Don't **** off Lashley!

Pro wrestler Lashley destroys Cook in 24 seconds

By Steve Cofield

Don't make fun of Bobby Lashley and his pro wrestling background. The former WWE star said he was incensed by the fact that his opponent Mike Cook came to the cage in a lucha libre mask a la Nacho Libre.

Lashley is generally a polite, sportsman but he refused to touch gloves with Cook. He charged Cook in the opening seconds and missed with a huge right. Cook made the mistake of dropping his head. Lashley, a big MMA heavyweight at 6-foot-3, 249 pounds, grabbed onto Cook's head with his left arm. From there, he used his bulk to lean on Cook and it took just a few seconds for Cook to wilt under Lashley's weight. Lashley flattened out Cook (7-4) and re-positioned his right arm to cinch on a choke. Cook's legs could be seen quivering and referee John McCarthy had to step in to stop the fight (video). All that in just 24 seconds during Maximum Fighting Championship 21 at the River Cree Resort and Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta

"I’m here for business," said Lashley (3-0). "I’m here and everyone wants to and tries to make fun of the wrestling thing. I’m real. If they want to play around, I’ll knock them out or choke them out. And that’s what I did. I choked him out and made him pay. Now he can go put the mask back on and have fun with himself."

Lashley, making the conversion from the fake stuff with Vince McMahon, started training mixed martial arts last year. He won his first fight in 41 seconds when Joshua Franklin couldn't continue after a Lashley elbow busted him open. His last time out in March, Lashley won a decision against veteran Jason Guida.

Lashley needed to get through this fight unscathed because he has a stiff test against freakazoid Bob Sapp (pictured below on the right) right around the corner. Sapp, a former NFL player, NCAA All-American at Washington and a huge crossover star in Japan, is 6-4, 345. He doesn't have much stamina but he is dangerous for about 4-5 minutes. Sapp (10-3-1) and Lashley will meet on June 27 in Biloxi, Miss.



Lashley is finished with the WWE but is still dabbling with pro wrestling with TNA. Former WWE champ Brock Lesnar also made a quick transition to MMA. After just three fights, he won the UFC's heavyweight title by downing all-time great Randy Couture. He defends his strap at UFC 100 in July against Frank Mir.