Bruce Prichard Recalls Bobby Lashley Leaving WWE In 2008, Brock Lesnar Going To UFC

On a recent episode of Something To Wrestle, Bruce Prichard discussed No Way Out 2008. Bruce talked about what caused Bobby Lashley to leave WWE, Brock Lesnar’s debut in the UFC, and his reaction to Lesnar losing his first fight. Some highlights are below.

On what caused Bobby Lashley to leave WWE in 2008: “Bobby was just unhappy. I think Bobby was frustrated with where he was at the time, and Bobby was just frustrated with a lot of things and unhappy wanted to leave that was a point where if you’re unhappy and you don’t want to be here okay let’s work something out so you can leave. It was as simple as that.”

On the hype around Brock Lesnar’s UFC debut: “Yeah, I think anybody that’s ever been around Brock for more than 30-seconds the word phony would never enter your vocabulary. Brock was a machine and Brock was a great amateur wrestler legitimate tough guy, and Brock entering UFC from the vantage point from where we were was like ‘Okay, hey Brock is going in to represent the business if you will. Because, other than Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn to a lesser extent you never really had anybody of that magnitude in UFC. Kenny was a huge name I UFC probably a bigger name in UFC than he was in the WWE. Brock was a big name in WWE going into the UFC. But, it was more of a I think guys genuinely liked Brock too and wanted to see him succeed, but more than anything didn’t want him to embarrass the wrestling business by going in and getting destroyed and Brock’s a badass. That’s all you can really say about that because the son of a __ went out there and made things happen and was a hell of a legitimate athlete legitimate great wrestler.”

On if he was shocked that Lesnar didn’t win: “Yeah, I was. I was definitely shocked that Brock didn’t win especially even just kind of looking at the size difference and Brock was a pure amateur wrestler and it was Brock’s first time in the octagon. Frank (Mir) had experience, so it’s not like there’s no shame in losing to Frank Mir. I think Brock avenged that when he came back and did it again and it was like alright there’s the Brock Lesnar that you know can go. So, yeah, it was crazy because at first man Brock came out like a just holy __ this is going to be short and this is going to be ugly and Frank with his Jiu Jitsu skills which are different than mat wrestling and I don’t know how much Brock trained in Jiu Jitsu and that type of that type of grappling you will. Man, you want to go on the map with Brock I’ll still put him and Kurt (Angle) up against practically anybody.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Something to Wrestle with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.