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Profile: Bobby Lashley
After winning three national championships in amateur wrestling at Missouri Valley College, and an NAIA National Wrestling Championship, Bobby Lashley continued to wrestle in the United States Army before signing a WWE developmental contract in November 2003. In training territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, Lashley was taught under Lance Storm and wrestled as Blaster Lashley, part of heel stable Bolin Services.
Lashley made his WWE TV debut as a babyface on September 23, 2005, on an episode of SmackDown where he squashed Simon Dean, then repeated his victory at the No Mercy pay-per-view. At the Survivor Series however, despite dominating Team Raw, he was the first eliminated for Team SmackDown.
After an unsuccessful bid in the 2006 Royal Rumble, Lashley feuded with John Bradshaw Layfield, and suffered his first solo defeat to JBL at No Way Out due to interference by Finlay. Bobby would then feud violently and relentlessly with the Irishman. During the feud, he made his WrestleMania debut at 'Mania 22, losing the six-man Money In The Bank ladder match.
Throughout the 2006 King of the Ring tournament, Bobby feuded with eventual winner Booker T, leading into an extended program with King Booker and members of his "court," Finlay and William Regal. During the feud, Lashley defeated old rival JBL for the United States Title on the night that Layfield would go on to retire from in-ring competition. Finlay however would relieve him of the gold two months later, before Lashley took a couple of weeks out due to elevated liver enzymes. Upon his return, he challenged for King Booker's World Heavyweight Title in a Fatal Four Way at No Mercy, but the champion retained by pinning Finlay.
On November 14, Lashley made a surprise debut on the ECW brand, attacking Hardcore Holly and The Big Show, before signing a contract to enter the Extreme Elimination Chamber at December To Dismember for The Big Show's ECW World Title. Bobby pinned both Test and Show in the match, becoming the first African-American ECW World Champion.
Lashley took on challengers from all brands, and was recruited by Donald Trump to represent him against Vince McMahon's Umaga in the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23. With Steve Austin as guest referee, Lashley pinned Umaga and helped Trump shave the WWE Chairman bald. With revenge on his mind however, McMahon embarked on a vendetta against Bobby, eventually defeating him in a 3-on-1 handicap match at Backlash for the title.
With the very purpose of the ECW brand rumored to be the development and establishment of Bobby Lashley as a main event star, WWE has invested a great deal in who it hopes will be a lucrative player for the company over the coming years. While his acting and microphone work falls under some criticism, Lashley's arsenal of intense power moves fits perfectly into the mould of a champion for World Wrestling Entertainment.
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