4 Years Later: WWE’s Reckless Decision Appears Worse with AEW’s Rise

Revival of The Hurt Business: A Tale of Missed Opportunities

The landscape of WWE has transformed significantly in recent years, particularly following its strategic alignment with TKO Sports Group. This partnership has catalyzed a robust global expansion, resulting in historically high profits. Alongside these business advancements, there’s been a notable boost in morale among the superstars, largely attributed to the innovative leadership of Triple H. However, it raises the question: why couldn’t these positive changes have occurred sooner?

The Rise and Fall of The Hurt Business

A Faction That Shined During Tough Times

Throughout the challenging period of the pandemic from 2020 to 2021, The Hurt Business emerged as one of WWE’s standout factions. This powerhouse group comprised Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, and MVP, during which Lashley held the WWE Championship for an impressive 196 days, while Benjamin and Alexander dominated the World Tag Team Championships for 84 days. Yet, in just three years, three of its four members have departed WWE. What led to this downturn?

Why WWE Disbanded The Hurt Business

Analyzing the Disbandment

It has become increasingly clear that The Hurt Business was never given the opportunity to reach their full potential. Lashley has been outspoken about his discontent regarding the faction’s trajectory post-pandemic. In an interview with K&S WrestleFest, he candidly expressed his views on how WWE managed the group.

“We were on half the show most of the time. We came out of the pandemic, and people started resurfacing, ‘Oh, I’m ready to work.’ What about the guys who were putting the time in during this dangerous time? We got overlooked. That was a little bit of a spit in the face.”

Reflecting on the situation, Lashley believes that the previous creative team at WWE only viewed The Hurt Business as viable during the pandemic when many top stars were unavailable. Although Lashley continued to receive opportunities to compete for the United States Championship, Benjamin and Alexander found themselves sidelined with diminishing screen time.

Moreover, MVP has revealed some internal conflicts that contributed to the dissolution of The Hurt Business. In a now-deleted tweet, he disclosed that former Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon envisioned transforming the faction into “Nation of Domination 2.0, ” inspired by a controversial group from the 90s. This direction clearly did not resonate well with the members, leading to irreconcilable differences and their eventual exit to AEW.

AEW: A New Chapter for The Hurt Business

How AEW Is Correcting WWE’s Mistakes

Since making their debut on AEW Dynamite in November 2024, the trio has been brilliantly rebranded as The Hurt Syndicate. Notably, their swift ascension, culminating in Lashley and Benjamin capturing the AEW World Tag Team Championships, serves as a powerful counter to their previous treatment in WWE.

During a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, Benjamin shared his own reflections on the end of The Hurt Business after speaking with McMahon.

“We’ve gone as far as we can with The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business was around for eight months before he pulled the plug. When he said that, it was almost like you want to cry inside because nothing I do seems to help. I knew then, I don’t really have a future here…”

Currently, while Cedric Alexander remains with WWE, Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP’s resurgence in AEW illustrates just how reckless WWE’s decision was to dismantle The Hurt Business. Their absence has not only left a void of talent but also resonated negatively on WWE’s creative credibility under the previous management.

Comprising veteran performers who sacrificed greatly during the pandemic, The Hurt Business had the potential for substantial storytelling opportunities with a dynamic like Lashley’s championship reign and MVP’s skills as a manager. Ironically, shortly after they were dissolved, WWE witnessed the successful emergence of factions like The Bloodline, highlighting the immense potential WWE overlooked.

Now reestablished as The Hurt Syndicate, Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP are poised to make their mark in AEW, where they undoubtedly deserve the spotlight. It presents a unique opportunity for Tony Khan to solidify their legacy, further compelling WWE to reconsider its past missteps.

Sources: K&S Wrestlefest; Talk Is Jericho

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