MVP Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

MVP Reveals Truth About Why He Left WWE For AEW

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Jon Alba | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 11:30 AM ET

When MVP and Bobby Lashley started The Hurt Business in WWE, it took the company by storm, becoming an integral part to Lashley winning the WWE Championship ahead of WrestleMania 37.

But just prior to the event, the company disbanded the unit, with them ultimately struggling to find much success before leaving a couple of years later.

The Hurt Business would eventually become The Hurt Syndicate in AEW, with MVP, Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin all making the jump to Tony Khan's promotion last fall. While it was clear there were issues that led to their WWE departure, it hasn't been all that clear as to what happened.

In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, though, MVP has provided some clarity on the situation.

"Everybody knows that The Hurt Business got shut down in WWE for reasons that have never been made clear to me. No one has ever said, and I begged Vince [McMahon], Bobby begged Vince, but please don't do this. Vince had his ideas of what he wanted to do, and everybody genuinely agrees that we got shut down way too soon," MVP said.

"So when it came time for our contracts, I made it very clear that I don't want to be there anymore. There are people there in management that I dislike immensely, a person, and I wouldn't even bother to get into that," he said.

"But I just knew that with certain people in charge, and that's how the wrestling game is, that's how life is. I don't care where you work. When management changes, some people are out, other people are in, and I knew it was time to go."

Going To AEW

One-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Hurt Syndicate's Bobby Lashley. All Elite Wrestling

The former WWE United States Champion would go on to explain that he had to do some convincing to get the ex-WWE Champion Lashley to make the jump, but the doors would open in AEW for them to make an impact shortly thereafter.

"I wasn't gonna re-sign. I was in Bobby's ear constantly, like, 'don't re-sign. Shelton got released. Don't re-sign. Let's you, me, and Shelton get back together. Let's go to AEW. I know we can go to AEW and we can pick this thing back up.'"

He would go on to note that AEW has been a good landing spot for them to help other talent, and they are happy with being given one more opportunity to properly showcase what they bring to the table as a unit.

"I'm grateful to Tony Khan for seeing the value in us and giving us an opportunity to come over there and continue to tell our story and help some of these younger talents. Because contrary to what the internet tells you, there are a lot of young guys that come up and ask us for advice and ask us to watch their matches and ask us for insight, and I love being able to pay it forward because people gave it to me," MVP said.

"So thank you to Tony Khan for seeing something in us and believing in us and giving us an opportunity to end The Hurt Syndicate in AEW, and for us to finish telling our story."

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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