The Hurt Syndicate has been a dominant force since its arrival in AEW, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. However, it appears as though the grouping of Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin and MVP has rubbed some people the wrong way.
While Lashley and Benjamin have held the AEW World Tag Team Titles for nearly 200 days, it’s been their manager, MVP, who has received the bulk of the criticism.
According to a report from Fightful Select, The Hurt Syndicate was slated to lose the tag titles titles to FTR at either “All In: Texas” or “Forbidden Door,” but MVP refused the proposal on Lashley and Benjamin’s behalf.
Instead, it is being reported that the three prefer that they drop the titles to a younger team, with the report specifically naming Private Party, Gates of Agony or The Outrunners, all of whom have previously lost to The Hurt Syndicate.
The report also stated that MVP has taken umbrage with “Speedball” Mike Bailey, for reasons that are unclear, but so much so that MVP expressed that Lashley and Benjamin were vehemently opposed to losing to JetSpeed, despite that eventuality apparently never being discussed.
While camaraderie is reportedly at an all-time high in the locker room, frustration has reportedly begun to mount – with the sentiment being that The Hurt Syndicate are “heels that do cool moves, beat up everyone, and gives fans fives on the way out.”
Shortly after the reports surfaced on X, MVP seemingly responded with a cryptic tweet of his own.
Heard any good rumors lately?
😎— MVP (@The305MVP) August 6, 2025
Regardless of the veracity of these reports, there’s truth to some of the concerns expressed here.
For months now, I’ve criticized The Hurt Syndicate for its inability to garner heat – particularly in lieu of the alliance with Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The quartet had the makings of a modern-day Four Horsemen, but the world tag team champions failed to become the daunting heels that towered over the tag division.
As a team, Lashley and Benjamin have the same allure that fueled The Road Warriors’ rush in the 1980s. In pro wrestling, there’s always been novelty in watching inviolable smashing machines unequivocally crush their opponents. The Hurt Syndicate has done exactly that.
The factor that separates heels and babyfaces is intent. Lashley and Benjamin aren’t motivated by malice, nor have they exercised an inordinate amount of violence. For them, it’s simply “business.”
So, when MJF abruptly parted ways with The Hurt Syndicate, I wasn’t shocked. While it was abrupt, it seemed necessary for both parties. That decision coincided with a segment where Adam Copeland hired The Hurt Syndicate to attack FTR.
MVP’s strange animosity towards Bailey aside, therein lies a creative decision that could alleviate some of AEW’s concerns. The Hurt Syndicate needs to be recontextualized. In on-screen promos, MVP has said ad nauseum that Lashley and Benjamin are in the “business of hurting people.” What does that actually mean, though?
Ostensibly, champions earn a lion’s share of the purse. That’s why it would behoove pro wrestlers to win titles. However, things often need to be explained in no-uncertain terms for pro wrestling fans. What if the “business of hurting people” meant that The Hurt Syndicate were mercenaries or heroes for hire? Something akin to John Layfield and Ron Simmons in the Acolytes Protection Agency. That way, The Hurt Syndicate could embrace the gray area that they operate within. It would also prevent them from becoming rudderless, once they inevitably lose the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
After all, the trio is rumored to still have years left on its deal.
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