The recent success for Bobby Lashley in WWE’s main event scene has seen him fulfilling the potential the company expected from him many years ago. However, Lashley did prove he could be a successful main eventer long before he won the WWE Championship or teased a feud with Brock Lesnar.RELATED: Every Version Of Bobby Lashley, Ranked From Worst To BestTNA pushed Lashley as one of the top stars in the promotion for many years during his time away from WWE. Lashley’s success both as an MMA fighter and TNA wrestler helped him find enough relevance for WWE to re-sign him when hitting free agency again. The TNA stint of his career doesn’t get a lot of love due to the audience dwindling during various management changes. Lashley deserves credit for a noteworthy TNA stint with the following forgotten things.
10 Debuted Tricking Main Event Mafia
The first of two stints in TNA featured Bobby Lashley having a unique introduction. Kurt Angle introduced Lashley as apparently the newest member of his Main Event Mafia heel faction. However, it turned out to be a bigger swerve against Angle.
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Lashley attacked Angle to help Mick Foley in his feud against the Main Event Mafia. The move signified Lashley becoming a face and having the top storyline on the show. TNA ended the heel version of the Main Event Mafia shortly afterwards.
9 First Feud With Drew McIntyre
WWE found success with Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre feuding over the WWE Championship in the first half of 2021. However, it was an established feud for the diehard fans that witnessed their work together in TNA.
Lashley and McIntyre both used TNA to rebuild their reputations in between their WWE stints. The duo had a couple of great matches that featured Lashley winning the TNA World Championship from McIntyre.
8 Kristal Marshall Managing Him
The real-life relationship between Bobby Lashley and Kristal Marshall started in WWE, but they never worked together on-screen there. TNA was the place where they used the real romance as part of their character direction.
Kristal joined TNA with Lashley, appearing as his manager. The duo had a few short angles together before leaving the company. Lashley and Marshall separated after their wrestling run together with Kristal no longer involved in wrestling.
7 Former X-Division Champion
The X-Division was primarily used by TNA to highlight somewhat smaller wrestlers in high-flying and action-packed matches. Bobby Lashley did not fall under that category, but he certainly did win the X-Division Championship.
A winner take all match between Lashley and Eddie Edwards saw them both putting their singles titles on the line. Lashley scored the huge win to retain the TNA World Championship and add the X-Division Championship to his TNA legacy before vacating it.
6 Helped Team TNA Defeat Team GFW
One of the most unique storylines in TNA featured GFW joining them for a brand vs brand feud. The big Lethal Lockdown match featured a WarGames style match with four wrestlers representing each company.
Bobby Lashley was viewed as the leader of Team TNA with Drew McIntyre, Bram and the American Wolves on his team. Team TNA defeated the GFW squad of Jeff Jarrett, Chris Masters, Eric Young, Brian Myers and Sonjay Dutt in a violent match.
5 MVP Managed Him There First
The turning point in Bobby Lashley becoming a WWE main eventer was MVP becoming his manager. Lashley was still struggling in the mid-card during his WWE return following stints with Lio Rush and Lana in the same role.
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The chemistry with MVP put Lashley over the top, but it helped that they had that bond going back to TNA. MVP managed Lashley when he won the TNA World Championship as a heel. Their Beat Down Clan faction in TNA was also similar to the Hurt Business group in WWE.
4 Ended First Run Abruptly To Work In MMA
The first run of Bobby Lashley in TNA is rarely discussed since it went by so quickly. Lashley joined TNA shortly into his departure from WWE, but his passion was outside of the wrestling industry at the time.
TNA witnessed Lashley requesting his release around the time Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff arrived. The goal of Lashley was to become an MMA fighter and he achieved a lot of success in that world. Lashley returned to TNA years later to have both his wrestling and MMA careers going at the same time.
3 Unintentionally Responsible For American Wolves Breaking Up
The tag team run of the American Wolves saw Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards bringing their act from Ring of Honor to TNA. Both wrestlers became stars in the tag team act, but they eventually received singles pushes.
Edwards won the TNA World Championship from Bobby Lashley during their short feud. However, a jealous Richards betrayed his partner to cost him the title in a match against Lashley. The breakup of the Wolves benefited Lashley to have another world title run.
2 Feud With Scott Steiner
Any wrestler entering a feud with Scott Steiner is likely going to have it become a memorable part of their career. Bobby Lashley did not see his rivalry became memorable due to how quickly it ended before he left TNA.
Steiner making advances towards Lashley’s wife Kristal Marshall caused the two to enter a personal feud. Lashley was treading water in TNA during his first stint and it caused this chapter of his career to be forgotten, even when feuding with Steiner at his most comedic time.
1 Tied For Second Most World Title Reigns
The overall legacy of Bobby Lashley in TNA doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Kurt Angle is the only wrestler to hold the TNA World Championship more than Lashley at six times. Lashley is tied in second place with Sting with an impressive four title reigns.
TNA trusted Lashley to hold their top prize more than AJ Styles and Samoa Joe combined. Lashley is also second in most combined days as champ behind Angle once again. TNA witnessed Lashley dominate at the top of the card before he returned to WWE.
