It would be kind to say that some WWE fans have found Bobby Lashley's big WWE comeback underwhelming to say the very least.

What probably didn't help matters was his bizarre feud with Sami Zayn in mid-2018 shortly after returning to the company, but Lashley hasn't been utilised like he was back in the Ruthless Aggression Era.

Back then Lashley was a rookie but he had the look Vince McMahon loved and would push right to the top, but surprisingly he never became the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion.

Fast forward to 2018, 10 years after his initial departure from the company, and it doesn't look like he will be a world champion anytime soon.

He spent the rest of 2018 feuding with Roman Reigns and then Elias, turning heel in the process, and whilst he's won the Intercontinental Championship twice in 2019, Lashley hasn't really been portrayed as a top challenger to the Universal Championship.

Since July, Lashley has been out of action with an elbow injury, his last match being in a Battle Royal on the July 16 episode of Raw.

His initial return was reportedly scheduled for November on WWE's internal list, but an update from Fightful earlier this month stated he would be cleared in mid-September.

We're now nearly in October and Lashley is making noises about a potential return very soon.

Lashley took to social media earlier this week, posting a GIF of a phoenix rising from the flames with the caption 'Soon', and he's piqued some fans by responding to a tweet that suggested he should interfere in the match between Kofi Kingston and Brock Lesnar on SmackDown next week.

With the WWE Draft coming up, Lashley may not stay on Raw, and executives on the blue brand may want him if the reports of SmackDown being more 'sports-orientated' are true.

Lashley has a very credible past MMA record of 15-2, his last fight coming for Bellator in 2016, and that will make him very attractive and marketable in the eyes of FOX - so don't be surprised if we see him back on Friday nights in the near future.