MVP is pulling no punches when discussing why The Hurt Business ultimately left WWE for AEW.
Speaking on Marking Out with MVP and Dwayne Swayze, Montel Vontavious Porter detailed the behind-the-scenes process that led to the creation of The Hurt Syndicate in AEW and heavily criticised Paul “Triple H” Levesque throughout the discussion.
According to MVP, the situation began following Shelton Benjamin’s WWE release after his second run with the company. He argued Benjamin was underappreciated despite being one of wrestling’s all-time great athletes and said WWE did not even offer him a backstage role following his departure.
He explained that both he and Bobby Lashley still had active WWE contracts at the time, but he had already decided he no longer wanted to remain with the company. He specifically pointed to Levesque’s handling of Lashley creatively and accused him of avoiding direct communication.
“I don’t like Triple H. I don’t respect Triple H. I think he’s a coward and a liar,” he said during the interview.
MVP Said Triple H Avoided Having A Conversation With Bobby Lashley About His Creative Direction
MVP claimed Triple H repeatedly avoided one-on-one conversations with Bobby Lashley regarding his creative direction despite Lashley’s accomplishments as a multiple-time WWE Champion. According to MVP, that eventually convinced him there was no long-term future for the group within WWE.
He later revealed he actively encouraged Lashley not to re-sign with WWE and instead proposed reuniting with Benjamin elsewhere. He said he had already trademarked the name “Hurt Syndicate” before Lashley fully committed to the idea.
Once their WWE contracts expired, he said the group contacted Tony Khan about potentially joining AEW. According to MVP, Khan quickly expressed interest, and discussions soon led to the formation of The Hurt Syndicate.
He added that even if AEW had not worked out, the group was prepared to reunite elsewhere, including potentially working together in Japan.
