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Bobby Lashley is not Brock Lesnar.
The two men have similar backgrounds – amateur wrestling to pro-wrestling to MMA – and similar builds – gigantic – but that's where the similarities end. Unfortunately, because of those readily apparent comparisons, as well as a few prominent differences, it's all too easy for fans and commentators to think of the two as inexorably connected.
In other words, people want Lashley to be the Strikeforce promotion's answer to the UFC's Lesnar. And they want it now.
Unfortunately, Lashley has other plans. The former WWE champion who is currently 4-0 and scheduled for his Strikeforce debut this weekend against Wes Sims, readily admits he's still an up-and-comer. He has no need to jump to the front of the line and immediately start fighting former champions, the way Lesnar did. The fact that he and Strikeforce both caught flack this past month for trying to schedule what seemed like an easy tune-up fight seemed to rankle him just a little bit.
"I just want some of these critics to let me know who I'm supposed to be fighting," Lashley told me when I interviewed him for The Rumble a couple weeks ago. "Right now I'm 4-0, so who am I supposed to be fighting? What level am I at?"
Part of Lashley's complaint seems justified. He truly is a relative rookie in MMA, so it's not totally inexcusable that he should have a couple of tune-up fights against seemingly overmatched competition like Sims, or previous opponents Bob Sapp and Jason Guida. Or, for that matter, the two men – Yohan Banks and Jimmy Ambriz – who the Florida State Boxing commission refused to sanction as his first Strikeforce foes, citing a lack of competitive balance.
"I think that I'm ready for some really good competition," Lashley said. "For me, I want to be in this sport for awhile, so I don't feel like I need to jump up and fight Fedor tomorrow or fight Alistair Overeem tomorrow. I think I'm building and fighting where I'm at, that's the right thing to do. Where I'm at is 4-0, so I look for opponents that are around that same caliber. As I move on, I'll start to get bigger and better opponents."
That seems reasonable enough. But here's the trouble: If Lashley is fighting rookie-level opponents and thinking of himself as a rookie-level fighter, he should rightly be receiving a rookie-level paycheck and a rookie-level position on Saturday night's fight card. Unfortunately, those factors aren't balanced right now. Lashley's booked to fight on the main card of "Strikeforce: Miami," which will air live on Showtime. Something also tells me he's going to be one of the evening's highest-paid athletes.
If that's going to be the norm – and it definitely is, since Strikeforce clearly also wouldn't argue with Lashley taking on several Lesnar-esque qualities, including his drawing power – then the promotion needs to hurry up and get him a fight with someone credible. Sims, who washed out of the UFC proper before washing out of the most recent season of "The Ultimate Fighter," should make nice fodder. After that, Lashley better darn well get in the cage with someone like Brett Rogers or Shane Del Rosario.
Otherwise fans are going to start calling shenanigans.
The truth is, Lashley is a great prospect. He's a nice guy, a decent interview and gives every indication of being a decent fighter, too. But this isn't boxing. Strikeforce can't expect to coddle him with a dozen easy fights before testing the waters against someone good. MMA fans demand more and after Sunday, they'll demand to see Lashley get tested.
Lashley may not be Brock Lesnar … yet … but if he has any hope of following in the UFC heavyweight champion's footsteps, he better start acting a little bit more like him. At least inside the cage.
Chad Dundas is the Lead MMA Editor for The Sporting News and writes a weekly column for CraveOnline. He lives in Missoula, MT.
