Although The Hurt Business is officially in the past under the WWE banner, it may be revived soon outside of the company. It comprised Bobby Lashley, MVP, Cedric Alexander, and Shelton Benjamin.
The beloved faction in WWE was one of the rare highlights during the COVID-19 pandemic era of WWE. At the time, Lashley was the WWE Champion, while Alexander and Benjamin found tag team success.
Despite the success, WWE broke up the Hurt Business in early 2021. Lashley and MVP were kept together, as MVP would be the manager of Lashley, who was pushed as a top star.
They did have a brief reunion run in 2022. In 2023, there was talk of the group getting back together before WWE released Benjamin in a wave of cuts that September. Lashley and MVP opted to leave the company several weeks ago, and they are reportedly looking to reunite the faction with Benjamin.
While doing a K&S WrestleFest virtual signing, MVP discussed scrapped plans for a faction reunion before WWE took a different direction.
MVP said, “We were told we were going to be reunited. I still have a shirt. The shirts were made. Hurt Business on the front. Back in business on the back. They were made. We were told that it was going to happen. Next thing I see, Bobby is with the Street Profits. ‘What happened here?’ I get a call from Bruce (Prichard), ‘Somebody should have called you. Sorry. We decided we’re going in a different direction.’ What the fuck is that? That’s not professional.”
MVP continued by noting that since he’s a pro, he shows up to work and does what he is told. He acknowledges that once you get to a certain level, you do have input into what you do in wrestling.
MVP continued, “It’s one thing when we’re told, ‘We’re going to do this’ and steps have been made, and then there is a pivot without a conversation. That’s not good business. I don’t care what anybody thinks. That’s not how you do business. Needless to say, I was very salty about that. We had Bobby going from a two-time WWE champion to not being in the conversation or in the title picture at all. Got put with The Street Profits [Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins], who were white hot, and they got cooled off. The Street Profits went from being major figures to sitting in catering. I don’t know why. I don’t understand it, but I don’t make decisions in that way.”
Although AEW was the original reported landing spot that Lashley and MVP were considering, they have yet to make their debuts.
H/T to Fightful for the transcription
