Bobby Lashley considering potential return to combat sports after leaving WWE
Bobby Lashley isn’t slowing down.
That’s the message the 48-year-old athlete passed along when addressing the end of the WWE run he’s been on since 2018. Lashley’s past six years in WWE included several title reigns, but the company recently shifted his online profile to the alumni section of its website, signaling that he was no longer part of the active roster.
While his time with the professional wrestling leader may be over, Lashley revealed in a recent interview that he’s open to any and all possibilities as far as his career is concerned — and that includes a potential return to combat sports.
“I’m doing it all,” Lashley told The Bo and Them Show in Dallas. “I look at it this way — first of all, YOLO, you only live once but I have a lot of gas in the tank. I’m in great shape. I feel good. I’m motivated. I’m rested.
“Wrestling, yes. Boxing, yes, MMA, yes. Acting, yes. Everything, yes. But I have a lot of different things going on right now.”
Of course, Lashley is best known for his pro wrestling career after first rising to prominence in WWE back in 2005. He continued wrestling in various promotions after leaving WWE in 2008 before making the decision to test out MMA.
With an amateur wrestling background that included a trio of NAIA national championships, Lashley wasted no time making an impact in MMA, compiling a perfect 5-0 record to start his career. He then signed with Strikeforce and picked up a win over UFC veteran Wes Sims in his debut, but fell to UFC veteran Chad Griggs in his second bout with the promotion.
Lashley continued fighting MMA over the years, which eventually led to signing with Bellator in 2014, where he amassed another perfect 5-0 record in five appearances.
Lashley ultimately put fighting on hold in 2018 when he got the opportunity to return to WWE, but he sounds ready to strap on the gloves again, although a different sport may get his attention this time around.
“A boxing company called me and offered me a legit matchup,” Lashley revealed. “So we’re in talks with them, so I’ve been training boxing. I love boxing. MMA is a possibility. Just depending on [what offers come].”
Even if he does cross over into boxing or possibly return to MMA, Lashley isn’t giving up on professional wrestling either. He’s now a free agent after leaving WWE, and Lashley is open for business.
“Wrestling, I still want to wrestle,” Lashley said. “I love wrestling and the fans write me everyday, ‘When are you coming back? Where are you going? I don’t care where you go, we want to be there for you.’ So, I love the fans.”