What’s the story?
Bobby Lashley, the Current Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion, has spoken about his move from WWE to Impact Wrestling, in an interview with ESPN. He said that he didn’t know what to think of when he made first move to Total Nonstop Action (which eventually became Impact Wrestling) in 2009, and returned to the promotion in 2014.
In case you didn’t know...
Lashley began his wrestling career with WWE in 2004, and after a brief spell with a WWE developmental territory, debuted on the main show in 2005. He won the United States Championship and the ECW World Championship but was released in 2008.
The former United States Army sergeant signed with TNA in 2009, followed by a few years in independent wrestling and MMA, before returning to TNA in 2014.
The heart of the matter
In the build-up to Impact’s Slammiversary, Lashley had an interview with ESPN where he spoke about a number of things, including his move from WWE to Impact.
“When I came over from the WWE, I didn’t know what to think. Wrestling is wrestling. WWE is the flagship program, of course. But there’s just so much incredible talent (at Impact),” said The Destroyer. He highlighted one particular wrestler, current NXT Champion, Bobby Roode, who he praised highly and said that “he was amazing”.
Lashley also said that the Impact locker room is now a happy bunch because they are paid on time and said that the “bad things that happened” resulted in a number of Impact’s stars leaving for greener pastures, including the Hardy Boyz, who made a return to WWE.
What’s next?
Lashley will take on Alberto El Patrón (formerly Alberto Del Rio) at Slammiversary for the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight and GFW Global Championships, on July 2nd, 2017 at Orlando, Florida.
Author’s take
Impact Wrestling seems to be in better hands with the new owners and the merger with Global Force Wrestling. Under the creative leadership of Jeff Jarrett, the promotion – which was renamed as Global Force Wrestling (GFW) this week – could make a revival of sorts in the near future.
