12 Ups And 16 Downs For WWE In 2021

3. Lashley Finally A Made Man

Those of us who have watched WWE for years and years know that Bobby Lashley was supposed to be a huge deal during his initial run in the mid-2000s. He was being groomed as the new version of Brock Lesnar – but it never really clicked.

Lashley left WWE for a decade, but when he returned in 2018, he was miscast as a smiling babyface who engaged in a comedy feud with Sami Zayn (Bobby’s three “sisters,” anyone?). He turned heel and had potential with Lio Rush as his manager, but then he got stuck in feud with the Shield where he lost repeatedly. He meandered about in the mid-card for much of 2019 and well into 2020.

But beginning in 2021, Lashley finally was treated as the killer he should have been all along. He set Drew McIntyre up to take a fall as WWE Champion and ripped the title away from the Miz, then proceeded to hold the championship for more than six months. Along the way, Lashley was a dominant champ, murdering opponents and looking fantastic while doing it.

As 2021 closes, Lashley is definitely in a better position than he was 16 months ago, finally regarded as one of the top-tier guys in WWE. It took the company two stints to get it right, but better late than never.