Since the formation of the Hurt Business in May 2020, Bobby Lashley has been on a tear which eventually resulted in him winning the WWE Championship from The Miz on the March 1st edition of Monday Night RAW.
Bobby Lashley had returned to WWE the night after WrestleMania 34 in 2018 after being away from the company for a decade, in which time he competed in MMA as well IMPACT Wrestling.
The former WWE United States Champion has previously revealed how that time spent in IMPACT prepared him for his current WWE run. And Lashley has now also detailed how a frustrated Apollo Crews reached out for advice before his return to the company.
Appearing on WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, Bobby Lashley explained how he told Crews that WWE was the best place for him to be and to be ready for the opportunities that would eventually come his way.
“Before I even came back, Apollo sent me a DM — I didn’t even know Apollo — and was like, ‘I have a couple of questions to ask you. Did you ever get frustrated when you were here?’ I was like, ‘You’re talking to a man that’s not in and wants to get in. You’re in the greatest place you can be and you’re an amazing talent, that can’t be denied. Just stay there. Maybe it’s not your time right now. Eat catering, have a good time, whenever you have an opportunity, do the best you can and you won’t be denied.’ It takes time, sometimes. When I came back, I was like, ‘You can have me beat Roman, go after Brock, and do main event matches or you can make me suffer and pay some dues. I don’t mind either.’ That’s what I told [Apollo], ‘Don’t mind it. Anytime you have the opportunity to get in the ring, just do it and when you do it, they’ll find a place for you. Keep bugging them. Tell them you’ll do this and that. Keep throwing things at them. Maybe, sooner or later, something will stick. The greatest thing you have going for you is how talented you are and how much respect everyone has for you. That won’t be denied. You’ll eventually be in a big position. Stick in there.’ When I got in and had the opportunity to work with him, I was like, ‘Apollo is a cool dude,'”
Following his return to WWE, Lashley was featured prominently on WWE television, but it wasn’t until he joined forces with MVP that his career really kicked up a gear. The Dominator quickly split with Lana as the Hurt Business came together and moved to cement his place as one of the most impressive Superstar’s on Raw. Not that Lashley had forgotten Apollo Crews, far from it. As well as working with Crews in a series of matches, the new WWE Champion revealed that The Hurt Business wanted Crews to join the group, believing that it would help his character.
“When we started the Hurt Business, we wanted Apollo first. ‘Apollo, you need that. You’re too pretty and too nice. You gotta be hated. You gotta have some grit.’ We tell Cedric, ‘Be as dirty as you can,’ and Cedric is dirty. Apollo needs that too,”
Crews was eventually drafted to SmackDown in October 2020 where he made a limited impact until turning heel, claiming that he’s descended from Nigerian royalty on the 26th February episode of the blue brand.
H/t to Fightful for the transcription.