Don't Make Fun of Bobby Lashley and his Pro Wrestling Background

[Spursfan092120]

Sat May 16, 2009 12:23 am EDT
Pro wrestler Lashley destroys Cook in 24 seconds (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Pro-wrestler-Lashley-destroys-Cook-in-24-seconds?urn=mma,163814)

By Steve Cofield

Don't make fun of Bobby Lashley and his pro wrestling background. The former WWE star said he was incensed by the fact that his opponent Mike Cook came to the cage in a lucha libre mask (http://www.corazonfairtrade.com/maskluchalibre1.html) a la Nacho Libre.



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Lashley is generally a polite, sportsman but he refused to touch gloves with Cook. He charged Cook in the opening seconds and missed with a huge right. Cook made the mistake of dropping his head. Lashley, a big MMA heavyweight at 6-foot-3, 249 pounds, grabbed onto Cook's head with his left arm. From there, he used his bulk to lean on Cook and it took just a few seconds for Cook to wilt under Lashley's weight. Lashley flattened out Cook (7-4) and re-positioned his right arm to cinch on a choke. Cook's legs could be seen quivering and referee John McCarthy had to step in to stop the fight. All that in just 24 seconds.
"I’m here for business," said Lashley (3-0). "I’m here and everyone wants to and tries to make fun of the wrestling thing. I’m real. If they want to play around, I’ll knock them out or choke them out. And that’s what I did. I choked him out and made him pay. Now he can go put the mask back on and have fun with himself."
Lashley, making the conversion from the fake stuff with Vince McMahon, started training mixed martial arts last year. He won his first fight in 41 seconds when Joshua Franklin couldn't continue after a Lashley elbow busted him open. His last time out in March, Lashley won a decision against veteran Jason Guida.
Lashley needed to get through this fight unscathed because he has a stiff test against freakazoid Bob Sapp (pictured below on the right) right around the corner. Sapp, a former NFL player, NCAA All-American at Washington (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/02/12/2004179112.jpg) and a huge crossover star in Japan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUgJ9hEufGU), is 6-4, 345. He doesn't have much stamina but he is dangerous for about 4-5 minutes. Sapp (10-3-1) and Lashley will meet on June 27 in Biloxi, Miss.
http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_mma_experts__8/ept_sports_mma_experts-697283726-1241483515.jpg?ym7zRNBDVkXtt3SL
Lashley is finished with the WWE but is still dabbling with pro wrestling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVtAWNkT-mY) with TNA. Former WWE champ Brock Lesnar also made a quick transition to MMA. After just three fights, he won the UFC's heavyweight title by downing all-time great Randy Couture. He defends his strap at UFC 100 in July against Frank Mir.

[Evan]

I don't think there is a problem at all with people with fake wrestling backgrounds.

Until MMA there was zero avenues for these guys to make money post college.

[Spursfan092120]

I don't think there is a problem at all with people with fake wrestling backgrounds.

Until MMA there was zero avenues for these guys to make money post college.
Exactly...and don't get it twisted..these guys are tough. wrestling 325 days out of the year doing what they do, putting their bodies in danger like that...that's just insane.

[Evan]

Exactly...and don't get it twisted..these guys are tough. wrestling 325 days out of the year doing what they do, putting their bodies in danger like that...that's just insane.

I am not a fan of wrestling...I don't get it.

But those guys take an insane amount of abuse, they are tough, skilled and have amazing cardio.

[dallaskd]

I just dont want them all coming over and making mma look like a joke even if they succeed.

[Evan]

I just dont want them all coming over and making mma look like a joke even if they succeed.

I really don't think it will happen much at all. Brock is a freak of nature and Bobby is relatively decent at this point, at best.

[robbie380]

I just dont want them all coming over and making mma look like a joke even if they succeed.

how would they make it look like a joke?

[dallaskd]

how would they make it look like a joke?

think about national media, espn.

To the average sports fan they see a bunch of steroid looking pro wrestlers come over and dominate mma. What are they going to think about mma? So far it is not a big deal. Even if they dont succeed, I don't like when people have them in the same genre.

[Spursfan092120]

I am not a fan of wrestling...I don't get it.

But those guys take an insane amount of abuse, they are tough, skilled and have amazing cardio.
I'll try to explain it as good as I can. My grandfather raised me on wrestling..I did it for a while...then I never stopped watching it. Wrestling has never been about the outcome. Although in the early years, they tried to pretend these guys actually hated each other, and they were really competing against each other, as you probably already know, a lot of them were best friends backstage. The kicks? Fake...the punches? fake..sometimes, unless one of the guys was angry at the other. The slaps on the face and chest? Real. Hits with chairs? Real. Hits with sledgehammers? soft...not fake, but soft...they can do it. Jumping off the top rope? real. Believe it or not, about 70% of the shots these guys take are real...and they're allowing themselves to get their asses kicked. They do it for the story. They do it for the business. It's got a rich history. For the same reason that some football players want to play for the Cowboys..some baseball players want to play for the Yankees..wrestlers want to be out there in front of all those people and entertain them. It's the same thing. Yes..it's scripted...but most of the time, the only thing that's scripted is the ending, and how it ends. Throughout the match, the wrestlers have to decide what happens step by step. That's why they talk to each other, but you probably knew that also. It's a show...a show where they work longer and harder hours than players in the Big 3 sports, but don't make near as much money, but a show. And they do it to entertain the people...that's it. That's why it's entertainment..not a sport.

[dallaskd]

It might be entertaining if they didnt have the fake banter.

[dallaskd]

Its kind of like a theatrical play almost.

[Spursfan092120]

think about national media, espn.

To the average sports fan they see a bunch of steroid looking pro wrestlers come over and dominate mma. What are they going to think about mma? So far it is not a big deal. Even if they dont succeed, I don't like when people have them in the same genre.
You have to understand that a lot of these professional wrestlers come from the same amateur fighting backgrounds as the MMA stars. They belong in that ring just like any other MMA fighter. Bobby Lashley won 3 National Amateur Wrestling Championships in college, and then also was the NAIA Wrestling Champion. Then, he joined the Army, and continued to wrestle for them. Brock Lesnar was a two time NJCAA All American, the 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion, two time NCAA All-American, two time Big 10 conference champion, and the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion, and in 4 years of college, ended with a record of 106-5. Not many MMA fighters have the fighting history these guys do.

[Spursfan092120]

It might be entertaining if they didnt have the fake banter.
It just adds to the show. You argue with someone before you fight usually...there has to be a reason it comes to blows..that's why they do that. They try to make it look as realistic as possible.

[dallaskd]

yes but they talk sooooooooo long and it ends up looking cheesy more than anything. I don't think you should watch that if your over 12 or 13 years old.

[dallaskd]

You have to understand that a lot of these professional wrestlers come from the same amateur fighting backgrounds as the MMA stars. They belong in that ring just like any other MMA fighter. Bobby Lashley won 3 National Amateur Wrestling Championships in college, and then also was the NAIA Wrestling Champion. Then, he joined the Army, and continued to wrestle for them. Brock Lesnar was a two time NJCAA All American, the 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion, two time NCAA All-American, two time Big 10 conference champion, and the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion, and in 4 years of college, ended with a record of 106-5. Not many MMA fighters have the fighting history these guys do.


I know. But the media will still rip on mma if they continue to flood over.

[Spursfan092120]

yes but they talk sooooooooo long and it ends up looking cheesy more than anything. I don't think you should watch that if your over 12 or 13 years old.
A lot of the talking has died down now. It's not like it used to be. They let the fighting tell the story now.

[Spursfan092120]

I know. But the media will still rip on mma if they continue to flood over.
I don't think so...ESPN just did a huge spot on the WWE on E60...and they were very positive about it..I don't think the media is as rough on wrestling as it used to be.

[anakha]

In fairness, I'd say the percentage of wrestlers with All-American wrestling/fighting experience in high school and college is relatively small.

I don't think a threat of a mess exodus from pro wrestling to MMA is imminent.

And as Evan posted, with MMA as a legit post-college moneymaking option, I'd say the career path of college - pro wrestling - MMA is going to occur less and less, which shouldn't hurt the legitimacy of MMA.

[Spursfan092120]

In fairness, I'd say the percentage of wrestlers with All-American wrestling/fighting experience in high school and college is relatively small.

I don't think a threat of a mess exodus from pro wrestling to MMA is imminent.

And as Evan posted, with MMA as a legit post-college moneymaking option, I'd say the career path of college - pro wrestling - MMA is going to occur less and less, which shouldn't hurt the legitimacy of MMA.
Actually, no..it's not small. Most of the people who are professional wrestlers have had experience in amateur wrestling/boxing/fighting in school. Either that or they were professional athletes beforehand. Some were bodyguards. People going from professional wrestling to MMA is not hurting the legitimacy of MMA. It's expanding the sport. I have some friends who didn't watch MMA, but watched wrestling. Now that Lesnar and Lashley are in MMA, they started watching it, and now they buy every pay per view...and everyone knows MMA isn't scripted...I wouldn't worry about that.

[dallaskd]

A lot of the talking has died down now. It's not like it used to be. They let the fighting tell the story now.

Well when i was a little kid, i used to watch WWF on TNT. Now i'll sometimes watch TNA on Spike Tv when im stoned and idk it just sucks now. But TNA and WWF are different right

[anakha]

Actually, no..it's not small. Most of the people who are professional wrestlers have had experience in amateur wrestling/boxing/fighting in school. Either that or they were professional athletes beforehand. Some were bodyguards. People going from professional wrestling to MMA is not hurting the legitimacy of MMA. It's expanding the sport. I have some friends who didn't watch MMA, but watched wrestling. Now that Lesnar and Lashley are in MMA, they started watching it, and now they buy every pay per view...and everyone knows MMA isn't scripted...I wouldn't worry about that.

Just to point it out, I said 'All-American' in my original post - referring to top-level college competition. So even if a lot of pro wrestlers have amateur experience, I think my point stilll stands.

Guys with backgrounds and amateur achievements like Lesnar and Lashley aren't that common, even in pro wrestling.

[Evan]

Good stuff Spursfan092120 and anakha!

Y'all need to post here more....

[Evan]

I will confess to watching some pro wrestling years ago...I never really "got it" like I said about but I did give it a run for about 6 months. I was watching the WCW and WWF passively.

It really is entertaining as hell but it didn't have enough to keep me interested in the long haul.

[Evan]

Guys with backgrounds and amateur achievements like Lesnar and Lashley aren't that common, even in pro wrestling.

exactly why I don't think there will be a flood of ex WWE guys coming over. It just doesn't translate well for the most part. We didn't see too many MMA guys in the 90's and early 00's going over to Wrestling to make a buck and we won't see it the other way around. The connections between the sports (along with boxing) are limited.

[dbreiden83080]

I know. But the media will still rip on mma if they continue to flood over.

Most of the media that rip on MMA are old farts stuck in there ways and are never going to come around. As the sport keeps getting bigger and the new breed of media take their place, respect for MMA will grow and grow. Former Pro wrestler's in the sport or not..

[dbreiden83080]

I will confess to watching some pro wrestling years ago...I never really "got it" like I said about but I did give it a run for about 6 months. I was watching the WCW and WWF passively.

It really is entertaining as hell but it didn't have enough to keep me interested in the long haul.

It's really about finding that character you root for or against.. The face's and the heels.. As a kid i loved Hogan and Macho Man, The Ultimate Warrior all those guys. Fell out of it, when i was teenager only to get back into it with a buddy of mine in my late teens and early twenties.. Have not watched it much the last few years but respect what they do, and have fond memories of the old days..

[anakha]

It's really about finding that character you root for or against.. The face's and the heels.. As a kid i loved Hogan and Macho Man, The Ultimate Warrior all those guys. Fell out of it, when i was teenager only to get back into it with a buddy of mine in my late teens and early twenties.. Have not watched it much the last few years but respect what they do, and have fond memories of the old days..

Sometimes it's not even about rooting for a character or persona.

I used to be a big wrestling fan back in the 90s, but don't really have the time or inclination to follow it as much now. But sometimes a really good match (where even if you know the outcome is predetermined, you still buy into the suspense) gets talked about, and I find myself checking that match out and reminding myself of why I used to follow wrestling.

For an example of what I'm talking about, look for clips online of the Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match from Wrestlemania 25. Really good match (even got a few mentions by Bill Simmons) and evidence that pro wrestlers are very skilled in their own way.

[Spursfan092120]

Good stuff Spursfan092120 and anakha!

Y'all need to post here more....
Will do..to be honest, I never even saw the MMA Fight Club forum until recently..lol

[Spursfan092120]

Sometimes it's not even about rooting for a character or persona.

I used to be a big wrestling fan back in the 90s, but don't really have the time or inclination to follow it as much now. But sometimes a really good match (where even if you know the outcome is predetermined, you still buy into the suspense) gets talked about, and I find myself checking that match out and reminding myself of why I used to follow wrestling.

For an example of what I'm talking about, look for clips online of the Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match from Wrestlemania 25. Really good match (even got a few mentions by Bill Simmons) and evidence that pro wrestlers are very skilled in their own way.
Phenomenal match.

[Spursfan092120]

Just to point it out, I said 'All-American' in my original post - referring to top-level college competition. So even if a lot of pro wrestlers have amateur experience, I think my point stilll stands.

Guys with backgrounds and amateur achievements like Lesnar and Lashley aren't that common, even in pro wrestling.
Some of the professional wrestlers former or current just off the top of my head that have been championships in amateur or college ranks are Lesnar, Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Kurt Angle, Keichi Yamada (Jushin Liger), and David Schultz. And there's more..that's just off the top of my head. Even one of the greatest amateur wrestlers of all time, Alexander Karelin fought in a professional wrestling matchup. Truth is, while some amateurs hate professional wrestling, a lot of them continue to do it because they love it. As a guy who tried wrestling for a while, I know also that a LOT of former amateurs try to become professional wrestlers, but don't have the stamina. When you have to wrestle over 320 nights a year, you have to be a special and athletic human being to do so.