Bobby Lashley Has His Eye on World Title Now, Why He and MVP Pushed For Shelton Benjamin to Join Hurt Business

Bobby Lashley spoke with Sports Illustrated for a new interview discussing his United States Championship win at WWE Payback, adding Shelton Benjamin to The Hurt Business and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On his goals after his US Championship win: “I’ve got the United States title, and that’s an amazing accomplishment, but I need a stamp on my career. That’s the WWE Championship, and the opportunity is there for me. I’m the ‘Black Superman,’ and that world title is what I need. I just need to stay healthy, keep kicking ass, and continue moving forward. If I win that world title, I’ll always be known as a former world champion. I want to do that for myself, I want to do that for my children, and I also want to do it for the kids that look like me.”

On working with MVP in WWE after their TNA alliance: “This is a rebirth for us together. MVP can work and he talk. People saw us together all the time, and someone asked, ‘What if they worked together?’ Everything he brings to the table, combine that with everything I bring, and it’s the complete package.”

On adding Shelton Benjamin to the group: “There were a couple of names that were thrown around to be part of this, but we wanted Shelton. Shelton is so good and he wants more. We have so much fun working together, and that includes after the show having steaks and burgers. That translates on TV. We all started around the same time, and we were all friends back then, and we all understand how the business has changed. Back then, we had Booker T, JBL, Fit Finlay, [William] Regal, Umaga, Hardcore Holly—those are the guys we faced and battled on a regular basis. We talked about bringing back that old school style, the way we were brought up. That’s the style that beats you up and beats you down, and that’s what we’re doing with The Hurt Business.”

On the group having a professional look to them: “That’s another reason that I love being part of he Hurt Business. We’re not thugs, we’re dressed clean. We’re businessmen, Black businessmen. We’ve been in this business a long time, and that’s how we conduct ourselves. We have put in the work and we’re going to continue to do that.”

On his disdain for backstage politics: “I’m not a guy that is going to politic or badmouth someone in this company. I don’t do it. Ever. I’ve had people I was wrestling go to Vince and say, ‘I think it would be a good idea if I beat Bobby.’ And it was completely ignorant for someone to ever say that if you saw the two of us. I’ve always done what the company thought was best, but I’ve also always known what I was capable of doing. I know that I’m valuable and I know what I can accomplish.”