Bobby Lashley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Lashley
Lashley in 2024
Birth name	Franklin Roberto Lashley
Born	(1976-07-16) July 16, 1976 (age 49) Junction City, Kansas, U.S.
Alma mater	Missouri Valley College (BA)
Partner	Kristal Marshall (2007–2010)
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 5, 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. He currently works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). There, he is part of a group called The Hurt Syndicate. He is also one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin.

Lashley is well-known for his time in WWE. He also spent time wrestling for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which later became Impact Wrestling. In mixed martial arts, Lashley fought for promotions like Bellator MMA and Strikeforce. He has been a champion in both wrestling and MMA.

Early Life and Sports

Lashley during his time in the United States Army.

Franklin Roberto Lashley was born on July 16, 1976, in Junction City, Kansas. His father was a U.S. Army drill sergeant. Lashley started amateur wrestling in seventh grade as a way to stay active when he wasn't playing football. He continued wrestling in high school.

He went to Missouri Valley College and became a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Wrestling Champion from 1996 to 1998. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1999.

After college, Lashley joined the United States Army, just like his father. He continued to wrestle in the Army's World Class Athlete Program. During his three years in the Army, he won gold and silver medals in international wrestling events. In 2003, while training for the 2004 Olympic Games, Lashley suffered a knee injury. This injury needed surgery and ended his amateur wrestling career.

Professional Wrestling Career

Early WWE Career (2005–2008)

Starting Strong (2005–2006)

Bobby Lashley started wrestling for Ohio Valley Wrestling in January 2005. This was a training ground for WWE. In September 2005, he made his TV debut on SmackDown!. He was introduced as a talented amateur wrestler.

Lashley quickly started winning matches. He defeated Simon Dean in his first TV match and at his first pay-per-view event, No Mercy. He joined Team SmackDown! at Survivor Series in November 2005.

In January 2006, Lashley qualified for the Royal Rumble match. He later had a rivalry with John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). This led to his first singles loss at No Way Out in February 2006. He then feuded with Finlay.

Lashley in 2006.

Lashley competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 22 in April 2006. He also reached the finals of the 2006 King of the Ring tournament. In May 2006, Lashley won his first championship in professional wrestling. He defeated JBL for the United States Championship. He lost the title to Finlay a few months later.

ECW World Champion (2006–2007)

Lashley at a WWE house show in May 2007.

In November 2006, Lashley moved to the ECW brand. He made a big impact by joining the Extreme Elimination Chamber match for the ECW World Championship. At December to Dismember on December 3, Lashley won the ECW World Championship. He became the new champion by defeating Test and Big Show.

Lashley successfully defended his ECW title against many challengers. In early 2007, he was chosen by Donald Trump for a special match. This was the "Battle of the Billionaires" at WrestleMania 23 on April 1. Lashley represented Trump against Vince McMahon's wrestler, Umaga. If Lashley won, Vince McMahon would have his head shaved. Lashley defeated Umaga, and Trump and Stone Cold Steve Austin shaved McMahon's head.

After this, Lashley began a rivalry with Vince McMahon. McMahon, his son Shane McMahon, and Umaga faced Lashley in a handicap match for the ECW World Championship. McMahon pinned Lashley to win the title. Lashley later won the ECW World Championship for a second time at One Night Stand on June 3. He was the first person to win the ECW World Championship twice since WWE brought the title back.

Moving to Raw and Departure (2007–2008)

On June 11, 2007, Lashley was moved to the Raw brand. Because of this, Vince McMahon took away his ECW World Championship. Lashley then aimed for the WWE Championship. He challenged John Cena for the title at The Great American Bash on July 22, but he lost. Lashley left WWE in February 2008.

Time Away from WWE (2008–2014)

After leaving WWE, Lashley wrestled in different places around the world. He competed in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Japan. He also started his career in mixed martial arts (MMA) during this time.

In 2009, Lashley joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He was briefly part of a group called The Main Event Mafia. He later turned against them and became a fan favorite. He won the TNA Championship Series tournament in 2009. Lashley left TNA in early 2010 to focus more on his MMA career. He continued to wrestle in Japan and on the independent circuit before returning to TNA.

Return to TNA / Impact Wrestling (2014–2018)

Lashley in October 2015.

Lashley returned to TNA in March 2014. He soon joined forces with MVP and Kenny King, forming a group. At Slammiversary in June 2014, he defeated Samoa Joe.

Lashley won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time on June 19, 2014. He was the first African American wrestler to win this title. He successfully defended the title multiple times. He lost the championship to Bobby Roode in October 2014.

Lashley at Slammiversary XV in 2017

Lashley regained the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in January 2015. He later had a big match against Kurt Angle in March 2016, which was Angle's farewell match. Lashley won his third TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary in June 2016. He also won the TNA X Division Championship and the TNA King of the Mountain Championship, holding three titles at once.

He lost the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in October 2016. Lashley won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for a fourth time in January 2017. He left Impact Wrestling in early 2018.

Return to WWE (2018–2024)

Chasing Titles (2018–2019)

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

Bobby Lashley made a big return to WWE on April 9, 2018, after being away for 11 years. He immediately became part of the Raw brand. He teamed up with many top stars like Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns.

Lashley had a rivalry with Sami Zayn, defeating him at Money in the Bank. He then feuded with Roman Reigns, winning their match at Extreme Rules. In September 2018, Lashley introduced his new manager, Lio Rush. Lashley later turned into a villain and feuded with Elias.

Intercontinental Champion (2019–2020)

On January 14, 2019, Lashley won the Intercontinental Championship for the first time. He lost the title in February but quickly won it back in March 2019. He lost the title again at WrestleMania 35 in April 2019.

Lashley then had a strong rivalry with Braun Strowman. Their matches were very intense, including a falls count anywhere match that ended with both men going through a video wall. In late 2019, Lashley was involved in a storyline with Rusev and Lana. He defeated Rusev in a tables match at TLC.

The Hurt Business and WWE Champion (2020–2022)

In May 2020, Lashley teamed up with MVP. They soon formed a powerful group called The Hurt Business, which also included Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander. This group became very dominant.

At Payback on August 30, 2020, Lashley defeated Apollo Crews to win his second United States Championship. He successfully defended this title for many months. In February 2021, he lost the United States Championship.

Later that night, Lashley attacked Drew McIntyre, which helped The Miz win the WWE Championship. On March 1, 2021, Lashley defeated The Miz to win the WWE Championship for the first time in his career. He successfully defended the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 37 and WrestleMania Backlash.

Lashley continued to defend his title against top challengers like Kofi Kingston and Goldberg. He defeated Goldberg at SummerSlam. On September 13, 2021, Lashley lost the WWE Championship to Big E, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.

In January 2022, Lashley won his second WWE Championship by defeating Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. He lost the title at Elimination Chamber in February 2022 due to an injury during the match.

United States Champion (2022–2023)

Lashley in 2023

Lashley returned from injury in March 2022 and became a fan favorite again. He defeated Omos at WrestleMania 38, ending Omos's undefeated streak. Lashley then feuded with Theory, who was the United States Champion.

At Money in the Bank on July 2, 2022, Lashley defeated Theory to win his third United States Championship. He successfully defended this title against Theory, Tommaso Ciampa, AJ Styles, and Seth Rollins.

On October 10, 2022, Lashley lost the United States Championship to Seth Rollins after being attacked by Brock Lesnar before the match. Lashley then had a rivalry with Lesnar, which included a match at Crown Jewel. In January 2023, Lashley eliminated Lesnar from the Royal Rumble match. At WrestleMania in March 2023, Lashley won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

The Pride (2023–2024)

The Pride making their entrance at WrestleMania XL in 2024

In July 2023, Lashley returned to SmackDown and started a new group with The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). This group was later known as The Pride. They became villains again. At Fastlane in October 2023, The Pride faced the Latino World Order (LWO) in a six-man tag team match.

In January 2024, Lashley became a fan favorite again after being attacked by Karrion Kross and The Authors of Pain. At WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024, Lashley and The Street Profits defeated The Final Testament in a Philadelphia Street Fight. Lashley's contract with WWE ended in August 2024.

All Elite Wrestling (2024–present)

The Hurt Syndicate (from left to right: Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP) in May 2025.

In September 2024, Bobby Lashley signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He made his debut at Fright Night Dynamite on October 30. There, he attacked Swerve Strickland and reunited with MVP and Shelton Benjamin. They reformed their group under a new name, "The Hurt Syndicate".

On November 20, 2024, Lashley had his first AEW match. He defeated Cheeseburger and Joe Keys in a handicap match. At Full Gear on November 23, Lashley defeated Swerve Strickland.

On January 22, 2025, Lashley and Shelton Benjamin won the AEW World Tag Team Championship. This was Lashley's first tag team championship in a major wrestling company. They have successfully defended their titles multiple times. In May 2025, MJF joined The Hurt Syndicate.

Wrestling Style

Bobby Lashley uses powerful moves in his matches. His main finishing moves are the spear and the Hurt Lock. The Hurt Lock is a special submission hold called a swinging full nelson.

Lashley has been known by nicknames like "The Dominator" and "The All Mighty". These names show his strength and power in the ring.

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	16
Wins	15
By knockout	6
By submission	6
By decision	3
Losses	1
By knockout	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

Bobby Lashley started his mixed martial arts (MMA) career in December 2008. He won his first fight quickly. He continued to win his early fights, showing his strength and wrestling skills.

He fought for major MMA promotions like Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. In Strikeforce, he won his debut match in January 2010. He faced Chad Griggs in August 2010, which was his first loss in MMA.

Lashley signed with Bellator MMA in July 2014. He won all five of his fights in Bellator from 2014 to 2016. He defeated opponents like Josh Burns and James Thompson. Lashley officially retired from MMA in February 2022.

Personal Life

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

Lashley has also been involved in different businesses. He opened a health smoothie shop in 2007. He also launched a network of websites for his gym and nutrition store.

Other Appearances

Lashley has appeared in several video games. He was a playable character in WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2007 and many later WWE video games.

He has also appeared in a few movies and TV shows.

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Images for kids

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  Lashley in 2006.

Championships and Accomplishments

Amateur Wrestling

• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
  • NAIA Collegiate National Champion (1996, 1997, 1998)
• International Military Sports Council
  • CISM Armed Forces Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist (2003)
  • CISM Military World Championships Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist (2002)

Mixed Martial Arts

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

Professional Wrestling

In WWE, Lashley is a two-time ECW World Champion.

In AEW, Lashley (left) is a one-time AEW World Tag Team Champion

• All Elite Wrestling
  • AEW World Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Shelton Benjamin
• 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 World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
  • TNA King of the Mountain Championship (1 time, final)
  • TNA X Division Championship (1 time)
• 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

See also

In Spanish: Bobby Lashley para niños