Lashley and Alberto El Patron on Their Upcoming Match

They may fight but they can interview together. The main event of the upcoming “Slammiversary 2017” will see a unification match between GFW World Champion Alberto El Patron and Impact Wrestling World Champion Bobby Lashley. The two have fought before but now they’re both putting their titles on the line. Their match was previewed when both sat down with SI.com.

Here’s how it all got started.

Alberto El Patron vs. Lashley World Title Match! | IMPACT March 9th, 2017

The pair discussed their upcoming title match, as well as the issues that El Patron has with the WWE, who he would not address by name during the interview. Lashley spoke on how well rounded his offense is, as well as discussing his MMA training and workout routine. Here are a few highlights:

El Patron On the Goal of His “Slammiversary 2017” Match

“Our match is going to be a thousand times better. I have deep respect for Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe, and I know they’ll give the fans an amazing match, but they’ll be limited by the politics in that company. That company won’t let one of them give one-hundred percent to the audience, they’re going to hold them back. Impact Wrestling says, ‘Here is the ring, go do your thing.’”

El Patron on the Match’s Physicality

“When you’re in the ring with Bobby, you feel it. You know you’re competing and performing with a guy that is not just a sports entertainer. He’s a real athlete and a real wrestler. When you combine two wrestlers with the same background and similar styles, you’re going to get magic. That’s what is going to happen at Slammiversary. We’re going to go the extra mile. We’re not afraid, and that’s just the way we were brought up in the business. If I punch him extra hard, and he kicks me extremely hard, then we’re OK with that–that’s part of what we want to offer to the audience.”

Lashley on His Training for the Match

“I’m doing a lot of agility workouts now. I start my ladder drills at 4:30 in the morning, then add in box jumps and a few other agility drills, and then I hit squats. Then I teach a class at my gym, and then I come home and eat my breakfast of oatmeal and eggs. I’ll do some striking during the day with my boxing coach, then I get my real workout in in the early evening. Depending on what I’m doing with my kids, this might not be until 9 or 10 at night. I like to have two or three workouts a day.”

And Lashley on What El Patron Can Expect

“Alberto is going to get beat up. I’m going to be unified champion, and after that, I’m going to change my look and my image. The Bobby Lashley character needs a valet, and maybe even a publicist to help my image go a little more mainstream. I’ll scan the fitness model world, and see what I can find out there.”

You can read the full interview here.

Opinion: “Slammiversary 2017” already has its work cut out for itself as the promotion isn’t the most popular in the world and the main event has to deal with the battling announcers match, which is getting more attention than anything else. Interviews like this make things feel a little more personal, though they have quite the hill to climb to get past Samoa Joe vs. Lesnar.

Who do you think wins the match? Who do you want to win it? Let us know in the comments below.