Bobby Lashley is the current Impact Wrestling World Champion, and in the midst of his fourth reign as well. He was also part of one of the headlining matches at WrestleMania 23 which he was pitted against the late Umaga. The stipulation? It was labeled Battle of the Billionaires with Vince McMahon and Donald Trump in a hair vs hair match, with Lashley being Trump’s avatar and Umaga’s being McMahon’s.
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The result? Lashley pinning Umaga and McMahon being strapped to a barber’s chair while Trump, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Lashley gleefully shaving McMahon’s scalp.
In a recent interview, the Impact Wrestling Champion talked to Sports Illustrated and came to the defense of somebody who has come under heavy scrutiny lately with being perceived as racist: Donald Trump. Despite the considerate amount of proof that Trump has had some brushes in the past, Lashley still stood by his former WrestleMania costar.
“I worked with him at WrestleMania, so when the media starts throwing all these accusations at him, I can tell you he was not racist,” he said. “He made that WrestleMania so successful because he was great in his role as ‘The Donald.’ He had WWE on a big billboard in Times Square, he put us in different media outlets that we otherwise wouldn’t have been in, and he helped make that the largest WrestleMania in history. We need a leader who can make change, and he is the man.”
Lashely mentioned he knows Trump will take abuse for the next four years, but remains optimistic on the outcome. “When everything gets fixed, then we can elect someone like The Rock, who will make everyone feel good. There is a time for strict and there is a time for leniency, and I don’t think he is a bad person for the job.”
It’s interesting to note that right after Lashley’s departure with WWE in 2008, there were rumors circulating of racial tension between himself and the head writer of the time, Michael Hayes. Lashley was able to leave WWE on his own terms after shoulder surgery and in his exodus address, mentioned how “evil has prevailed”.
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