Lashley Beats Brock Lesnar By DQ In Flat Finish

Bobby Lashley defeated Brock Lesnar by disqualification in a short but entertaining match with a disappointing ending. Lesnar was treated as the babyface headed into this match, and received a rousing reaction from the Montreal crowd. But it was a heelish low blow during the Hurt Lock that resulted in an abrupt end to an action-packed match—one where Lashley kicked out of multiple F-5’s.

Lesnar finished off Lashley with an F-5 through the table.

Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley’s three-match series saw Lashley assume the heel role amid teases of a Hurt Business reunion. Recent broadcasts of WWE Raw featured MVP approaching Lashley about reuniting the heel stable, while subsequent backstage segments showed the MVP in deep discussion with former and future Hurt Business members Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin.

Alexander and Benjamin recently resurfaced on TV, defeating The Alpha Academy on the February 6, 2023 broadcast of WWE Raw.

Lashley’s slow-burning heel turn came as Lesnar continuously attacked the former WWE champion. Monday night on Raw, Lashley—flanked by security—brought his own table to a contract signing. Battling chants of “Bobby’s scared,” Lashley’s heel turn was all but solidified.

With WWE heavily teasing a Hurt Business reunion, there’s no time like the present. The return of The Hurt Business during Black History Month makes almost too much sense.

Bray Wyatt appears to be the next roadblock for Lashley. Friday night on SmackDown, Wyatt essentially challenged the winner of Lashley vs. Lesnar. With Wyatt’s return drawing polarizing reviews despite his popularity and strong merchandise sales, a top star like Lashley will be a true litmus test of how much staying power Wyatt’s Uncle Howdy gimmick has in a main event role. Wyatt’s previous feud with LA Knight garnered tepid reviews, with their Pitch Black match one of the more forgettable aspects of an otherwise strong Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Even prior to his return, Wyatt’s Fiend incarnation was guilty of devaluing every babyface who dared to cross his path. Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman and Randy Orton all entered crazy town while feuding with Wyatt, and came away with significant damage.

If Wyatt can’t squeeze a quality feud out of Bobby Lashley and The Hurt Business, there may be no hope. Similar to his initial rise as The Fiend, Wyatt remains loaded with potential to become one of WWE’s biggest draws, but he continues to be hampered by overly ambitious storytelling and piss-poor follow-up. With WWE firing on all cylinders this WrestleMania season, and excuses drying up like AEW’s viewership, Wyatt is quickly approaching now-or-never territory.