In a candid interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the Hurt Syndicate’s MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin revealed that their current AEW run represents their “last ride” together as a faction, with a specific mission that goes beyond simply collecting championship gold.
“We knew that just realistically speaking, this is the last ride. You know, this is it. We’re, you know, this is our last run and then we’re going to ride off into the sunset,” MVP explained during the interview.
“You know, we’re we’re all in our even though we’re in tremendous shape, you know, we are still in our later years. And the whole idea with what we want to do on our way out the door is make some stars.”
The veteran trio has made it clear their strategy involves building up their own credibility in AEW before transferring that value to the next generation. MVP elaborated on their approach:
“We’re talking about trying to take some of the equity that we’ve built up through the years and now reestablish that equity at AEW and then when the time is right with the right young talent, transfer that equity and make somebody.”
Shelton Benjamin noted they have “a bit more control of our destiny this time” compared to their WWE run as the Hurt Business, which “ended way prematurely.” Benjamin added:
“None of us were happy about that. And by us, I mean everyone. So, the fact that we’re able to come here and give you the product that we want to give you and this everything’s going great and like I said, I’m we’re having the time of our lives.”
This creative freedom appears critical to executing their vision for elevating younger talent in AEW. Bobby Lashley mentioned specific tag teams they’ve already enjoyed working with:
“When we first got there, we went with Private Party and they shocked us at the beginning. Like, I like those guys. I truly like those guys. I think those guys are going to be stars. But then the guns, the guns also, they’re going to be stars also.”
Lashley emphasized their approach to elevating talent:
“It’s not just about us. It’s about making some of these guys. And we don’t know who we were going to make… so far, the teams that we’ve been against, they’ve they’ve actually really impressed us.”
While the group has made it clear they will eventually pursue singles gold (with MVP stating they will hold the tag titles “until we decide as a group that okay, we’re now ready to move on to that next level”), their current focus on tag team excellence and mentorship demonstrates a rare long-term vision in professional wrestling.
For AEW’s developing roster, having established veterans intentionally focused on elevating talent could significantly impact the company’s future stars – exactly as the Hurt Syndicate has planned for their final chapter together.
