Last Monday, Shane McMahon introduced Raw Underground, WWE's take on "shoot fighting" as wrestlers compete in a no-roped ring in the basement of the Performance Center.
By the end of WWE Raw, The Hurt Business had taken over Raw Underground, declaring they were the new owners.
Speaking to Newsweek, MVP discussed Raw Underground and The Hurt Business.
"It was a shock for us, too," MVP said about learning of Raw Underground. "Shane McMahon explained to us the concept of what they wanted to do and I thought, 'Wow, that's pretty cool,' and you know, we're all competitive athletes in combat sports so it was like, 'Yeah, OK, that's right up our alley.' Creatively it was just go in there and beat people up and that's what we do. We did and it worked out wonderfully and we've gotten a lot of positive feedback. Overall, the reaction to RAW Underground has been favorable and, of course, the Hurt Business going in there and wrecking shop, that's also been pretty favorable. I'm stoked. I'm excited to see what happens with RAW Underground going forward because it's just a different sight with a different flavor, different vibe and it seems pretty cool. I think people who weren't initially sold on it, I think anything that is new sometimes takes a little getting used to. I liked it right away."
The Hurt Business have been heavily featured on recent episodes of Raw with MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin making the most of their camera time.
When discussing the group and the friendship between the three men, MVP said, "I'm really at a loss for words, but it's just one of those things [where] we have been friends for a long, long time. We are genuine friends. I remember being in the Staple Center years ago, when Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin were having a competition. They had a piece of paper that they were trying to shoot across the room into a trash can and they were betting 20 bucks each time who could hit it, who couldn't and I think they were different shows at the time. It was just weird, and then I entered the room and I got in on it, before I know it we're all sitting and saying, 'I got this, no let's up it to 50.' We're just having a blast. It was a very natural camaraderie that fell into place. So, over the years I've developed close friendships with both guys, so to come back here and at this point of our careers and be united in this position, man, it's so rewarding.
He continued, "Also, just look at us. Bobby Lashley is a multi-time All-American so is Shelton Benjamin. If I'm not mistaken, [Bobby] is undefeated in MMA. And I'm a competitive grappler in jiu jitsu, a silver medalist at the world championships. You've got one formidable crew between us, so it's going to be interesting to see where we go from here. But more than anything, I've said many times, what's better than just making money with your friends?"
Bobby Lashley is not undefeated in MMA, having suffered two losses in 17 professional fights.
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