. At Hell in a Cell, Lashley beat Omos and MVP.

Lashley then fought United States Champion Theory. At Money in the Bank, Lashley beat Theory to win his third United States Championship. He kept the title at SummerSlam. He also defended it against Tommaso Ciampa, AJ Styles, The Miz, and Seth "Freakin" Rollins.

On October 10, Lashley lost the United States Championship to Rollins. This happened after Brock Lesnar attacked him. At Crown Jewel, Lashley lost to Lesnar. Lashley then attacked Rollins. At Survivor Series: WarGames, Lashley failed to win the United States Championship. On January 16, 2023, Lashley won a match to get a title shot against Theory. But he failed to win the title at Raw Is XXX. At the Royal Rumble, Lashley eliminated Lesnar. At Elimination Chamber, Lashley beat Lesnar by disqualification. On March 31, Lashley won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. At Backlash, Lashley did not win the United States Championship.

Lashley was moved to the SmackDown show in the 2023 WWE Draft. He took part in a tournament for the new World Heavyweight Championship. He won his first match but lost in the semifinals to AJ Styles.

The Pride (2023–2024)

On July 14, 2023, Lashley returned and formed a group with The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). This group was called "The Pride." On August 4, Lashley celebrated with The Street Profits after they beat other teams. This made him a "bad guy" wrestler again. Lashley and The Street Profits teamed up to fight the Latino World Order (LWO) at Fastlane. At the event, Carlito returned and helped the LWO win.

On December 8, Lashley won a match to advance in a tournament for the United States Championship. He lost in the next round. On January 5, 2024, Lashley turned back into a "good guy" after being attacked. At Royal Rumble, Lashley eliminated Carlito and Karrion Kross. He was later eliminated by Kross. Lashley qualified for the men's Elimination Chamber match on February 12. He was eliminated by Drew McIntyre at the event. On April 7, Lashley and the Street Profits beat The Final Testament at WrestleMania XL. Lashley's last WWE appearance was on May 3. His contract ended on August 16, 2024.

All Elite Wrestling (2024–present)

In September 2024, Lashley signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He debuted at Fright Night Dynamite on October 30. He attacked Swerve Strickland and reunited with MVP and Shelton Benjamin. They formed a new group called "The Hurt Syndicate". On November 20, Lashley had his first AEW match. He won a two-on-one handicap match. At Full Gear, Lashley beat Strickland. On January 22, 2025, Lashley and Benjamin won the AEW World Tag Team Championship. This was Lashley's first tag team title in a major wrestling company.

Professional wrestling style

Lashley uses the spear and a move called the Hurt Lock. The Hurt Lock is a full nelson submission hold. Another wrestler, Chris Masters, used a similar move called the "Master Lock." Lashley's nicknames are "The Dominator" and "The All Mighty."

Mixed martial arts career

Bobby Lashley
Lashley in 2008
Other names	The Boss The Dominator The Pressure Cooker The Real Heel Deal
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	255 lb (116 kg; 18 st 3 lb)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	78 in (198 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Denver, Colorado
Team	American Kickboxing Academy, American Top Team, American Top Team Altitude, CSW
Trainer	Josh Barnett
Wrestling	NAIA Wrestling
Years active	2008–2016
Mixed martial arts record
Total	17
Wins	15
By knockout	6
By submission	6
By decision	3
Losses	2
By knockout	1
By decision	1
Medal record Collegiate Wrestling Representing Missouri Valley NAIA Championships Gold 1996 Jamestown 177 lb Gold 1997 Jamestown 177 lb Gold 1998 Primm 177 lb

Early career (2008–2009)

Lashley started his mixed martial arts (MMA) career on December 13, 2008. He won his first fight quickly. His next fight was on March 21, 2009, against Jason Guida. Lashley won by a unanimous decision. He then signed with Maximum Fighting Championship. He beat Mike Cook in just 24 seconds. On June 27, 2009, Lashley defeated Bob Sapp. This made his MMA record 4 wins and 0 losses.

Strikeforce (2010–2011)

Lashley was set to fight for Strikeforce. He fought former UFC fighter Wes Sims on January 30, 2010. Lashley won in the first round. He was supposed to fight at other Strikeforce events but had injuries.

Lashley faced Chad Griggs on August 21, 2010. Lashley started strong but got a cut under his eye. The fight was stopped in the second round, and Lashley lost. After the fight, it was found that Lashley had mono. This made him unable to train for four months.

Other MMA Fights (2011–2014)

On February 18, 2011, Lashley signed with Titan Fighting Championship. He won his first fight there. He later won another fight for Titan FC in 2013. Lashley also signed with Shark Fights. On November 11, 2011, he won the Shark Fights Heavyweight Championship.

He fought James Thompson in India in 2012. Lashley lost that fight. He continued to fight for various promotions, winning most of his matches.

Bellator MMA (2014–2018)

In July 2014, Lashley signed with Bellator MMA. He won his first fight for them on September 5, 2014. He won by submission in the second round. In his second Bellator fight, he beat Karl Etherington.

He was supposed to fight James Thompson again in 2015, but Lashley got injured. He later fought Dan Charles and won. The rematch with Thompson finally happened on November 6, 2015. Lashley won in the first round. On August 29, 2016, Lashley fought Josh Appelt and won. Bellator said Lashley was still under contract after he returned to WWE. However, Lashley never fought again and confirmed his retirement from MMA in 2022.

Personal life

Lashley has three children. His first daughter, Kyra, was born in 2005. He also has a son named Myles (born 2008) and a daughter named Naomi (born 2011) with former WWE wrestler Kristal Marshall.

Lashley has also started some businesses. In 2007, he opened a healthy smoothie shop. In 2009, he launched websites for his gym and nutrition store. He wanted to stay well-known to reach his goal of being a top MMA fighter.

Other media

Lashley has been in several video games. He is in WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2007 and WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008. He also appears in newer games like WWE 2K19, WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23, and WWE 2K24.

Film and Television

Luchas de Apuestas record

Mixed martial arts record

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

• International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
  • NYAC Christmas Tournament Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist (2001)
• International Military Sports Council
  • CISM Armed Forces Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist (2003)
  • CISM Armed Forces Championships Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist (2002)
  • CISM Military World Championships Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist (2002)
• USA Wrestling
  • Third in the USA World Team Trials Senior Freestyle (2003)
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
  • NAIA All-American (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)
  • NAIA Collegiate National Championship (1996, 1997, 1998)
• Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association
  • KWCA Collegiate Wrestler of the Year (1998)
• National High School Coaches Association
  • NHSCA Senior All-American (1994)
• Kansas State High School Activities Association
  • KSHSAA 6A All-State (1993, 1994)
  • KSHSAA 6A High School State Championship (1994)
  • KSHSAA 6A High School State Championship Runner-up (1993)

Mixed martial arts

• Shark Fights
  • Shark Fights Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Xtreme Fight Night
  • XFN Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Professional wrestling

Lashley is a two-time ECW World Champion

• All Elite Wrestling
  • AEW World Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Shelton Benjamin
• Alabama Wrestling Federation
  • AWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Boogeyman
• Italian Wrestling Superstar
  • IWS Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2006)
  • Rookie of the Year (2005)
  • Ranked No. 3 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2021
• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling / Impact Wrestling
  • TNA/Impact World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
  • TNA King of the Mountain Championship (1 time, final)
  • TNA X Division Championship (1 time)
  • TNA Championship Series (2009)
  • TNA Joker's Wild (2015)
• WWE
  • WWE Championship (2 times)
  • ECW World Championship (2 times)
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
  • WWE United States Championship (3 times)
  • André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (2023)
  • Slammy Award (1 time)
    • Trash Talker of the Year (2020) from The Hurt Business

Images for kids

• 

  Lashley in 2006.

See also

In Spanish: Bobby Lashley para niños

• List of Bellator MMA alumni
• List of Strikeforce alumni