The comparisons began as soon as Bobby Lashley announced his transition to mixed martial arts. Eighteen months earlier, another former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar stepped into the ring for the first time.
With a sword on his chest, a demon on his back and athleticism rarely seen in a heavyweight, Brock Lesnar took the sport by storm. In the time between their respective debuts, Lesnar had ascended to the top of the UFC heavyweight division, defeating UFC icon Randy “The Natural” Couture to become world champion a month before Lashley had set foot in the cage.
Watching one former employee of Vince McMahon skyrocket to stardom led many to speculate that Lashley could do the same. After all, they appeared to have similar backgrounds: both were collegiate national champions in wrestling, both came from the world of professional wrestling and both were now heavyweight mixed martial artists.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Lesnar wrestled as a heavyweight at Division-I Minnesota, winning his national championship in 2000, a year after finishing as runner-up, while Lashley won back-to-back NAIA national championships with Missouri Valley College, the second coming in the 177-pound weight class.
In the WWE, Lesnar was an instant smash, rising to main-event status three months after his debut and being crowned champion two months later. “The Next Big Thing” was immediately put into programs with established superstars such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock and The Undertaker, and headlined Wrestlemania.
Lashley, who's fighting Saturday on the Strikeforce card in Houston, also had success inside the squared circle, though he never quite reached the main-event status that was expected of him. His most notable moment was taking part in the hair vs. hair match between Donald Trump and Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 23.
The differences between the two really show when you look at their competition.
Unbeaten in his first five fights, Lashley has faced opponents with a combined record of 61-49-2. While Lesnar lost his second bout, the now 5-1 world champion’s first five opponents have accumulated 62, to go along with five combined heavyweight title reigns and 36 defeats.
In truth, Lesnar is an anomaly; a genetic freak of nature the likes of which has never been seen in MMA.
Putting Lashley next to a once-in-a-lifetime specimen like Lesnar and asking him to duplicate his successes is a job for Ethan Hunt -- Mission: Impossible -- but it’s a comparison and challenge that Lashley has little choice but to face head-on.
Lesnar’s baptism by fire established an unreasonable measuring stick for critics to use against Lashley. While Lesnar was earning his revenge and unifying the UFC heavyweight title against Frank Mir in his fifth career fight, Lashley was having his way with "The Ultimate Fighter 10" castoff Wes Sims.
The cavernous gap in talent between the two former WWE employees’ opponents landed Lashley in the hot seat, despite the fact that if it weren’t for his well-known name, Sims would be considered a worthy adversary for a 4-0 fighter with 13 months of experience.
But perception is reality, and his marketable name and prominent place in the relatively shallow depths of the Strikeforce heavyweight division put Lashley in a precarious position.
While Lesnar has earned the respect of both fans and critics with his elite conquests, Lashley has sidestepped stiffer competition, fighting Sims after originally be scheduled to face heavyweight prospect Shane del Rosario. As intelligent a move as avoiding the unbeaten Colin Oyama trainee might have been, Lashley won’t have such options if he wins Saturday night against Chad Griggs.
Assuming he wins, Lashley will face a career-defining decision when he’s offered his next fight.
A fight with del Rosario or one of the division’s elite would be the first step down the road to possibly becoming “The Next Brock Lesnar.”
A fight with Dave Bautista would be a match made in WWE heaven, casting him into hell with MMA critics.
What’s it going to be, Bobby?
