10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Aug 17)

10. Bobby Lashley's 2005 Debut Wasn't Meant To Happen

Bobby Lashley
WWE.com

You'd be forgiven for forgetting that Bobby Lashley made his main roster WWE debut on the 23 September 2005 episode of SmackDown in a three-minute match against Simon Dean. You'd also be reprieved for failing to know WWE's master plan for Bob following that quick win.

That's because there wasn't one.

On Lilian Garcia's Chasing Glory podcast, Lashley said he was shocked when someone at catering told him he'd be on TV that night. Nobody had told him the news; as far as Bobby was concerned, he was only at SmackDown to maybe work a dark match or get a feel for what major-league WWE shows were like outside OVW's quaint confines.

Lashley certainly never expected to be working in front of the cameras, and he immediately panicked. It was Paul Heyman who calmed him down by reminding the OVW standout that there was zero pressure on his shoulders and he should just enjoy himself. That, temporarily at least, stopped Bob from sh*tting bricks.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.