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WWE CHAMPION BOBBY LASHLEY DISCUSSES WRESTLEMANIA 37, WHETHER HE'LL EVER FACE BROCK, HOW A BANK ROBBERY CHANGED HIS LIFE FOREVER AND MUCH MORE ON PEACOCKTV'S RICH EISEN SHOW

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley appeared on Peacock's The Rich Eisen Show yesterday to promote Wrestlemania 37.

Lashley was asked if Die Hard was a Christmas movie, playing off earlier conversation on the show.  He said that he would have to say it was.  There was a lot of Christmas-related stuff in the plot.

Lashley is in Denver and left his last training session before he goes to Tampa.  He's ready to go and do some work.

He was asked how often he's performed in front of fans.  He said it's been about a year.  They were shut down when the pandemic took hold but they created The Thunderdome so virtual fans could log in and watch but that's a little different.

Lashley was asked how one goes from his collegiate wrestling days to WWE.  He grew up in Kansas but moved around a lot as his dad was in the military.  He recounted his collegiate success and represented the United States Army Team.  Kurt Angle came to the Olympic Training Center and told him he had a great look and suggested he think about pro wrestling.  He was a huge fan of Angle and Kurt opened the door.  He was training for the 2004 Olympics.  He was in a bank and the bank got robbed.  He went down and went down on his knee and he knee burst and that was the end of his amateur wrestling career.

After he had surgery, someone from WWE called as he was laying on the couch feeling sad for himself and not knowing what to do next.  They told him they saw him at his last tournament and Angle put in a good word and they'd like to bring him in for a tryout.  He didn't tell them anything about the issue and rushed through his rehab.  He rehabbed like crazy and he was able to go through the tryout.  They liked him and offered him a contract and from then, it was all history.  He tells people that the WWE title was his Olympic Gold Medal.  He wanted to be at the top and now he is and he gets to headline Wrestlemania 15 years to the day of that bank robbery.

Lashley said during the robbery, they kicked the doors in but Lashley had his back to them as they rushed in as he was in line facing the tellers.  He turned and a bullet went over his shoulder as they started shooting into the air.  He went down and hurt his knee.  He kept thinking this is not how it's supposed to end.  Instead, it was the start of a different chapter of his life.

Lashley was asked about Drew McIntyre.  He said he and Drew have a lot of history.  Drew has been taken down about every time they've fought but Drew has gotten a little on him.  Lashley said that he had taken some time off from wrestling and when he returned, he formed a faction called the Hurt Business, guys who could all be on top but didn't want to play politics.  Drew is a great champion but Lashley said he's unstoppable right now.  He can't wait to step into the ring.

TJ from the show pitched himself as a member of The Hurt Business with some photoshopped photos of himself with Lashley and MVP.  Lashley said it was a hell of a pitch, but Lashley is on personal time right now.  He joked that they need to talk when he's on business time.  He will keep TJ in mind and he should call him on his business line.  

Lashley was asked about finally facing Brock Lesnar in WWE or beyond.  He said that he doesn't believe it's a case of finding someone to host the fight.  Everyone would want it.  It's up to Brock.  When he and his people believe it will be a big enough deal and when they do, it will happen.  Now, he's part of WWE but he's been a fighter his entire life and he wants to see it happen for the fans.  He said it's a question for Brock.

Lashley came off great here.

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