and bounce back from what has been a hurtful defeat. | Forum

Whether its competing as a mixed martial artist in Bellators heavyweight division or defending the TNA world championship in pro wrestling, Bobby Lashley has made it look easy as he late shifts between his two passions. Joel Embiid Jersey .Lashley (14-2), 40, will make his return to the cage on Oct. 21 when he puts his seven-fight win streak on the line against Josh Appelt at Bellator 162 in Memphis, Tennessee. But before then, he enters an important pay-per-view card on Sunday with TNA Impact Wrestling, when he headlines Bound For Glory against Ethan Carter III in Orlando.At least that seems to be the plan at the moment.With TNA undergoing financial issues amidst an impending sale, theres some speculation the card may not come off at all -- an issue president Billy Corgan addressed Thursday on The Dan Le Batard Show.Lashley is ready to go regardless, and caught up with ESPN.com to talk about TNA and his own future in the squared circle.ESPN: Whats the hardest part about juggling a pro wrestling and MMA career simultaneously?Bobby Lashley: Obviously, the hardest part is having two promoters that are willing to work with me and work with each other. And I have that. So its not as hard as someone would think, because my schedule with TNA is very light because we usually film five or six shows in one week and then we are off for a month and a half. With everyone else, they are having to go work a full-time job, so its a little harder for them than it is for me. I have all day to work [on MMA training]. So I have a really good schedule for me.ESPN: As you prepare for Sundays PPV, how difficult has it been as a performer knowing the uncertainty regarding TNAs future?BL: For me, I just kind of shut things down. Im not one to read all of the dirt sheets so I have no idea. I went to check online to make sure my plane ticket was still good, and it was, so thats all I know at this point. As far as I know, Im supposed to be doing a match Sunday and if anything changes up until then, its no big deal. If anything changes, Im still training for my fight [at Bellator 162]. I have training people lined up for me in Orlando for when I go. I have my boxing coach who is coming with me and I have a few people I am looking into sparring down there so I already put the heads up to those guys that if things dont work out, Ill just switch gears and drive down to Coconut Creek and Ill go to [American Top Team] and do some work down there. So its not really a big deal to me. I want to be wrestling and I want TNA to stay alive because it has been a great program for me up to this point.ESPN: How would you describe what new president Billy Corgan has brought to TNA?BL: He brings a fresh outlook. Hes just another person to talk to. Billy is a cool guy. He is an open ear, thats one thing. When different people come into your organization, especially what weve been going through, you get kind of worried that somebody is going to push their way in and change everything. He hasnt really done that. He has been really open and has been a huge person to talk to. One thing he always says is, My door is open and here is my personal number so just give me a call. Thats one thing that has been really cool. Because at the end of the day, no one is going to tell us how to do our jobs better than we already know.ESPN: In what ways are you different now as TNA champion than you were one decade ago with WWE?BL: Im a beast now. I have fun with it and I get it. They always say in wrestling that most people dont get it and thats the biggest problem that they have had in wrestling. And when I was in WWE, I didnt get it. I had no idea what I was doing. I was just a pawn in the game. I was put in different positions and just tried to be the best I could be in each of those positions. I had no idea what was going on. I didnt know that then. I know it now because of everything that has changed. Now, I go out there and its real to me. Thats how I bring my character and I think the fans understand that a lot more. They know whats going on.ESPN: How has the portrayal of your pro wrestling character changed since you transitioned into MMA?BL: I think it helps because we are in that transition of reality and right now everything is so up front. So just having an opportunity to fight [in MMA] and then going back [to wrestling] and saying, Look, Im not just a character anymore. So the things that I am saying have a lot of truth and thats what I try to bring in. Im not out there just lying the entire time saying Im tough or this and that. And thats a hard thing to do because we are not actors. We do a bit of acting on TV but we are not actors so we cant go out there and lie and have other people believe it also. So the things that Im saying and the things that Im doing are kind of a shoot most of the time. And thats what Im trying to bring to TNA because Im trying to make it a little different.ESPN: What was your reaction to CM Punks recent UFC debut?BL: I understand what he was trying to do, I just dont know exactly if he was prepared for it. I take my hat off to him for going out there but CM Punk really didnt come from an athletic and competitive background like myself. It was kind of a different situation.ESPN: TNA has made plenty of noise in 2016 with the Matt Hardy-inspired Final Deletion segments. Do you ever envision yourself joining that universe for the right storyline?BL: Oh yeah, oh yeah. I cant wait. That was something that was put together all by Matt Hardy and his brother Jeff and they were allowed to do it. Thats something we have never been allowed to do like that. Thats why I think my character has come so far because I feel comfortable going out there. Thats what everybody has been doing. We go out there with a different kind of swag because we are comfortable. We say what we want and we can do whatever we want. Of course, they pull back on the reins if they have to. One of the best things Ive ever been told is that its better for someone to tell you to slow down than to speed up. Right now, Im not slowing down.ESPN: How many years do you believe you have left in both careers?BL: Fighting, I would say two, maybe three. And its not because my body is not holding up because my body is feeling great. I would say its more because my kids are young. Im a full-time single father so I would like to spend a little bit more time with my kids. When I train for fights my kids understand and they have my back. They are there with me. I want to get to a time when I can focus on them a little bit more. As far as wrestling, it just depends on who I am wrestling for and when Im wrestling. If Im wrestling for TNA and we have kind of the same schedule, s---, I can do that for 10 more years.ESPN: How much does your desire to be a devoted family man cancel the possibility of you one day returning to WWE, considering their demanding schedule?BL: It does to a certain extent. It would have to be the right deal if it was. I dont know if there is even an opportunity. There are certain people in the business who may not want you there and thats why I left the first time. I dont know if there is even a possibility of going back but their schedule is challenging. A lot of their guys are dealing with that. If I were to go back full-time, it would have to be something we sit down and really piece together and make it make sense. I would hate to say yes Im doing it and get back and then its, Oh no. Boo-hoo. What about my kids? I dont want to have a bad attitude. So I would have to really sit down and say this is what we can do.ESPN: Former WWE star Ryback was reportedly in talks with Bellator MMA, although nothing has been agreed to. Considering most fans would look to you as a natural opponent, whats your reaction?BL: Fighting is about money, as we see with Conor [McGregor] getting a [UFC] title shot at 155, bypassing everybody else. There is a fight business aspect of all of this also. I think right now, I dont even know that a commission would allow a guy with 15 fights against somebody with no fights. I dont know if it could happen. But, if its something that they wanted to do, it would be something that we could talk about. But I wouldnt by any means try to call the guy out and I dont know if hes just doing it right now because he just left WWE and is trying to keep his name out. Something like that might be the case. I dont know what his motivation is and I dont know Ryback so close like that so I really dont know. So if he wants to do it I would say by all means get in here and do it. But if hes not serious about it, dont go out there and do it half-assed.ESPN: Do you believe that Bound For Glory will happen on Sunday and that TNA will continue as a brand?BL: Yes, because one thing people dont understand is that [current owner] Dixie [Carter] is not broke. She was never close to being broke. Her parents are billionaires so its not like they dont have the money. They are just trying to make the right deal and thats what we have known all along. I think its just one of those deals where this is business and its going to happen every year. For at least the past five or six years that I have known, around that end of the year point theres always this, Oh no, is TNA going to be sold? Is TNA going here? Is TNA going there? And then next thing you know, bam, everything is fine and then we run again. And then the next year its the same question. I dont know why its the same deal every year and it gets to that point. I think right now they are just trying to make the right deals with the right people. I know a lot of people have their hands in the pot and a lot of people are trying to pitch different things. Whenever the deal is done, its done. Wholesale 76ers Jerseys . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Cheap Swingman 76ers Jerseys . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. http://www.cheap76ersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-julius-erving-jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice.Guillem Balague believes lingering muscle problems could partly explain Lionel Messis dip in form for Barcelona. The Argentina international failed to score for the fifth consecutive game as his side crashed out of the Champions League to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.And Balague, who says Messis recent tendency to drop into midfield is limiting his effectiveness, thinks the Barca star is in pain. Lionel Messi was largely on the periphery as Barcelona were knocked out by Atletico Madrid When asked to explain Messis form on Sky Sports News HQ, Balague said: He has not scored in five games, and Barcelona depend on a very good Messi.Theres two ways to explain this. First, you look at him and hes dropping deeper, hes walking instead of running - although he normally does that - and he doesnt look as sharp. Whats up with Barca? Barcelona out: Reliance on Messi, Neymar and Suarez proves costly When he doesnt feel sharp he doesnt get in the box. As a midfielder, hes good but hes not that great.But you can also explain it in a different way. Minutes after the Atletico Madrid game finished a story came out that he has been struggling with muscle problems. Not an injury as such, but about three weeks ago he went to Venice to see a nutritionist and he was asking him, Why is it I dont feel well at the moment?It could be the training and hes in pain certainly, and all those things have made him perform at a lesser level.Some will say its just excuses, but look back at his last five games and you can see it hasnt been the same Messi. Ive checked with the family and the muscle issues are one of the problems that is worrying him. Antoine Griezmann scored once in each half to send Atletico Madrid into the Champions League semi-finals Barca have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, but sit three points clear of Atletico in La Liga and remain on course for a league and cup double.And Balague believes La Liga and Copa Del Rey titles will still represent a strong season, even if they failed in their pursuit of back-to-back trebles. This is what were used to seeing from Lionel Messi. Maurice Cheeks Jersey. They can still win the league and the cup, but nobody is talking about that because it has been a surprising demise in the last month, he added.Winning after winning is so difficult and to keep at that level for so long is almost impossible.Imagine if they do win the league, it means they will have had a good season, but if they also beat Sevilla in the cup, its a very good season. But at this point the Champions League blurs everything else and it looks like something is missing. Luis Enrique took full responsibility for Barcelonas Champions League defeat The main culprit according to the media in Catalonia is Luis Enrique, who hasnt done some of the things that made Barcelona good last season.Enrique has to be the coach and say Neymar you havent scored since mid-March and Messi perhaps you should rest too.But now there are seven games left and its difficult to tell them that because everyone wants to play as soon as possible and bounce back from what has been a hurtful defeat. Win a t-lab Peloton t-shirt We have teamed up with original British mens t-shirt label t-lab in our new giveaway Also See: Whats up with Barca? Griezmann knocks Barca out How Spain reacted to Barca loss Enrique: Im to blame for exit Nike NFL Jerseys ChinaJerseys NFL CheapCheap NFL T-shirtsWholesale NFL White JerseysWholesale NFL Camo JerseysChina JerseysCheap Jerseys China ' ' '