Report: Bobby Lashley signs with AFL
Posted by Adam Morgan
Former World Wrestling Entertainment performer and decorated amateur wrestler Bobby Lashley is the latest signing for the Kentucky-based American Fight League.
A source close to the 31-year-old told MMAjunkie.com that Lashley will be introduced as an AFL signee — perhaps the organization’s biggest to date — during tonight’s “Bulletproof” show at Phillips Arena in Atlanta.
Good for Lashley. Signing with a smaller organization like the AFL will allow him to get some MMA experience on a mid-level show, become familiar with the fight game, and then hopefully parlay that success into a larger career in MMA. He’s got the amateur wrestling tools and he’s been training with a good camp at American Kickboxing Academy. He also didn’t spend too much time in the WWE so his body hasn’t taken the punishment of oh, say, Brock Lesnar. I look forward to following his career in MMA as I think it will be a good one.
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Morgan,
What exactly are some of the injuries that Lesnar has suffered in the WWE? What exactly are the facts?
Um, let’s see. He did a backflip off the ropes and landed directly on his neck? He’s taken multiple chair shots to the dome? I don’t know of any specific injuries that Lesnar had during his time in WWE, but with the schedule those guys work and the type of high-profile matches that Lesnar was in, his body definitely took some wear and tear.
Actually, it was a FRONT flip
Be prepared to be unjustly ridiculed for expressing interest in the career of an American NCAA-turned-WWE wrestler.
No actually it was a backflip. It was a shooting star press. He was literally out on his ass.
Adam, I’m curious to see how Lashley performs as well.
He was an amateur champion in wrestling, and competed at 177 lbs (as per Bryan Alvarez, IIRC). In the WWE he was well over 300 lbs of solid muscle, and the rumors abounded at the time, including some ridicule in the pro-wrestling press over lost definition and mass once the organization rolled out its’ wellness policy.
He was terribly green when he debuted in the ’squared circle’ (as Gorilla Monsoon used to call it) but improved his ring work in his two or three years in the WWE. His mic work was terrible.
Given the rumors about the circumstances surrounding his departure from the former fed, and his stint in the military, he seems like a principled individual. I’ll be watching, too, for both the crossover and freak appeals.
I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do. Based off of what I’ve read, it sounds like he is taking the sport seriously, and comes in with a solid wrestling back ground.
I agree that this is a good move signing with a small org that will give him a few fights to see what he has before he is thrown in with any top level guys.
“He also didn’t spend too much time in the WWE so his body hasn’t taken the punishment of oh, say, Brock Lesnar.”
They both spent the same amount of time in pro wrestling. Each had two years in OVW and then three years in WWE.
Didn’t Lashley tear up his rotator cuff pretty badly in a WWE match??
The info about the Rotator injury is from Wikepedia. I researched Lashley because I didn’t know much about him.
I gotta read this stuff more closely. First time I read no. #4 I thought it said Lesnar shot stars out his ass. Since Lesnar was in pro wrestling at the time, I immediately thought he had some sort of pyrotechnic device in his bung hole. I’m pretty sure they do that sort of thing in pro wrestling, don’t they?
Well say what you want about pro-wrestling, but I do think its smart on Lashley’s part to start in a smaller promotion. Let him get in a half a dozen fights against lower tier competition and spend that time improving his all round game before he takes a step up to a bigger organization like the UFC.
According to Meltzer, Lashley hasn’t been seen at AKA since he dabbled there months ago, and no one there thinks he’s serious about MMA…
I wonder if he’ll fight Umaga
#3,
actually.. it wasn’t a frontflip.. it was a forward moving BACK flip.. that’s why it was so dangerous.. and failed..
I feel sorry for Lashley’s first opponent.. that guy could probably lift the empire state building.. he’s huge.. and strong.. if you let him mount you.. kiss your career good bye…lol..
I don’t know anything about Lashley, but that photo makes me wonder if he’ll pass a steroid test.
you guys are right, of course… the fact that it was forward moving is what confused me.
Of course, that’s also what makes it so amazing.