Bully Ray Explodes Over AEW Booking That Made Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin Look Weak

AEW’s latest Fighter Fest episode triggered a strong reaction from Bully Ray, who didn’t hold back on Busted Open After Dark when breaking down what he saw as one of the most unbelievable segments involving the Hurt Syndicate.

During the show, a six-man tag match featured Commander, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight picking up a win. But the aftermath led to a confrontation that left Bully absolutely furious. As Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin entered the ring to assert dominance, Knight and Bailey fought them off with basic offense—something Bully found completely unrealistic. After laying out what happened, Bully snapped on the air.

“Commander and Speedball and Kevin Knight win the match and back out comes Hurt Syndicate. And they said, ‘Alright, you got your trios match next week, but we’re gonna give you a dose of what you can expect next week right now.’”

“And Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin get in the ring—and Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey proceed to beat them down. Not beat them down, but you know… dropkick, dropkick, something here, something there. And they bumped out Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley. Complete, total, utter bullsh*t. No way. I’m not buying it. I’m not buying it on any day of the week. I’m not buying it in any federation. I’m not buying it. No way.”

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Bully continued his rant by saying there were smarter ways to book the segment that wouldn’t damage the credibility of Lashley and Benjamin.

“There’s creative ways to get to what you wanted to get to. Not the way they did it. Straight up with those babyfaces just like—dropkick, dropkick, forearm, forearm. Nobody’s doing that to Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. Even in the world of pro wrestling.”

“You know what actually came to mind when I saw that? The Rock’s tweet to La Greca: ‘Yep, it’s all a work.’ Because that’s the only way that happens.”

This kind of criticism from someone with Bully Ray’s background is sure to get noticed—not just by AEW’s creative team but by fans who see Lashley and Shelton as legitimate threats. The decision to make them look weak in that segment could cost AEW in terms of credibility if it continues.

Elsewhere on the podcast, another intense moment came from a backstage promo involving Will Ospreay and MJF. Things got personal when MJF crossed the line.

“There was a backstage promo with Ospreay, but MJF crashed it. MJF is talking a bunch of shit to Ospreay—and then MJF brought up Ospreay’s son. And that infuriated Ospreay. He grabbed him, jacked him up against the wall. And as soon as he did that, in walks MVP.”

That brief moment had major heat, with Ospreay immediately swarmed by Shelton and Bobby. Even Bully admitted Ospreay was smart to back off, saying:

“Then up from behind Ospreay comes Shelton and Big Bob. And Ospreay had second thoughts of putting his hands on MJF. So would I. Those are scary, intimidating men.”

This segment added a layer of real-life tension to the ongoing feud, as bringing up someone’s child is always a controversial move in wrestling. Whether this angle pays off or backfires depends on how AEW follows up from here.

AEW is clearly trying to raise the stakes ahead of their next big event, but according to Bully Ray, they might be taking shortcuts that fans won’t forgive.

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