FB TW IG YT VK TH
Search
MORE FROM OUR CHANNELS

Wrestlezone
FB TW IG YT VK TH

Bobby Lashley's Blogs

  • Batista Eyeing Strikeforce (Again) By: Jake Rossen



    Dave Batista (left): Photo Courtesy of Cesar Gracie and Quinn Shields


    Here’s a curious thing, and amusing if you don’t require amusing things to actually make you laugh: as the popularity of MMA in Japan winds down thanks to a lack of mainstream celebrity booking, the practice of appealing to casual viewers with familiar faces is becoming more of a presence in the States.

    Monday, former WWE champion Dave Bautista (he drops the “u” for wrestling, apparently) told MMAJunkie.com that he was still in negotiations for a deal with Strikeforce in 2011. The obvious match is against Bobby Lashley, himself a pro wrestler. Some simple math would put the fight at over 500 pounds of lean body mass with less than eight percent body fat, which means they should probably be good for a furious three minutes of action. Doesn’t matter: they’re ready-made attractions, particularly if Strikeforce can ever reestablish a time slot on CBS.

    The question is whether the sport really needs the kind of one-and-done appeal of someone like Batista, who seems open to three fights at most. Strikeforce will draw fans for a night or two, but what’s the plan for when he realizes the grind of fighting isn’t a good fit for a 41-year-old with a lifetime of wrestling afflictions? K-1 and Pride had both drawn huge numbers for bouts with celebrated Sumo attractions, an actor, and athletes whose myostatin wasn’t working properly --but when it was over, the fans that showed up for the sideshows didn’t stay for the other attractions. Batista/Lashley is a fine diversion, but it’s not a long-term solution.

    Read more
  • Career Advice: Strikeforce ‘Houston’ Edition



    Chad Griggs vs. Bobby Lashley: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com


    Strikeforce’s event Saturday in Houston saw breakout performances from “Jacare,” “Feijao” and even the spectacularly sideburned Chad Griggs, but it was a night that will be remembered for the jaw-dropping failure of the fighters Strikeforce was pinning hopes on.

    All is not lost, however, for the promotion’s would-be stars. They’re just a few months’ worth of tinkering and therapy away from developing as hoped. In an attempt to speed the process along, here is what the night’s less than lucky participants need to work on or flat-out ditch altogether.

    King for a Day, Jester for a Lifetime

    There isn’t a sane man or woman alive who would argue against the notion that Muhammed Lawal has the talent to become a truly special mixed martial artist. However, talent alone doesn’t cut it in a sport full of supposedly talented athletes making the fistic equivalent of minimum wage.

    It was obvious during Lawal’s doomed fight with Cavalcante that he didn’t believe there was any way he could lose. Between the reckless defensive stance, telegraphed body punches and conspicuous absence of any chain wrestling, “King Mo” seemed certain that talent alone would win the day. Instead, he got his first career loss.

    The only way Lawal will ever fulfill the potential he squandered Saturday night is by dropping the schtick and getting serious about fighting. That means no more emulating professional boxers he has no chance of ever approximating and a lot more time spent drilling the fundamentals of fighting he left by the wayside.

    Read more
  • Strikeforce Postmortem: Upset Specials, Noons’ Bad Knee, More By: Jake Rossen



    Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (left) vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com


    The problem with perfect records is their limited shelf life: no one can depend on being undefeated in order to remain an attraction. Fight enough and you will eventually run into someone who has answers for everything you have and questions you can’t address.

    Bobby Lashley and Muhammed Lawal both had their pristine careers tarnished Saturday: Lawal was unable to hold down the relentless Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, while Lashley somehow managed to lose a fight he was winning virtually every minute of up until that point.

    It’s hard to know who suffers more: that Lashley lost is not too surprising, though few expected it to be against Chad Griggs -- a man so far off the industry radar that Lashley hadn’t even seen tape of his opponent. Lawal, meanwhile, was perceived as one of the top athletes in the sport and had broken into the top 10 with a win over Gegard Mousasi. Losing to Cavalcante, who is barely a year removed from a KO loss to fringe player Mike Kyle, means we either underestimated the Brazilian or severely overestimated the former champion.

    With Lawal’s confidence both in and out of the ring -- his hands-at-hips striking style has the arrogance of Roy Jones without the ability -- it’s easy to forget he’s barely two years into a fight career. But Lashley, always impatient to have a crack at Fedor Emelianenko or a current champion, may be more easily intimidated by finding out he’s human.

    In either case, they both proved a point worth repeating: anyone in the business of promoting invincible fighters isn’t going to be in business for long.

    Next for Lawal: A confidence-rebuilder against Kevin Randleman.

    Next for Cavalcante: An opportunistic Mousasi.

    Next for Lashley: Andrei Arlovski and a guaranteed win for someone who needs it.

    Next for Griggs: Brett Rogers.

    Next for K.J. Noons: Gilbert Melendez.

    Read more
  • ESPN2 MMA Live: Strikeforce Preview

    Three Strikeforce fighters join the show from Houston, including light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley.

    Plus, MMA legends Dan Henderson and Pat Miletich are back in Bristol and UFC middleweight Brian Stann makes his MMA Live debut.

    Read more
  • Strikeforce Fighters Visit VA Medical Center By: Loretta Hunt



    Tim Kennedy, Bobby Lashley, Muhammed Lawal and K.J. Noons: Esther Lin | Strikeforce


    Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, as well as Bobby Lashley, K.J. Noons, Tim Kennedy, and Jason “Mayhem” Miller paid a visit to military veterans and their loved ones at the Fisher House at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center on Tuesday in Houston.

    Fisher House provides free lodging and other support for the families of hospitalized veterans receiving treatment for long-term illnesses or injuries.

    Lawal, Lashley, Noons, and Kennedy will all compete during Strikeforce’s live telecast on Showtime on Saturday, which begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Lawal defends his title against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

    Read more
  • Audio: Lawal-Cavalcante Conference Call

    Strikeforce held a conference call for the media on Monday to promote its Aug. 21 Houston, Texas, event.

    Muhammed Lawal, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Bobby Lashley, Chad Griggs and CEO Scott Coker participated in the call. Audio from the teleconference is available in the player below.




    Listen to Monday's complete Strikeforce conference call.

    Read more
  • Lashley’s Delusions By: Jake Rossen



    Bobby Lashley takes down Bob Sapp: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com


    No question: Bobby Lashley is a tough guy. Strong, NAIA wrestling credentials, and tied up with American Top Team. He scrapes the upper end of the 265-pound heavyweight limit. 5-0. Healthy ego.

    That last part is becoming a problem.

    Lashley is quite possibly the most rudderless fighter in the sport. He doesn’t want to fight nobodies, as he told HDNet’s “Inside MMA” last Friday, but jumping into a fight with Fedor Emelianenko (his preference) would be insulting even by Strikeforce’s meager standards. Lashley is a prospect, but you don’t get fights based on potential. The promotion has a surplus of mid-tier heavyweights that would help establish his place. He wants a shortcut. He’s in desperate need of an advisor.

    What can he do? He could fight an Andrei Arlovski, an Antonio Silva, or Brett Rogers. He could see if his size would be enough to overcome the more substantial wrestling ability of Daniel Cormier. He could grasp the idea that he hasn’t fought since the beginning of the year and that fans perceive his overblown appetite for big fights to be undeserved. He could acknowledge that he’s still a rookie in the sport and that his fights should be determined by the promoter.

    Lashley could argue that Brock Lesnar, another legitimate grappler, got his title bid in only three fights. But at least he beat a veteran in Heath Herring, and very nearly finished Frank Mir before making a rookie mistake. The cold reality is that Lesnar is a massive draw and can expedite his career; Lashley has yet to prove he can even deliver ratings above the norm. If pro wrestling is more about talking than ring time, it’s no wonder he was such a star.

    Read more
  • Lashley-Sparks, Zaromskis-Cyborg Buoy June 16 Strikeforce By: Brian Knapp

    Former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Bobby Lashley will collide with the unbeaten Ron Sparks in a featured heavyweight tilt at Strikeforce “Los Angeles” on June 16 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Strikeforce officials on Saturday announced the matchup, along with a fight pairing Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis with Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos.

    Based in Denver and affiliated with American Top Team, Lashley made a successful Strikeforce debut in January, when he buried UFC veteran Wes Sims under first-round punches in Sunrise, Fla. A three-time national wrestling champion in college, the 33-year-old has finished four of his first five opponents, including the hulking Bob Sapp, inside one round.

    “I’m excited about fighting again,” Lashley said in a release. “I’ve been working very hard, and I’m continuing to learn. The guy I’m fighting is huge. This will be a great fight.”

    The 35-year-old Sparks owns 17-, 24- and 36-second victories on his unblemished resume. Rooted in Louisville, Ky., the 6-foot-5, 265-pound heavyweight has not competed since June, when he earned a unanimous nod against Johnathan Ivey at a Revolution Fight League show in Hammond, Ind. Like Lashley, Sparks has put away four of his first five foes in the first period.

    “I like to get in and get the job done,” Sparks said. “My last fight went all four rounds, but there is nothing I enjoy more than knocking a person out.”

    A potent striker, Zaromskis has delivered 10 of his 13 career victories by knockout or technical knockout. The 29-year-old Lithuanian burst on the international scene in 2009, when he knocked out Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Jason High on the same night to win the Dream welterweight grand prix. Spawned by the London Shootfighters camp, Zaromskis succumbed to first-round punches from Nick Diaz in January and has not set foot inside the cage since.

    Santos has lost four of his last six fights. The 32-year-old Pride Fighting Championships veteran snapped a two-fight losing streak with a second-round finish against Daniel Zarate five months ago in Brazil. Santos, the husband of Strikeforce women’s middleweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, has delivered 15 of his 17 career wins by KO, TKO or submission.

    A catchweight bout pitting former EliteXC middleweight king Robbie Lawler against one-time Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral will headline Strikeforce “Los Angeles.”

    Read more
  • Lashley’s Sinus Problems By: Jake Rossen

    File Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com


    Not a conspiracy theorist, not all that invested in the career jockeying of Bobby Lashley, but something doesn’t quite add up in the fighter’s statements on why he’s not appearing at Strikeforce’s April 17 card in Nashville, Tenn.

    Monday, Lashley told MMAJunkie.com he had no idea why the promotion didn’t follow up on plans for him to compete on the three-title fight card. "If Strikeforce had some reason why they pulled me, I'm not going to get upset with them,” he said. "I'm disappointed that I'm not fighting, yes, because I wanted to fight.”

    But Lashley then posted a message on his Facebook account stating that it was surgery, not Strikeforce, that squashed his participation. “When I was given the chance to fight in April, the only thing on my mind was fighting,” he wrote. “However, I had sinus surgery recently and b/c of the surgery, my doc won't clear me to fight. I tried working every angle, however the final say is left in the hands of the doc.”

    If Lashley had surgery, why would attempts to book him even be made? If his expectation was that he could talk the physician into letting him compete…what the hell kind of plan is that?

    I like Lashley and I’m interested in watching his career develop. For reasons that escape me, the guy’s train just refuses to leave the station.

    Read more
  • Lashley Withdraws from 4/17 Strikeforce By: Jake Rossen



    File Photo: Dave Mandel|Sherdog.com


    What is with this guy? Bobby Lashley updated his Facebook.com profile Sunday evening to inform readers he would not be making an appearance at Strikeforce’s April 17 card in Nashville, Tenn. Lashley’s participation was rumored, but never confirmed.

    CBS would have been some prime real estate to show off Lashley, a balloon-chested former pro wrestler with legitimate NAIA credentials. The problem could be attributable in part to time constraints -- the show has booked three title fights that could potentially go 25 minutes each, with angry affiliates waiting to start their local news at 11 p.m. sharp -- but I can imagine the logistics in finding an opponent for Lashley that satisfies his need to be spoon-fed didn’t help. Does "Tank" Abbott not answer his phone anymore?

    Read more

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Latest News

POLL

Will Conor McGregor fight in 2024?

FIGHT FINDER


FIGHTER OF THE WEEK

Ben Tynan

TOP TRENDING FIGHTERS


+ FIND MORE