Bobby Lashley is reportedly dealing with a legitimate and serious injury that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. The news was first revealed on AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming by Lashley’s Hurt Syndicate stablemate MVP and later confirmed by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
According to Meltzer, while the exact nature of the injury has not been disclosed, it is significant enough to remove the former World Champion from AEW programming “for at least a while.”
“MVP noted on Collision that Bobby Lashley was injured. The only thing we know is the injury is legit and it’s significant,” Meltzer reported. “But the actual injury hasn’t been disclosed. He’s not going to be around at least for a while, and Shelton Benjamin will be working singles for now unless they add a new team member.”
Fightful Select also corroborated the report, confirming that Lashley’s injury is legitimate and that he is expected to miss “quite a bit of time.” Lashley has not appeared on AEW television since Full Gear 2025, where he competed in the Casino Gauntlet match but failed to capture the AEW National Championship, which was ultimately won by Ricochet.
With Lashley sidelined, Shelton Benjamin has transitioned into singles competition. Benjamin recently competed in the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale during AEW Holiday Bash but was eliminated by Josh Alexander. The match came down to Ricochet and Bandido, who are set to face each other next week for the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
Lashley’s absence is a significant setback for The Hurt Syndicate, which has been one of AEW’s most dominant factions since his arrival in October 2024. Earlier this year, Lashley and Benjamin held the AEW World Tag Team Championships for 214 days before dropping the titles.
There is currently no timetable for Lashley’s return, and AEW has not provided further details regarding the injury.
