AEW's MVP Opens Up About WWE & TNA Origins Of Group Now Known As The Hurt Syndicate

The Hurt Syndicate has proven to be one of the strongest and more entertaining factions on AEW television today, and their success can be credited to the chemistry they have together both on-screen, but also in real-life. MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin are not only partners in the wrestling world, but have been best friends long before arriving to AEW. In a recent interview with "The F Y'all Podcast," MVP revealed that he was well connected with Lashley and Benjamin before they started their run as The Hurt Business in WWE, explaining how he worked with each talent individually beforehand.

"So when I left WWE, I asked for my release, cause I just wasn't enjoying wrestling anymore and I wanted to go wrestle in Japan because that was always my dream to wrestle in Japan. WWE was my goal. Japan was my dream, and when I was over there they told me, 'hey man you need a tag team partner,' ... so I called Shelton, I said 'man you want to come wrestle in Japan be my tag team partner,' he's like 'yeah sign me up.'"  

MVP went into detail about being given opportunity to become one of TNA's top talents following his career in WWE, but a major injury cause him to be sidelined, allowing Lashley to fill the role he was originally supposed to be given.

"I went to Impact and I was supposed to win the Impact World Heavyweight Title, but I was in England on an independent show and I blew out my knee. So they came up with this idea, 'Do you know Bobby Lashley,' I said 'yeah he's a good friend of mine.' 'So how do you feel about us bringing him in where you bring him in to be your ringer and he competes for you and he wins the title?' I said 'let's do it.'" 

After MVP detailed his individual relationship with both Lashley and Benjamin, he explained how the Hurt Business was initially given the green light in WWE. Following the 2020 Royal Rumble, MVP was originally slated to be in a producing position, but then was released from his duties to fulfill his managerial role alongside his two best friends.

"I got a text message, you've been released from your contract. Then I got a text message on Friday that they needed me at TV on Monday. So I said, 'I think you guys made a mistake' ... Paul Heyman, he's the reason that I was able to come back, cause he set everything up." MVP said. "So in summation, initially it was Bobby's idea and then Bobby and Shelton were talking about it and they said, no, MVP's that guy and it came together. And the reason it works is because it's organic. Like I said, I gave you that background, these guys are my friends, they're my brothers. We made money in different companies all around the world. We really hang out, we train together, we eat together. So it's not a group with just two random guys."

The Hurt Syndicate still reign as the AEW World Tag Team Champions, where both Lashley and Benjamin are currently inching towards 70 days with the titles. The group defeated Private Party this past January on "AEW Dynamite" to capture the championships, and have defended the titles on two occasions ever since. It remains to be seen if AEW will continue to feature The Hurt Syndicate in the tag team division going forward, or if Lashley and Benjamin could be penciled in for singles gold in the near future.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The F Y'all Podcast" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.