Bobby Lashley may be unhappy with how AEW has used him in recent months, according to a new report.
PW News reported on Friday, September 4, that Lashley is said to be frustrated with the direction of his character. The report comes as The Hurt Syndicate has seen its spot on AEW programming shrink considerably.
The timing stands out. Lashley and Shelton Benjamin have spent most of 2026 away from Dynamite, working primarily on Collision. PWTorch recently pointed out that the team had wrestled only five televised matches this year through the end of August.
The direction of The Hurt Syndicate itself has also changed. In June, MVP repositioned the group as a hired service that attacks opponents for money. That storyline led to a partnership with Shane Taylor Promotions in August.
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1:51 PM · Sep 4, 2026At All In on August 30 at Wembley Stadium, Lashley and Benjamin were relegated to the Buy In, where they teamed with Big Boom AJ and QT Marshall to defeat that same Shane Taylor Promotions. Lashley picked up the win after hitting Carlie Bravo with the Dominator.
That said, Lashley has not made any public statement confirming he is unhappy. He has previously said he has more creative freedom in AEW and has praised Tony Khan for letting talent have more input into decisions about their characters.
For now, Lashley’s possible frustration remains a rumor. What is clear is that his position in AEW has changed significantly since the run that saw him and Benjamin capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship.