WWE's Bobby Lashley connecting 'deeper than ever' with fans before July 30's Sum

[Liz]

World Wrestling Entertainment's July 30 SummerSlam event emanates from Music City's Nissan Stadium. Notably, it's one of the first events in recent memory that will not feature Attitude Era performers Triple H, Shawn Michaels, or The Undertaker in an in-ring competition. However, WWE's current United States Champion, Bobby Lashley, is ready to use lessons learned from his two decades spent competing with vaunted professional wrestling veterans like them to good use.

"I'm big on understanding and engaging with the crowd deeper than ever these days," says the 45-year-old grappler. "Whether they love or hate me, they paid their money to come to the show, so they're why I'm there. So I'm all about keeping an eye on what they're wanting and needing to see from me in the ring."

Lashley's a father of three, so when asked why Nashville residents should come to SummerSlam, he immediately highlighted the event as a great family outing. "Every family member finds something to get hooked on at a WWE event," notes the multiple-time world champion. "Because of the close intensity of the personal interactions of a live event, they create superfans of the WWE product — and we love superfans."

Alongside fellow 15-plus year WWE veterans Sheamus and Drew McIntryre, Lashley was a key company employee during 2020's COVID-19 quarantine. The sports entertainment brand delivered weekly live events without interruption during the era. These athletes shined brightest in a time without live fans or many of the more name-brand stars of the past.

"I — alongside guys like Sheamus and Drew — stepped up and showed that we were the type of performers who could be counted on to consistently show up and give total effort. We've all evolved our talents and are now helping the WWE superstars younger than us to achieve another level in the company and become the top stars of tomorrow."

The thickly muscled wrestler's abilities as a leader are not just confined to an athletic career that has included stints in mixed martial arts companies Bellator and Strikeforce, plus winning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Wrestling Championship in the 177-pound weight class three times between 1996-1998.

From 1999-2002, the son of a United States Army drill sergeant was himself an Army member, achieving the rank of sergeant. As he notes, the commitment to duty he learned has benefitted his wrestling career.

"The military taught me the importance of consistency — showing up and doing the work. I also know how to fulfill any role with which I'm tasked. In sports entertainment, that means that sometimes I'm not the world heavyweight champion like John Cena or Roman Reigns. Sometimes, I'm 'The All-Mighty' Bobby Lashley, Champion of the United States, wrestling Theory at SummerSlam."

Showing younger pro wrestlers employed by WWE what's expected of their level of performance in the company is at the crux of Lashley's current issue on TV with 24-year-old former United States Champion Theory.

"There's so much more to the wrestling business than just the athleticism and moves that Theory brings to the table," Lashley says. His current on-screen brouhaha with Theory emanated from a pose-down contest and verbal confrontations gone awry between the two wrestlers. "As much as we grapple, we also need to be able to entertain our crowds in various other ways."

These ways have also included being at the forefront of the professional wrestling industry's continued push for racial and social equity. He, alongside The Rock and Kofi Kingston, are the three African-American performers in the past quarter century of WWE's seven-decade history to hold the company's world heavyweight championship.

During the previously mentioned COVID-19 pandemic, Lashley, alongside fellow Black performers MVP, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander, paired as a formidable, world championship-level quartet called "The Hurt Business."

As Lashley told WWE.com, "[The Hurt Business] gave the WWE Universe a different look at Black talent. The company didn't portray us as militant, thuggish, or fond of dancing. Instead, we were talented, well-dressed, Black professional athletes who transcended stereotypes."

Overall, whether at SummerSlam or beyond, Lashley is extraordinarily content with his life and career. He's excited when asked how that level of contentment is reflected in his on-screen presentation.

"The crowd enjoys whatever I happen to be doing now, these days. Whether winning the world title or having a match that gets a standing ovation, I deliver performances that my colleagues and the fans love seeing. Everyone believes I'm deserving of the success I'm achieving. That means everything to me."