Former WWE superstar and Strikeforce MMA heavyweight fighter Bobby Lashley (5-0) spoke to MMAFighting.com to hype his Saturday night fight on Showtime. Lashley was asked the question on a lot of people’s minds lately – will he fight fellow wrestler-turned-fighter Batista?

Lashley says he’s heard the rumors, he keeps getting asked about it .. He knows its a fight people want to see .. He would rather focus on the Heavyweight title and fight guys with better records than him – so if he fought Batista, it would have to be his next fight .. He spoke about pro wrestling for a few minutes, including whether he’d ever return.

It’s a good interview – Lashley starts talking about Batista around the 9:25 mark.

Former two-time ECW Champion, former WWE United States Champion, former TNA superstar, & current Strikeforce fighter, Bobby Lashley, was the special guest on this week’s live edition (08/09/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. Bobby joined The Big Mosh, Jimmy Noonan, & “The Chairman of the Board” Todd Vincent for his debut on “Your Home of Wrestling Radio” (to preview next Saturday night’s “Strikeforce: Houston” event on Showtime).

Click Here to listen to an MP3 of Bobby Lashley’s appearance on Monday Night Mayhem.

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

Why we may see Lashley vs. Dave Bautista in Strikeforce sooner vs. later (potentially as early as this fall): “I have a lot of respect for Dave, I like Dave. For me, what I’m trying to do in my career is trying to build and build up into bigger & better competition. As far as fighting Dave after this fight, I’ll do the fight right away. If he’s serious about doing this, then let’s do it. I think they might have a show in October or November sometime around there; if he wants to do it, let’s do it then. I’m not really willing to wait ’till next year or anytime after that; I’m moving forward in my career. After this fight, I’m looking at the Arlovski’s, the Fedor’s, the Brett Rogers’. That’s who I set my targets on, so when you talk about that Dave, that fight needs to be done right away, so I could keep moving forward.”

How he was “torn” between leaving TNA Wrestling & transitioning into a full-time MMA career with Strikeforce: “At first when I wanted to do it, I talked to all the higher-ups in TNA, and we tried to put together a plan where I could still wrestle, because when you’re a wrestler, it’s in your blood. So I wanted to wrestle, but I also wanted to fight, and I was torn between the two, and with the TNA schedule, I could do both. We had a couple of things that weren’t going together right, and like I said before, I’m trying to build up my competition, and I’m trying to get tougher & tougher opponents as I go, so at one point in time I had to make a decision on which one I was gonna do. I was either gonna be a full-time wrestler, or I was going to fight full-time. That window of fighting is only open for a short amount of time, because it requires so much dedication, training, sparring, & everything else, so I had to step away from TNA and just focus on training.”

Why it wouldn’t make sense for Bautista to fight anyone else but him for his first MMA fight & who he thinks has the potential to put together a “dream fight” between himself and Brock Lesnar: “I’m gonna say the fight that you want me to say first. I wanna have that fight with Batitsta. Nothing against him or anything, but I think for him to take any other fight would be a waste of his time. If he really wants to get into fighting, I think it wouldn’t make any sense for him to get in there and fight anyone else. I don’t think it would make any sense. As far as other fights, I would love to fight Fedor before he retires. I think he is pound for pound the best fighter in the world. I think another fight would be Brock. I’ve been asked that every single day by someone. ‘When are you gonna fight Brock? When you gonna take down Brock?’ I would love to see that fight with Brock happen. If Dana White won’t let it happen, or Scott Coker won’t let it happen, maybe Vince would let it happen…”

What professional wrestling & MMA fans can expect in his August 21st fight against Chad Griggs at “Strikeforce: Houston” on Showtime: “There are a lot of good fights on that card, and unless you’re real hardcore MMA fans, you may not know some of the guys, but if you go check them out, there are some great fighters. My fight: You’re gonna see a side of me that you saw in wrestler, but now you’re going to see it in the cage, and I’m going after this guy, and I’m going to suck the life out of this guy and pound him.”

More is contained in this exclusive interview with Lashley, including his candid thoughts/comments on which promotion he feels has grown the most since his respective departures from WWE & TNA, which of his former colleagues in professional wrestling he pays the most attention to/follows today, along with a sneak preview of the forthcoming “EA Sports MMA” video game (being released this fall). While gearing up for “Strikeforce: Houston” & Bobby’s return into the octagon, be sure to check Lashley’s network online: his official website (located at www.FightBobby.com), his official Facebook page (located at www.Facebook.com/FightBobby), his official Twitter page (located at www.Twitter.com/FightBobby), plus the official website of Bobby’s gym: the American Team Altitude (located at: www.ATTAltitude.com).

* Video Of Batista’s MMA Training: The Next Brock Lesnar?

Former WWE superstar Dave Batista was interviewed this week by Fight Magazine and spoke about his transition from pro wrestling to Mixed Martial Arts. Batista discusses:

– What led him to pursue an MMA career

– What he wants to accomplish in MMA

– Not liking the direction of the pro wrestling industry

– What his biggest asset will be in the cage

– Whether he’s spoken to Brock Lesnar or Bobby Lashley about the transition to MMA

Here’s the video:

Batista vs. Lashley in a cage?

When news broke that former WWE superstar Batista was entering the world of Mixed Martial Arts and will be fighting for the Strikeforce MMA promotion later this year, speculation began immediately that we could see him fight against fellow WWE alum Bobby Lashley (5-0).

Lashley was a part of Strikeforce’s media conference call this afternoon and commented on a possible showdown in the cage with Batista. Lashley said he’s open to fighting Batista if Strikeforce pushes the fight, but he’d rather focus on more experienced fighters in his quest for Heavyweight gold:

“It’s not really the direction I want to move (in), but if it’s worth it and they really think he’s ready and Strikeforce wants me to fight him, I’ll take the fight. I’ve had a good game plan up to this point and I really want to move in the right direction. Dave’s just starting out. I’m looking to better myself and get better opponents each time. I’m not disrespecting Dave at all, but he’s new to the game. That’s definitely a fight for the fans, but not so much for my career.”

Lashley’s next fight takes place later this month on August 21st against Chad Griggs at Strikeforce: Houstson on Showtime.

* VIDEO of BATISTA Training MMA

— TMZ.com has posted the first action photos of former WWE Champion Batista doing some full-contact sparring in preparation for his transition into the world of mixed martial arts. According to the story, there are rumblings that he could fight fellow former WWE performer Bobby Lashley.

Batista has been in San Francisco training with Cesar Gracie, who has trained numerous top fighters. TMZ cites sources as saying the former WWE star is moving closing on a finalizing contract to get in the ring by “early next year.”

— The Bella Twins and Eve Torres indicated yesterday on Twitter that former WWE star Carlito has joined the social networking website. His account is located at twitter.com/carlitocolon.

— SLAM! Wrestling has posted an article reviewing a recent DVD release entitled Missy Hyatt’s Pajama Party.

The video can be described as a shoot interview done in slumber party format, with the self-proclaimed “First Lady of Wrestling” joined by TNA Knockout Lacey Von Erich and independent wrestler Amy Lee. Decked out in skimpy lingerie on a pink bed, the three blonde bombshells mainly discuss wrestling and sex, with a few party games thrown in such as “Truth or Dare” and “F-Marry-Kill.”

— Former WWE Champion Batista announced last night on Monday Night Mayhem that he is working on a project to raise awareness for cancer research, “Batista vs. Cancer.”

Batista filmed an eight-minute video drawing attention to ovarian cancer in an effort to raise money for research. His ex-wife, Angie, recently went through a battle with ovarian cancer.

To view the video, click here.

— Shawn Michaels has posted a video on YouTube thanking fans for finding his official website and following him on Twitter. He is shown wearing a fat suit in the video.

— Former WWE, WCW and TNA performer Erik Watts donated $1,000 to the Will Grason Foundation at the 1st Annual Will Grason Memorial Pro Wrestling Show held on July 24. Grason was the nine-year-old son of Mark and Freda Grason, who drowned on May 6, 2010. The event raised over $3,700.

— Former WWE Superstar Batista will announce his first post-WWE project tomorrow night on Monday Night Mayhem. The following synopsis was released: “In a “Summer of Mayhem 2010” exclusive, “The Animal” Batista will step into the MNM squared circle to announce his first post-WWE project. Rumors have been swirling about what the former six-time World Heavyweight Champion will be doing next, including a transition into the world of MMA with Strikeforce. The former WWE superstar separates fact from fiction only on Monday Night Mayhem.”

Chris Jericho will also join the program to give “his uncensored thoughts on the direction of TNA and the HardCORE Justice pay-per-view. Fans can listen to the show via www.mondaynightmayhem.com.

— The Sydney Morning Herald has a brief note on WWE Diva Kelly Kelly’s secret talent.

“I can burp the alphabet,” she tells the newspaper. “The burping comes out after a few drinks.”

— The documentary portion of WWE’s DVD release, Ricky Steamboat: The Life Story of the Dragon, will air on pay-per-view in September.

— Friday’s SmackDown broadcast in New York City on WWOR-TV will be preempted until 11:00 p.m. due to the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game.

— WWE announced at last night’s live Raw event in Daytona Beach, Florida that a Monday Night Raw taping will be held in Orlando at the Amway Arena on Nov. 22.

– As you’ve probably noticed here on the site, WWE has already taped next week’s RAW, NXT and SmackDown shows. The WWE SmackDown crew will be leaving the United States today for a a 5-day tour of Australia that will run from Saturday through Wednesday. The RAW roster will be leaving the United States later this week for live events in Japan on Friday and Saturday.

– Former WWE superstar Batista was spotted at a Washington Nationals Major League Baseball game this week.

– Tuesday’s NXT show drew a 1.01 cable rating and averaged 1,431,000 viewers.

– R-Truth and Dusty Rhodes will be appearing at Friday night’s Florida Championship Wrestling event from Punta Gorda, Florida.

— Live tonight on Raw, three Superstars will compete in a Triple Threat Match to determine WWE Champion Sheamus’ opponent at SummerSlam. The match will feature Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge for the WWE Title opportunity.

— There were no serious injuries coming out of last night’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, reports www.F4WOnline.com.

— Former WWE star Batista is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Ironpoy, a fitness, lifestyle and leisure magazine. The cover can be viewed here.

Former WWE wrestler Batista created a lot of buzz earlier this month when he announced to TMZ.com that he will be fighting for the Strikeforce MMA promotion and already had his first opponent picked out.

The latest is that a deal still has not been reached between Batista and Strikeforce, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the negotiations and brought up the idea of pitting Batista against fellow former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley, who is currently under contract with Strikeforce.

When recently asked about facing Bobby Lashley in the cage, Batista said he would do it, but he wants a few fights to build to Lashley. Scott Coker thinks if they can get Lashley vs. Batista on CBS with a good semi-main event then they can do big ratings.

Lashley is still recovering from a knee injury that caused his most recent fight to be postponed. Lashley’s recovery is actually behind schedule and he will be out of action a bit longer than initially expected.

In training for his MMA debut, Batista has hired a wrestling coach, a boxing coach and a jiu jitsu coach.

Check Out: VIDEO of BATISTA Training For His MMA Debut

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

To follow up on Monday’s news that former WWE superstar Batista claims he’s signed with the Strikeforce MMA promotion and has his first fight lined up already …

– Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz toldMMAFighting.com that the company has not signed former WWE Champion Dave Batista.

– TMZ.com, which broke the original story of Batista headed to Strikeforce, caught up with former WWE & TNA star Booker T, who got into a legitimate scuffle with Batista back in 2006. Booker T says he doesn’t think Batista can “match up” with some of the big boys in Strikeforce. In fact, Booker says Batista wouldn’t last 5 minutes in the cage with Bobby Lashley or any of Stikeforce’s other heavyweight fighters.

What do you guys think – is Batista’s Strikeforce deal legit, and if so – does he have a chance of being successful?

Former WWE Superstar Dave Batista made his first public comments since leaving the company at last night’s Strikeforce MMA show in Los Angeles, California.

Batista said he left WWE because he didn’t like the direction the company was going in and that he does not plan on returning anytime soon.

Batista continues to workout at the Affliction MMA gym, but is more focused on his acting career than becoming a professional MMA fighter.

Batista’s final appearance on WWE programming was the May 24th edition of WWE Raw in which the company did an angle where he “quit” on-screen after losing to John Cena in an “I Quit” Match at WWE’s Over The Limit pay-per-view. In reality, his contract was up and he didn’t re-sign.

Sources from Batista’s camp have indicated he’ll be back to finish up his WWE career but based on Batista’s comments last night, those plans may have changed.

– Former WWE superstar Batista was ringside at last night’s Strikeforce MMA event from Los Angeles, California. Several MMA news sites are reporting that Batista was telling people that he does not plan on returning to WWE and was unhappy there for a long time before leaving. Batista is a big MMA fan and has been training at various MMA camps across the country in recent months, but has his sights set on acting and has been auditioning regularly since leaving WWE.

– In related news, Bill Goldberg, Chavo Guerrero and Ernest Miller were also at Strikeforce last night.

– As we reported earlier this week, RAW superstar Edge will be starring in a new WWE action-comedy called “Chasing the Hawk.” The movie will begin filming this coming August from New Orleans, where WWE has filmed all of its recent movies.

– Tuesday’s episode of NXT Season 2 drew a 0.89 cable rating and averaged 1,306,000 viewers. The 0.89 rating is down 17% from last week’s 1.07, which was the season 2 premiere and the night after the NXT invasion angle.

Here’s a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

– There will be a major update on The Undertaker’s future after the injury he suffered last week. Much of the show will focus on the Undertaker’s situation.

- World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger vs. MVP.

- WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre.

- Rosa Mendes vs. Kelly Kelly.

- There will be a Battle Royal & the winner gets a World Heavyweight title shot.

Read More: *Spoilers* WWE Smackdown Tapings Results For Friday

— On Twitter, Melina noted watching the season finale of Lost with John Morrison. When asked if they are dating, she admitted yes.

She responded “Jomo or Duct Tape? Hee hee. John Definitely is.” to the following queries: “@marywwefan “are you two dating?” @ApexPredatorKM “so he’s your constant? Desmond and Penny with pyro?”

— As seen this past Monday night on Raw, Batista announced he was quitting WWE after refusing to take part in Fatal 4-Way qualifying match against Randy Orton. His profile has since been removed from the Raw roster page and placed in the WWE Alumni section. WWE has yet to make an official announcement concerning his apparent departure from the company.

— In other roster moves, WWE has added Bret Hart to its Raw roster page. Also, Carlito was removed from the page Wednesday, days after his release from the organization.

(source: f4wonline.com)

– Ted DiBiase suffered a concussion very early in his match with R-Truth this past Sunday night at Over The Limit when Truth slapped him across the face and knocked him loopy. Despite this, DiBiase continued to work, taking several more bumps before the bout was prematurely concluded.

DiBiase is expected to be kept out the ring for a few weeks so he can heal. He did not compete at last night’s Raw taping in Toledo, Ohio.

– Mike Jones, who was brought back to WWE to reprise his “Virgil” bodyguard character, is working on a show-by-show basis. It remains unclear at this time whether he will be a permanent fixture on Raw.

– The decision to debut “the mystery trio” seen last night on Raw was made last week after plans for The Colóns to feud with The Hart Dynasty were dashed as a result of Carlito’s refusal to enter a company-mandated rehabilitation program. More call-ups from developmental are expected as it believed that one or two more FCW workers will be summoned to the main roster in the near future.

– The submission hold Batista has been utilizing as of late was featured on Blake Norton’s recently released documentary profiling WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, Surviving the Dungeon. In the piece, Hart can be seen placing the scissored armbar on Norton and referring to it as “The Stu Lock.”

WWE champion John Cena posted a few messages on his Twitter page (Twitter.com/WWEJCena) this morning regarding Randy Orton’s shoulder injury, Batista “quitting” WWE, and Shawn Michaels’s retirement. Here’s what Cena said about:

Randy Orton’s Injury: “I do not know Randy Orton’s condition so I really don’t want to speak on his behalf although I do hope he is well. I have said it time and time again about him, he is one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

Batista “Quitting” WWE: “As for Batista, I never know how permanent ‘quitting’ really is. The only two I’ve seen quit, and truly not come back yet are JBL and HBK.”

After a number of fans jumped on Cena’s remark that Shawn Michaels “quit” WWE, Cena clarified his comment by saying, “Sorry, outpouring of tweets are correct. HBK did retire, which isn’t as angry as quitting.”

It was just announced that WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart is the new General Manager of RAW.  SEScoops.com reported the news earlier today.

Bret Hart came out and confronted Batista, who was in the ring in a wheel chair. Bret said at Fatal 4 Way, John Cena will defend the WWE Championship against 3 other superstars in one match and we’ll see qualifying matches later in the show. Bret told Batista that he’ll get a rematch against Cena at Fatal 4 Way if he can defeat Randy Orton tonight. Batista says he’s unable to wrestle and will quit WWE if Bret makes him face Orton. Bret declared the match a forfeit and announced that Randy Orton qualifies. Batista didn’t think Bret or the audience believed his threat that he’d leave WWE and the wrestling industry completely – but went off in a rage and swore that he was done and screamed “I Quit”. The crowed jeered Batista as he left the ring for the last time.

So Batista is gone from WWE and Randy Orton is the first superstar to qualify for the RAW main event at Fatal 4 Way.

Sheamus also defeated Mark Henry in a qualifying match, so its John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. 1 more superstar.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— Batista’s match with John Cena at Over The Limit was originally scheduled to be a “Loser Leaves WWE” match, but changed to an “I Quit” match in large part as a result of TNA holding the very same bout in Tara vs. Madison Rayne this past Sunday at Sacrifice. Company officials also felt that a “Loser Leaves WWE” match wouldn’t be good in case Batista decided to return sooner than expected.

Regarding Batista’s future with WWE, it is being kept a secret from almost everyone in the organization.

— To correct a story from last week, John Cena only passed 1,000 days as champion if you include his two World Heavyweight title runs with his WWE title runs. As of today, Cena sits at 915 days as WWE Champion and 105 days as World Heavyweight Champion. He would be in sixth place on the all-time list, not fifth, as Triple H has 1,148 days when both titles are included. Including both titles, Cena will pass Pedro Morales into fifth place on May 27. Morales held the WWE title for 1027 days.

— Creative writer Ed Koskey was the straight man in the mock Geico commercials promoting WWEShop.com on Monday’s Raw.

– John Cena announced on Monday’s RAW that the stipulation for his match with Batista at Over The Edge on 5/23 will be an I Quit Match. Batista is expected to leave WWE after the PPV to pursue a career in acting.

– The Miz announced on RAW that he’ll defend his United States championship against WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart on next week’s commercial-free RAW from Toronto. Miz lost a match to Tyson Kidd where if Kidd won, Miz would have to defend his US title against a member of the Hart Dynasty next week. Bret Hart has stated publicly that Monday’s RAW from Toronto will be his final WWE appearance for the foreseeable future.

– After being announced as the new RAW General Manager on Monday’s RAW, Vickie Guererro resigned from the position in the closing segment of the show after being stalked by Randy Orton. After Vickie screamed, “I resign! I resign!,” Orton dropped Edge with an RKO.

— According to those close to Batista, it is not 100% certain that he will be leaving World Wrestling Entertainment, although it is believed that Over the Limit will be his final show.

He was said to be furious that a film project initially based around him was taken from him, particularly since it was at the last minute. He is listening to outside offers and it should be noted that there is interest on the part of TNA. However, the belief is that it is highly unlikely “The Animal” would jump ship to the competition since they would never be able to offer him anything close to what he’s making in WWE, which is in the neighborhood of several million dollars per year.

— Triple H is currently being advertised for a live Raw show taking place on May 31st in Austin, Texas. A match pitting Triple H, Randy Orton and John Cena and The Miz, Big Show and Sheamus is being advertised. However, this will ultimately change considering Big Show is no longer a heel.

— Brett DiBiase, who was scheduled to be called up alongside Joe Hennig to be part of a heel trio on Raw with his brother Ted, suffered a knee injury last Thursday at a Florida Championship Wrestling event in Tampa. He was wrestling Hennig.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— Batista is apparently working on a contract that is set to expire in the near future. The multi-time champion said in interview published on May 5, 2009 by The Sun that he had just under a year left on his deal at the time.

“I have just under a year on my contract. I’ve just come off this injury and I turned 40 while I was out. I realize that I am closer to the end of my career than I am to the beginning,” Batista told The Sun. “It’s something I’m really going to have to take a look at. I don’t want to hang around past my welcome. I also don’t want to hang around to the point where I’m so beat up that it’s hard for me to get out of bed. I don’t want to be that guy.”

Shortly after the interview took place, Batista suffered a legitimate torn left biceps and was sidelined for three months as a result. In case of injury, WWE has the option of extending a performer’s contract for the duration of his or her sabbatical. Hence, it appears likely that his contract will expire sometime this summer rather than within the next few weeks.

It should be noted that Batista has been telling friends in the locker room that he is planning to take a break soon. He’s even gone so far as to claim that he’s looking to wind down his in-ring career and focus on acting.

— Due to an oversight, the artwork on Santino Marella’s latest T-shirt, “Beware the Cobra,” omits his trademark uni-brow, although the uni-brow does appear in graphics for WWEShop.com. Nonetheless, Marella guarantees that anyone who purchases one of his T-shirts and approaches him will have the eyebrows connected and their T-shirt autographed. (Santino sweats the brow)

— The WWE website has posted photos and video of Superstars and Divas teeing off at the annual WrestleMania Pro-Am Golf Tournament.

– As we reported over the weekend, Batista is expected to take some time off from WWE soon – as his new WWE Studios film”Killing Karma” is scheduled to begin filming in New Orleans next week.

– Radio host Howard Stern discussed the passing of Kanyon on yesterday’s show, noting that Kanyon had recently tried to book an appearance on the show, which the show’s producers had passed on and told him they’d get him on down the line.

– The Associated Press ran a story yesterday about the death of Chris Kanyon, noting that it was Kanyon’s brother who found him dead and there was a suicide note next to his body. Sad stuff.

– Sheamus is featured in the new edition of Men’s Fitness magazine as one of the 25 Fittest Guys in the World. Sheamus talks about how he learned to work out from his father and how he keeps in shape, always looking to better himself and accomplish goals. WWE.com has an article looking at Men’s Fitness piece.

– At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown! tapings, Jack Swagger cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and pinned Chris Jericho to capture his first World Heavyweight championship, just 18 months after making his WWE television debut. Swagger will be feuding with former champions Chris Jericho and Edge in the coming weeks. Adding to this is news that WWE has booked Jack Swagger vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho as the dark match main event for the 5/25 Smackdown taping from Cleveland, OH.

– The Undertaker is also being advertised for the Cleveland SmackDown taping, contrary to reports that he will be taking time off soon after WrestleMania,

– CM Punk and Rey Mysterio will continue their feud from WrestleMania.

Also, as we reported last week, Batista is Leaving WWE For Several Months, so expect an angle to explain his departure.

Former WWE Champion Batista has been telling people within WWE that he’s looking to take an extended break from WWE following WrestleMania.

Those within the company expect Batista to take his leave of absence following the Extreme Rules PPV later this month.

Batista is scheduled to begin filming for the upcoming WWE Studio’s film “Killing Karma” this spring and the general consensus within the locker room is that Batista will not wrestler while he is filming.