Bobby Lashley Slams “Black Champion” Term at 2024 AEW Full Gear Media Scrum

Bobby Lashley turned heads at the AEW Full Gear media scrum, but it wasn’t just his dominant win over Swerve Strickland that had everyone talking. Lashley, fresh off forcing Swerve to pass out in The Hurt Lock, delivered a powerful and thoughtful response when asked about representation in wrestling.

During the post-show media scrum Q&A, Kate from Fightful asked Lashley about his experience stepping into a company with several Black champions and what it meant to immediately challenge a former Black World Champion. Lashley didn’t hold back, making it clear that the term “Black Champion” doesn’t sit well with him.

“I don’t like the term ‘Black Champion.’ It’s just a champion. We’ve already normalized that, and that’s what I wanted to achieve—winning a title as a champion, not specifically a ‘Black Champion.’ There are other Black champions, and now we can erase that label and just say ‘champion,’” Lashley said with conviction.

He continued, “Whether someone is Black, Asian, or any other background, they’re simply a champion. It’s great that we’ve reached this point. Thank you, and have a wonderful evening.”

Lashley’s response quickly became the highlight of the media scrum, earning praise for its strong stance on inclusivity and moving beyond labels in professional wrestling. Fans and pundits alike applauded his message, which underscored the importance of viewing champions for their skill and accomplishments rather than their ethnicity.

While MVP’s fiery exchanges with journalists during the scrum added plenty of drama, it was Lashley’s poised and impactful comments that truly stole the show.