10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Bobby Lashley

4. His Strange Introduction

Bobby Lashley burgers
WWE Network

In the mid 2000s, WWE debuted new babyface Bobby Lashley as a stupidly-ripped super athlete who debuted by defeating heel fitness instructor Simon Dean in peak Vince McMahon fashion. He must have penned this thing personally. It ticks so many boxes.

Dean promised that he would eat 20 double cheeseburgers if he lost at No Mercy 2005, which he of course did. A man who spends more time in the gym than at home naturally perceived this as a punishment, when really, most fans would take this on as an eating challenge.

Divorced from reality, this booking decision resulted in naff comedy spots throughout the match itself and, you must imagine, Vince problematically yukking at Dean's show-long sell-job of bulimia.

From eating vitamins to force-feeding fatty food, this was the almost spiteful antithesis of Hulk Hogan's moral compass.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!