Backstage News On WWE’s Creative Direction For Bobby Lashley

This week on Raw, a video package aired providing an in-depth look at Bobby Lashley’s competitive career — from his amateur wrestling successes to his reigns as ECW and United States Champion and a 15-2 stint in MMA — and, more tellingly, his personal life.

In a sit-down interview with Renee Young, Lashley gave fans a look at his upbringing, specifically his relationship with his three sisters. From the oldest sibling (who would chase him with a broom) to the youngest (whose retaliation to a little-brother prank from Lashley left the Superstar with a permanent scar), Lashley spoke glowingly of his family history, and though he promised “a lot of fun” for his “extended family” in the WWE Universe, he ended the interview with a personal message of love to his sisters.

WWE aired this profile video because creative team members felt that they hadn’t done anything to separate him from the slew of Superstars and make him seem like a top guy.

Lashley instantly got lost in the shuffle due to the Superstar Shake-up. While he debuted the night after WrestleMania 34, attacking Elias, he made his in-ring return on the night of the Superstar Shake-up in a 10-Man Tag Team Match. Just before the match took place, a mystery Superstar Shake-up acquisition turned out to be Bobby Roode, which took the shine off Lashley in his return match.

WWE creative wants Lashley to come off as special, hence the profile video.

While the pre-recorded interview aired on the Monday Night Raw broadcast, a dark match took place in front of fans at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York as The Authors of Pain beat two local competitors. It’s interesting that WWE did that since they almost never hold a match while a video package is airing on the Titantron. This was likely done to offset any negative crowd reaction to the promo as they probably thought it would not be received well by New York fans after the ultra-negative crowd reactions they got at Backlash.

There was also talk of turning Lashley heel, but WWE creative isn’t confident that he can pull off being bad. While he’s never portrayed a heel in WWE, he has in Impact Wrestling.