Bobby Lashley Reportedly Returning To WWE, Who He Might Feud With First

Another wrestler who ended his run with Impact Wrestling at the last set of television tapings in January is Bobby Lashley. There has been a lot of speculation in recent weeks that he could return to WWE, where he wrestled between 2004 and 2008.

On Wednesday, Impact Wrestling executive Ed Norholm confirmed to Newsweek that negotiations with Lashley to remain with the company have ended.

“Bobby is free to figure out what he wants to do next, whether it be wrestling or mixed martial arts. We wish him all the best,” Nordholm said. “He’s a great talent, it’s foolish to say, ‘No, we wouldn’t want to retain him,’ but he has his own ambitions about what he thinks is good for him next in his career.”

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lashley is now free to join any wrestling company since he got Impact to release him from his contract a few months before it expired.

After negotiating with both WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Lashley made the decision to return to WWE.

It’s unclear whether a contract has been finalized, but according to Meltzer, he is expected to join WWE “any time now.”

The belief is that he will work with Brock Lesnar after WrestleMania 34, although those close to the situation say that working with Lesnar is not a certainty.

Lashley has talked about his desire to face Lashley, whether it’s fighting or wrestling.

“There are some big fights and big matches that people are constantly bugging me about that I have to consider. The only natural one is Brock [Lesnar],” Lashley said during an interview last November.

“Whether it’s in fighting or wrestling, that match needs to happen. If he retires without doing that match, it’s stupid. If I retire before doing that match, it’s stupid. I could post a picture of my kids or of me eating a popsicle and people will ask me when I’m going back to WWE or when I’ll go against Brock. It’s one of those things that if the fans want it and beg for it enough, it’ll happen.”

Lashley also has a close relationship with Lesnar’s business associate, Paul Heyman. During the same interview, Lashley claimed that Heyman reaches out to him when he’s upset with Lesnar.

“Paul will reach out to me out of nowhere with a tweet or text. Those are the times where Brock kind of pisses him off a little bit. Then he calls me and sees how I’m doing. Then him and Brock makeup and he disappears,” Lashley said.

“I think Paul says if Brock pisses him off enough and he needs to bring someone in to shut him up I’m the man. But then they makeup and he leaves me alone. Then I get another tweet out of nowhere and then he disappears again. It’s kind of like the boyfriend and girlfriend, where the boyfriend says he’s going to cheat on her and then she cooks him dinner and he changes his mind.

“Heyman is a big tease to me. I am the side chick. I’m okay with it. The side chick usually gets whatever she wants at the end of the day. Maybe it’ll happen one day – Lesnar vs Lashley.”