By James Caldwell, PWTorch columnist

Bobby Lashley is a different person than Brock Lesnar, yet in WWE, Paul Heyman reveals that Vince McMahon and the creative team wanted to create Lesnar 2.0 with Lashley because of their amateur wrestling backgrounds and similar body sizes.

Yet, Lashley was a different person than Lesnar. Lashley saw a WWE career as a means to an end of providing for his family, whereas Lesnar was "the ultimate college frat boy-jock whose drive and ambition compelled him to ruthlessly pursue the top position in anything he was allowed to compete in."

"Yet, despite their differences, Lashley couldn't shake the comparison to Lesnar. When Bobby debuted on Smackdown in 2005, the writers saw him Brock Part Two," Heyman says in the U.K. Sun.

Lashley has nothing respect for Lesnar despite their differences. "I have a lot of admiration for Brock," Lashley told Heyman. "He ran with the opportunity he had in WWE, then had the nuts to pursue his dream in the NFL, and then dedicated his life to becoming the UFC Heavyweight Champion."

Lesnar is three fights into his MMA career, while Lashley will make his debut later this month in Miami. The comparisons will certainly pick up again, but Lashley says he's only concentrating on what he's doing.

"I can't change the fact Brock started in WWE before me, or that he made the transition to MMA before me, either," Lashley said. "All I can do is concentrate on what I'm doing. I wrestled for 18 years, I'm a student of the game right now, I've been grappling, diligently working with a boxing coach, learning jiu-jitsu, taking this 100 percent seriously, and I'm amped for my fight."

Lashley says he welcomes the opportunity to simply be himself in the stage of competition without trying to be someone he's not, like Brock Lesnar.

"I'm very happy to get the chance to prove myself as myself," Lashley said. "I'm going in to win. I don't have to play any character except just be myself."

Link: Heyman column with Lashley interview.

FYI: Lashley makes his MMA debut on Dec. 13 fighting for the Mixed Fighting Alliance promotion at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

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