Bobby Lashley has let his true feelings be known about not being a part of WrestleMania.
Going into Elimination Chamber, The All Mighty was set for another clash against Brock Lesnar following Lashley eliminating Lesnar from the Royal Rumble in record time. On the go-home episode of SmackDown, Bray Wyatt warned whoever won the clash to run, seemingly setting up a WrestleMania showdown with himself and one of the former WWE Champions.
Lesnar won the match at Elimination Chamber via disqualification and would go on to work a program with Omos at Mania. In regards to Lashley, the All Mighty did look to be heading for a showdown with Wyatt as he was taunted by Wyatt via video and was sneak attacked by Uncle Howdy.
As WrestleMania got closer, the program was dropped as Wyatt was dealing with illness and was unable to compete. Sadly, the warning on SmackDown would be Bray Wyatt’s final onscreen appearance as he would tragically pass away in August 2023.
With no backup Mania plan for Lashley, the former World Champion would instead go on to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the final SmackDown before WrestleMania. Not competing over the 2-night show, Lashley would have a brief segment on Sunday where he walked out in front of the crowd with the trophy.
Bobby Lashley On Missing WrestleMania: “A Lot Of Things Hit Me”
While appearing on After The Bell, Lashley was asked about not having a match on the biggest show of the WWE calendar. Lashley admitted that it was tough to not be on the card and was even tougher having to explain it to his family:
Man, because you know, our businesses is very troubling at times. And it’s very stressful mentally, because you want to know where you’re at. And, if you’re talking about just the last kind of break I took, I think a lot of things [hit me]. The situation revolving around WrestleMania kind of really, really hit me pretty hard. You know, I put in a lot of work throughout the year, put myself at a certain level in the company. And I’ve kept that level up, I work my ass off, I train hard all the time. Everybody knows that’s just me. And then when that big show came around, I just didn’t have a spot at WrestleMania.
And you know, I try to hold it in. And when you have your kids calling when you’re supposed to be there and I’m there in all Los Angeles ready to go.
You know, the whole time is thinking, just call me in coach call me, I’m that guy, like, call me and call me and I’m ready. And then my kids you know, after the first day calling, Hey dad are you going to be on because if you’re gonna be on we’ll fly up there, we want to see you and everything like that, because they’ve been to everything that I was in. And that was kind of a little bit of a mind trip, you know, to kind of take a backseat at a time like that.
If you use any quotes from this article please credit After The Bell and leave a h/t to Inside The Ropes.