TNA World Champion Bobby Lashley spoke with the MMA Report ahead of his Bellator debut next Friday on Spike TV. Below are the highlights:
If his plan was to juggle TNA and Bellator:
“It was. When I regularly talked to TNA….actually, I was talking to Bellator before I talked to TNA. But pro wrestling is my passion and my heart, so when I still talked to TNA, that was one thing that we discussed at the beginning of my contract. I said hey, it’s a good opportunity to do both, especially being on Spike TV. I’m still in good shape. I own a gym so I’m training all the time anyway, so why don’t we have an opportunity to do it right this time?”
His contract with Bellator:
“I’m signed right now for a handful of fights, and that was before Coker even came on. And now that Coker came on, we’ll probably end up doing those fights fairly quickly and renewing it. I don’t have too much time left in the game, but while I’m here I want to make a big impact. I don’t think the amount of fights that I signed for is going to give me an opportunity to do everything that I want to do, so I’m going to blaze through those fights quickly — maybe every other month if I can stay healthy — then hopefully I can sign on for more and really make a big statement, as I have my last run.”
If he’s having the best run of his career as the TNA World Champion:
“I don’t know if it would be the best run, because I don’t know how you measure that. If you measure it by money, maybe not. If you measure it by fun, maybe so. I have a great time with MVP and Kenny King. We have a little bit of creative freedom to do what we want to do at times, and I think that things are going well. I think my in-ring ability has improved a lot more. I did a lot of independent stuff and I had an opportunity to work with a lot of guys out there, so I think just working with some of these guys in TNA — they have an amazing talent pool. Eric Young is phenomenal, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries…..every time I get in the ring with those guys, it’s almost like magic. We have so many people that I’m still excited to go with. So I don’t know if it’s the biggest boost of my career, because the stage isn’t as big as WWE is, but as far as fun, knowledge and being able to work with some great people….yeah, it’s a great time.”
His thoughts on the TNA-Spike negotiations:
“When I signed my contract, there was nothing in my contract saying negotiations for a TV deal or anything like that. All they said was ‘Sign and you can go out and perform’ — and that’s what I do. I think social media is so big right now, that a lot of stuff is out there and people are hearing what’s going on behind the scenes with the negotiations between Dixie and Spike, or Dixie and whoever else. Those things are more prevalent now. Before, it happened like that every two to four years when they go back to the negotiation table, but now that social media is big and it got leaked out, now everybody is like ‘Oh no, are they going to lose their deal?’
I don’t think we’re going anywhere. The ratings have been phenomenal and are going up every week, so I don’t think Spike is going to get rid of TNA. If they got rid of TNA it wouldn’t make any sense unless they’re going to bring something bigger on there. And right now I think TNA is the greatest thing that they have going for them, with the exception of Bellator. So I’m not even worried about it. I think it’s all going to hash out by the end of the year. We’re going to get that deal signed, and we’re probably going to stay with Spike.”
