Opinion by lexluthor

While watching Smackdown Friday night, I noticed something new. Lashley is getting more confident in his promos. True, the backstage promo between he and Booker T may have needed multiple takes (we’ll never know), but Lashley exuded confidence. This is a promising development for the WWE.

Up until recent weeks, Lashley was always an intimidating figure, but he had no personality. WWE let his actions do the talking, which can be effective, but not effective enough to make a true superstar. A superstar has to be impressive both in the ring and out. Just look at USA network’s promotion of the WWE (and it’s other shows). Two words say it all: “characters welcome.”

Batista is a perfect example. He’s a dominating presence, but at first he served as the enforcer for Evolution. Enforcers are plentiful in the business, but their physical presence isn’t always enough to get them to the very top. A recent example of this is Tyson Tomko– he served as Christian’s body guard, but when WWE tried to push him, he got no crowd response. Batista, however, was made popular by his membership in Evolution. Despite his popularity, he wasn’t a top star–until he got a personality. WWE put him in the spotlight, let him speak, and the rest is history. He won the Royal Rumble and defeated HHH at Wrestlemania.

Lashley doesn’t even have to cut long promos. Batista usually doesn’t. He just needs the ability to intimidate with words. His character is much like Batista’s: focused, confident and strong. Batista has gotten over huge with that character.

But here’s the difference between Batista and Lashley: Lashley will prove to be the better performer. Lashley has an amateur wrestling background, and it shows in during his matches. Kurt Angle and Shelton Benjamin are two notable WWE wrestlers with amateur backgrounds, and both of them are superior in-ring talents. Once Lashley puts it all together, he can be, too.

With the combination of wrestling ability and a little bit of character, Lashley can go a long way. The remainder of the “King of the Ring” tournament will be telling in how fast WWE wants to push him to the top. Becoming “King of the Ring” would be a huge stepping-stone for Lashley, even if the tournament isn’t as high profile as it used to be.

Whether or not he wins the tournament, look for his feuds to become more high-profile as the summer and fall wear on. Mark it down now–Lashley wins next year’s Royal Rumble, and faces off for the title at Wrestlemania. That’s how good I think this guy is going to be. A potential Batista v. Lashley match could be a huge moneymaker for the WWE if booked right. 2007 will be the year of Bobby Lashley.