Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com and Dave Scherer at PWInsider.com have both confirmed reports that Bobby Lashley has asked WWE for his release. We reported on this story earlier today based on posts from Bobby on his personal Web site’s message board.
Specifically, Meltzer says that “the story is real” and friends of Lashley say he’s leaning in the direction of going into MMA (he trained at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose prior to getting a WWE offer in 2004, and obviously has had success as an amateur wrestler while in the military). He is still under a long-term WWE contract, but is trying to get out of it, and as we all know, WWE no-compete clauses can be tricky. Meltzer goes on to say that, according to his sources, Lashley was upset about Kristal Marshall’s firing (the two have been romantically linked) but while some people were aware of Lashley’s intentions last night at the Smackdown tapings, the word hadn’t spread until this morning, with WWE’s creative team, as well as “key people” at TNA and UFC not knowing anything about it.
Scherer expanded on the Marshall situation, basically saying that she was released after balking at being paired with Edge (who is now romantically involved on camera with Vickie Guerrero). Lashley may have also felt he wasn’t treated well while rehabbing his shoulder injury, with little communication with Vince McMahon and no concrete plans for his return despite his injury now being healed.
As we saw when Ric Flair and Carlito Colon had reportedly asked for their releases, things can change rather quickly, and nothing’s final until WWE releases him from his contract.
