Two years ago, Bobby Lashley helped Donald Trump shave Vince McMahon's head.

A star on McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment roster, the six-foot-three, 275-pound Lashley represented Trump in a billionaire vs. billionaire match at Wrestle-mania 23, where the mogul whose client lost would be rendered bald in front of a sold-out crowd on pro wrestling's biggest stage.

Lashley defeated MacMahon's protege -- a Samoan wrestler named Umaga (who happens to be a relative of former Edmonton Eskimo Joey Annaoi) -- which led to a red-faced and bawling McMahon having his silver locks sheared to the delight of tens of thousands.

"That was a big stepping stone for me because one, it was a main event at Wrestlemania. Some people don't do that for their entire career," Lashley said. "Two, being in it with Vince McMahon, Donald Trump, Stone Cold Steve Austin (who was a guest referee), that match was one of the funner matches that I've had."

Long-term wrestling fame wasn't in the cards for the 32-year-old from Denver, who will headline Maximum Fighting Championship's Hard Knocks card on Friday night at the River Cree Casino. Lashley (2-0) will take on Mike Cook (7-3) of San Jose.

An enormous physical presence, Lashley implied it was politics that ended his wrestling career.

"When my book comes out, I'll explain it all," he joked. "If you go into organizations, some people aren't going to like you for certain reasons, and they're going to do whatever they can to push you back, and in some cases they win. And in my case they won."

Since leaving WWE in 2007, Lashley has turned his interests towards mixed martial arts. While drawing the ire of some MMA purists, Lashley insists that he's respecting the sport that he's trying to break into.

"Wrestling fans don't have a problem with it. They're cheering for me, they're going to my MySpace, they're going to my site, they're encouraging me. In the MMA community, they don't like it too much -- some of them don't," he said.

"But you know what I tell those guys? I'm not disrespecting the sport. I'm actually showing them that I have respect for the sport. I have my jiu-jitsu instructor here, I have my boxing instructor here; they stay with me wherever I travel. We're constantly learning, we're constantly working and constantly training.

"I'm working my way up with my opponents also. I'm paying homage, I'm paying respect to the MMA community by working my way up. If they don't like that, then they don't like me, period. I'm not a dislikable person," he said, pausing to crack a smile. "I think I'm a pretty likeable man."

Waiting to be won over by Lashley is Mark Pavelich. The MFC owner very openly stated that the inclusion of Lashley on the Hard Knocks card came from the Mark Cuban-run HDNet, who broadcasts MFC's shows.

"I'm not going to give (Lashley) his claim to fame yet. I'm not that person, it's not in my DNA," Pavelich said. "I can't just say right away, 'He's going to be awesome, he's going to be the next Brock Lesnar.'

"I saw his first two fights and I wasn't overly impressed by them. (Mike Cook) is at another level that (Lashley) hasn't fought at before. We'll see how he does in those type of fights."

That's not to say that Pavelich is adverse to supporting Lashley. He just wants to see the former wrestler impress him when the punches that are thrown actually find their mark.

"After the fight on Friday night, I'll give him his claim to fame, I'll give him his props," the owner said. "He doesn't come across like an arrogant guy. He seems like a real student of the game. I can't knock him for it. I can't put him down for that, right?"

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE ON LINE

South African fighter Trevor Prangley (19-5) will step into the ring with MFC light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (18-3) of Torrence, Calif., in Hard Knocks' main event on Friday night at River Cree Casino.

Local fighter Travis Galbraith (16-6) will go up against David Heath (11-4) of Tulsa, Okla., to round out the main card, while John Alessio (28-12) of Las Vegas is pitted against Calgary's Andrew Buckland (8-3).

A winner of nine matches in a row, Halifax native Ryan Jimmo (9-1) will face Mychal Clark (8-5) of Del Mar, Calif. Tulsa native Aron Lofton will put his 6-1 record up against Marvin Eastman (15-9) of Las Vegas.

The show will also feature a four-match undercard, which starts at 6 p.m. The televised portion of the evening gets under way at 8 p.m.