Bobby Lashley's MMA Plans
by Michael Rome on Dec 16, 2008 9:01 AM EST
in MMA News
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In this week's Figure Four Newsletter (subscription required and recommended), Bryan Alvarez says Bobby Lashley's plan is to fight a number of times in 2009 in order to get into the UFC in 2010:
Lashley wants to fight again in early 2009, perhaps February, and his plan is to do a series of fights in 2009 and then try go get into UFC in early 2010. Obviously his dream match is versus Lesnar.
Lashley will have to do more than Lesnar to get into the UFC. He isn't anywhere near the mainstream name Brock Lesnar is, and already having one pro wrestler is more than enough stigma for the UFC. However, if he does earn his way in, he will be another very marketable star at heavyweight. You can already see him trying to build interest in a fight with Lesnar.
In the meantime, if EliteXC really is revived, he is a tremendous opportunity for them to score ratings without paying that much. A Kimbo-Lashley match, if promoted right, would probably break the MMA ratings record on CBS, and they could go with it regardless of who won.
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I’m not sure how big a draw Lashley would be off his WWE days, he wasn’t really a headline guy in the WWE with the exception of the Donald Trump fight. I imagine that he works quite a bit cheaper than Brock does and he does have some name recognition, of course the real question is does he have the ability to make a name for himself in MMA.
If WWE would have left alone, he would’ve come up in the ranks and done well for himself right now. With Vince on a muscle high though, he jammed Lash down everyone’s throat just to have another Brock and it ruined any drawing ability Lash had.
I think he can make a name for himself in MMA based more on his credentials then ever. No one telling him where he stands and how he should carry himself. Just on pure athletics. I also can see the wrestling community fully backing him.
Bobby Lashley’s plan is to fight a number of times in 2009 in order to get into the UFC in 2010:
That’s a good plan. He won’t be facing top talent outside of Affliction (which is not long for this world) or perhaps Japan, but it seems to me the last pro wrestler with a backgroung in collegiate wrestling success was able to make a career for himself in the UFC without a ton of experience against high-caliber opposition.
Which isn’t to suggest that Lashley will come in and win the title in his third UFC fight, but if he earns several victories in ‘09, he will certainly set himself up as a fighter in the mix in UFC’s heavyweight division at the very least.
It is...
worth remembering that Lashley was generally not a draw in the WWE nor was he generally liked when he was there…nor was he missed when he left. That doesn’t scream “huge draw” to me. I mean, if he does turn out to be a good fighter than a battle of him and Lesnar could be a bit of money but I don’t think Lashley is a guaranteed draw against anyone else.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2008 11:54 AM EST reply actions
It seems like he knows that and is wanting to earnestly work his way up.
"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007
by lovingmma25 on Dec 16, 2008 12:03 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah,
I think HE knows that. But a lot of MMA fans don’t seem to know that. Not saying that is anyone here. But if I check the message boards (why do I still check the damn message boards?) there are a lot of people acting like he is guaranteed money. The guy was no Lesnar in terms of drawing power…
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2008 12:11 PM EST up reply actions
He headlines the biggest selling PPV in WWE history when he was featured in the Vince McMahon/Donald Trump story line.
How is he not a draw?
Mania sells...
it always has.
He also wasn’t in the main event of that show. And there was a large amount of curiosity over Trumps involvement. They could have had me wrestle Kid Nate with Trump involved and possibly “getting his head shaved” and it would have generated interest.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2008 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Again, you can’t rely on his pro wrestling career because they were anxious for another Brock and they didn’t wait for Lash to properly develop. the result ending being the fans not liking him because the company liked him and kept on putting him in main events.
Sure I can...
when the point I’m making is that he is not the automatic draw that Lesnar was because he doesn’t have a built in audience that liked him and gave a crap about him.
He could be successful in the end…that is not my point. My point is that you can’t put him on a UFC show and say “Bobby Lashley will be on this show” and have it automatically make money.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2008 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
Because
He won’t sell his soul and every right to his likeness that the other TUFfer’s do. This is why we’ll never see Kimbo on TUF. If the UFC could get him to sign away all his likeness rights he would be signed on tomorrow.
I wouldn’t have a problem with the UFC signing him later on down the line, assuming he is an average to above average fighter. For some reason I don’t get the wrestling stigma with him and seeing his interviews I get the sense that this is really what the guy wants. With Lesnar it seemed to me like he was just trying out another sport like he did with football. Not only that but Lashley seems to be taking everything seriously, going as far as training with one of the top teams in the world.
If he was not liked by WWE fans,
then they’ll be even more likely to pay to see him get his ass kicked (they hope). He’s got the look (not important to most, but probably a big deal for the casual fan) and he’s got more name recognition than the average joe.
Maybe...
I should clarify. The fans didn’t even really dislike him. They just didn’t really give a shit about him either way. So he doesn’t even have that going for him.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2008 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
He was like the rock before he turned heel on his heel team. He was just sorta there. But MMA fans will love him eventually. It is inevitable as we slowly come to realize that pro wrestling is the strongest of all styles.
See – Sakuraba, Brock, Ken Shamrock
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