Lesnar vs. Lashley: A Dream Match That’s Best for Business
Growing up during the Monday Night Wars, I saw a lot of different personalities and skill-sets. One thing I found intriguing is MMA fighters who came over to WWE or WCW to try something different. The three that stood out were Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and Tank Abbott. All of them found success in one form or another, but it wasn’t until years later that WWE superstars who went to MMA from pro wrestling. Some of those names include Batista, CM Punk, Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar. From where I sit, Lesnar and Lashley have had the most success in the cage. Currently, both Lesnar and Lashley are under contract in WWE and just recently competed on Wrestlemania. It has been well known that Lesnar is free to fight in the UFC anytime he wants, and it’s been rumored he may return in August to face Daniel Comier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. What I didn’t know is that Bobby Lashley is still under contract with Bellator MMA. Bellator reportedly released a statement last year about his status, but he recently told Sky Sports that he’d like to fight current champion Ryan Bader before his time runs out. With Lesnar rumored to be fighting Cormier, and Lashley wanting to fight Bader, it might be time to have the one match we haven’t seen yet.
Bobby Lashley made it well known before he returned to WWE that he wanted to face Brock Lesnar. So far since his return it hasn’t even been remotely close. It hasn’t been teased or even thought of. With this development of Lashley still being under contract with Bellator, I would say that now would be the time to have this match. Most MMA fans detest pro wrestling and really don’t like Lesnar, but you cannot deny that he has been a draw for the UFC. Lashley has a record of 15-2 and should have had a Bellator Heavyweight Championship fight by now. This is where Vince McMahon, Triple H and others should think big money and big business. If Lesnar fights for a title in August, they should let Lashley get a fight for Bellators title around the same time. If both of them win their title fight then that’s when McMahon and company book a match between Lashley and Lesnar for Survivor Series inside a Steel Cage or Hell in a Cell. If I am a betting man, I can almost guarantee you that Scott Coker and Dana White would not allow either of their championships to be shown on a pro wrestling/sports entertainment TV show. However, that does not mean you couldn’t bill it at UFC Champion versus Bellator Champion. If they were not allowed to use specific names than bill it as MMA Champ vs. MMA Champ. The fans would be smart enough to figure who they are fighting for and what belt they are holding.
If this scenario actually happened, it would be one of the biggest cross promotions and money making events in pro wrestling history. Even though die-hard MMA fans hate professional wrestling, I think there would be enough interesting in these two to see what would go down. Lesnar has the drawing power, but Lashley has the better overall record and body of work. As it stands now, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion is Daniel Cormier and the Bellator Heavyweight Champion is Ryan Bader. They both have held two belts simultaneously in the last year for their respective companies. Imagine if Lesnar and Lashley both dethroned a dual champion around the same time. There would be a lot of buzz in the MMA world and pro wrestling world. Regardless of what you think about Lesnar, he always has people talking about him and what his next move his going to be. Lashley doesn’t get the same recognition Lesnar does, but he should be considered his equal. Lashley has the better record and performed as a pro wrestler full time while he was fighting in Bellator. I don’t think you’ll ever see Lesnar and Lashley in a cage for an MMA fight, so the best opportunity is for them to square off in WWE. If you want it to be believable let them “shoot” on each other and may the best man win. The other option is to book it so there is a draw where neither man can win or lose. Vince McMahon, Triple H and Stephanie have always used the phrase, “best for business.” An ultimate dream match between two natural athletes who excelled in amateur wrestling, pro wrestling and MMA would indeed be best for business.
Current UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier & Current Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader would be the potential and respective opponents for Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley
