WWE Daily

Part of my interests in running this site is to unmask the wrestlers in the WWE. To find out exactly who they are and where they’ve come from, so that we can all be better informed about these great athletes.

Bobby Lashley was born Franklin Roberto Lashley on July 16, 1976. Lashley attended Missouri Valley College where he graduated with a degree in Human Service Agency Management. He also won three national amateur wrestling championships between 1996 and 1998, placing fourth in 1995. Throughout 1997 and 1998 he was the NAIA National Wrestling Champion. Lashley later joined the United States Army where he continued to wrestle for his enjoyment.

Lashley signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment in November of 2003 and was assigned to the WWE’s official training ground, Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he started his training under Lance Storm.

Almost two years after his training began, Lashley made his televised WWE debut on SmackDown! under the name Bobby Lashley on September 23, 2005. Lashley was introduced as a three-time National Amateur Wrestling Champion, four-time All-American, a two-time Armed Forces Champion and a 2002 Silver Medalist at the Military World Championship.

On November 14, 2006, Lashley moved to ECW in a surprise appearance. At December to Dismember Lashley was the fifth person released into the match. He eliminated Test and The Big Show by pinfall after a Spear to both and became the new ECW World Champion. This victory made Lashley the first African American to hold the ECW title.

Some of his finishing and signature moves are:

• Dominator (Running front powerslam or Inverted front powerslam)

• Military press powerslam

• Spear

Lashley currently has a daughter, Kyra, that was born in 2005.