Josh Barnett has nothing but positive things to say about Bobby Lashley.
The MMA and pro-wrestling star spoke about the All Mighty One during a recent appearance on Comedy Store Wrestling, where he praised the former world champion’s insane athletic ability and amateur wrestling background. Barnett even recalls competing against Lashley, who he calls one of the “sickest athletes” ever, in a shoot grappling matchup. Full highlights from Barnett’s conversation can be found below.
Says he would be curious to see Lashley and Lesnar face-off in a takedown battle:
He’s (Bobby Lashley) such a sick freak, and to the point where if him and Brock Lesnar were to face off and do two-out-of-three for takedowns, I don’t know who’s gonna win. In fact, I might even be convinced to bet on Bobby and that’s not to say that Brock is bad. No, no, no. By no means am I actually casting any aspersions upon Brock Lesnar’s wrestling abilities because I know they are top notch. He’s a stud, guaranteed, I back it.
Says Lashley’s amateur wrestling ability gets slept on:
Bobby is slept on for his amateur wrestling and I wrested Tony Nelson who’s a two-time NCAA Champion. At that time, he’s probably like 250. I’m in on a single and I’m trying to run the pipe and move him around and I step in, elevate him. I’ve torqued his underside leg and I think I got him going down, like I’m gonna score it and somehow like a f*cking cat, you know what I mean? With the butter side bread on it like that little meme, he just lands right on his all fours, pops back up, keeps fighting and goes after three different takedown options off of every defense I throw and then finishes and I just go, ‘F*ck you Bobby. That’s some bullsh*t. I’m not even gonna pull the athleticism card. I’m just gonna say you’re nuts. It’s insane how much you’re able to manage a sort of thing’ but, I have taken Bobby down before and you know it’s true Bobby. Come on, you gotta know it. You gotta admit it so I’ve taken Bobby down but, the score is still in his favor.
Calls Lashley one of the sickest athletes he’s ever seen:
He’s one of the sickest athletes I’ve ever come across, an incredible wrestler, I love how smooth he is and how quick his transitions can be and one guy at the gym was gonna spar him and he tells me later, he goes, he sees Bobby across the ring, he’s like, ‘Alright.’ They’re doing MMA sparring, they got the MMA gloves on. Looking at him and he feels like, he describes it as Bobby’s on one side of the cage and he’s on the other and Bobby basically makes a level change and goes, ‘There’s no way he’s gonna shoot –’ and all of a sudden, he’s in on him from some insane distance, as fast as he could blink and down he goes.
WWE was building up for Lashley to take on Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 39, but that seems to have been put on hold. You can read about that here.
(H/T and transcribed by Post Wrestling)