Bobby Lashley Talks TNA's Financial Troubles, Motivation and Bellator 162 Fight

Whether he's brawling as one of TNA's top stars or a heavyweight MMA fighter for Bellator, Bobby Lashley prizes the art of the fight.

Shortly after defending the TNA world title at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view in early October, Lashley wrestled a gauntlet of matches during TNA's Impact Wrestling tapings. He is now set to shift his focus and again move into the cage.

On Oct. 21, Lashley will clash with Josh Appelt at Bellator 162.

Lashley has hopped between the worlds of pro wrestling and cagefighting several times over. He relishes his stay in each of them.

"I love what I do. I love the competition of fighting. And I love to wrestle," he told Bleacher Report.

That passion has translated to success as an amateur wrestler, in pro wrestling and in MMA. After briefly starring for WWE, Lashley has since become one of TNA's cornerstones, capturing the promotion's world heavyweight title three times. 

Before that, he was a collegiate national champion three times and an Armed Forces champion in freestyle wrestling. 

Victory has been commonplace for him in MMA, too. Lashley owns a 14-2 record heading into his bout with Appelt. 

Lashley credits his training for being able to thrive in these various forms of the combat arts. 

"I take care of my body. And I stay ready," he said, "I train hard. A lot of people that I train with, they get blown away by how hard I'm able to train."

And when it's time to prepare for a fight rather than a wrestling match, his routine doesn't change.

"I don't like to train different for pro wrestling," Lashley explained.

In his mind, the physical skills needed for sports entertainment and cagefighting are the same.

"You have to be athletic. You have to be strong," he said, "In order to resist injuries and stay healthy, you have to be mobile and agile. You have to be able to have your body work for you."

It helps too that a powerful force fuels him: his children.

"My kids are my biggest motivation. When you have a motivation like that, you have to be solid," he said.

When he is done sweating through a grueling session in the gym, he makes another transformation, from imposing physical presence in the ring to loving dad. 

"I'm not a flashy person. I'm not a person that's always out at the club or in the spotlight" he said. "I'm at home with my kids, reading books, going to the park."

His family life pushes him to win, to earn more.

Lashley recalled his first MMA loss, a TKO at the hands of Chad Griggs in 2010. Suddenly, his take-home for fights wasn't what it once was. Promoters were offering him 10 percent of what he previously earned.

He knows how vital victories are to remaining a valuable commodity on the MMA market.

"Winning is important," he explained. "I don't need a lot for myself. But having three kids, my kids need a lot."

In seeking those wins, little distracts him. When MMA fighters dismissed him for being a "fake" fighter out of his element, he quickly shut that conversation down.

"You need to shut your mouth," he told his critics. "They go to a gym and do jiu-jitsu for a couple of years or they do a little bit of striking and they're there for a couple of years, and they're like, 'I'm a fighter.' I've amateur wrestled, which is a martial art, for 20 years. You're going to erase that because I went to professional wrestling? I can't have a conversation with you about that."

And with rumors circulating about TNA's financial struggles, a potential change in ownership and the company dealing with lawsuits, Lashley pays it all no mind.

Before the Bound for Glory PPV, TNA was reportedly searching for the funds to pay for the show. Richard Morgan of the New York Post wrote, "The wrestling organization spent much of the week negotiating with WWE."

The PPV went on as planned. Lashley put on a strong showing against Ethan Carter III in the marquee match.

The champ wasn't thinking about TNA's issues.

"When I cashed my check, my check went through. I just go do my thing," he said.

It's not a situation he has any control over anyway. Lashley knows that. 

"I can't really do anything. I don't know what's going on with the financial aspect of TNA," he noted. TNA owner Dixie Carter assured him everything would be okay. "That's all I need to know," Lashley said.

And he is happy at TNA.

Like other former WWE wrestlers such as EC III, Aron Rex and Drew Galloway are finding out, their new home offers a less controlling environment. Grapplers are allowed more say in the creative process, in how their interviews and stories will unfold.

With that freedom comes accountability, though.

"We have that chance to succeed, but we have that chance to fail at the same time," Lashley said, "If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it's on you."

So far, it has worked in a major way for Lashley. He has blossomed into a legitimate star under the TNA brand, growing as an all-around performer.

As for his battle with Appelt, he has a simple game plan: Lashley wants to smother the heavy striker.

"I'm going to put pressure on him. A lot of pressure," he said.

As he attempts to do that, the one certainty is that Lashley will be at home. He has shown to be just as comfortable in the cage as he is in the squared circle.

Regardless of the arena, he is the same man—a fighter, a competitor, a father on a mission to provide.

Ryan Dilbert is the WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.