Bobby Lashley recalled being part of the build to the infamous Battle of the Billionaires that saw Donald Trump slap Vince McMahon across the face.
Long before he was a two-time WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley fought on behalf of the future President of the United States at WrestleMania 23. He faced Umaga, who was representing Vince McMahon as the two billionaires sought to shave each other’s iconic hairstyles bald. To round out the star power in the match, Stone Cold Steve Austin served as the special guest referee.
Speaking to Inside the Ropes’ Kenny McIntosh for issue 18 of Inside the Ropes Magazine, Bobby Lashley recalled being a part of the infamous match and says that everyone involved was a mastermind, so it was an exciting thing to be a part of when he was relatively new to the wrestling business.
“It was super, man. At that time, we were doing so much travel around wrestling, so many matches, and having so many shows everywhere, that it was just natural. It felt okay, it felt really comfortable. Everybody in that match had great minds. Stone Cold—mastermind. Donald Trump, I mean, mastermind. Vince McMahon—mastermind. Shane—mastermind. Umaga—mastermind in this business.
“So, for me being a little green, at least greener than everybody there, it felt really, really comfortable. It was an exciting time. Everything about it was cool to me.”
Bobby Lashley was then asked about the press conference used to build the hype for WrestleMania that saw Donald Trump slap Vince McMahon across the face. He revealed that none of the conference was planned and that all of his reactions were genuine as the scene unfolded in front of him.
“None of that was planned. That’s what was so crazy about it. That’s the way it goes man, you’ve got to understand some people get it. And those guys knew what the business was about, and how to sell a match, and everything just went crazy. I was just acting, reacting to the situation. We have so much chaos and craziness going on, so you’ve just got to react how you would normally react and that’s what I was doing.”
Bobby Lashley recently lost his WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar at the Elimination Chamber, and is currently out of action with an injury.
To read the full interview with Bobby Lashley, order issue 18 of Inside the Ropes Magazine. You can also subscribe to receive the magazine every month in either print or digital format, making sure you don’t miss out on any of the interviews, columns, and more!