Shelton Benjamin calls AEW star "the greatest athlete" in wrestling history
Former WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin recently lavished praise on an AEW star, calling him the greatest athlete in professional wrestling.
The name in question is Billy Gunn. He has been a part of AEW since 2019. Before joining All Elite Wrestling, he was part of WWE, where he found much success as a member of D-Generation X alongside Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, and X-Pac. He has held the WWE Tag Team and Intercontinental Titles in the past.
Billy Gunn was initially signed as a coach in AEW. However, the veteran has continued to deliver stellar matches inside the ring. After being betrayed by his sons, Austin and Colten Gunn, Billy joined The Acclaimed. The faction defeated The House of Black at All In 2023 to become the World Trios Champions.
In an interview with Simon Miller of WhatCulture, Shelton Benjamin compared Billy to WWE Hall of Famers Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage.
"Every time people say that it’s flattering because I look at all the greats that have come down. Great athletes like Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat and Macho Man [Randy Savage]. To me, I think the greatest athlete to ever enter pro wrestling is Billy Gunn. Billy Gunn (...) have you seen him? To this day, he can out-bump anyone and out-work anyone."
The former United States Champion further praised the AEW star's physique and athleticism.
"I can’t think of a better athlete. I think he’s number one and I’m number two. Shoutout to Billy Gunn. You are the friggin man. He’s The Hulk. We made this analogy one time about Billy Gunn: ‘When you see Billy Gunn on TV, it’s like seeing David Banner. It’s when you meet him in person that you realize he’s The Hulk.’ That’s how ripped Bully Gunn is. He’s a monster of a man." [H/T: Fightful]
Shelton Benjamin will not be rushing his return to the ring
Shelton Benjamin was released by WWE in September 2023 along with many other stars. Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting to see The Gold Standard return to the independent circuit or join a major promotion in the US like AEW or TNA Wrestling. However, it seems like we will have to wait a little longer to see Benjamin back in action on TV.
In a chat with Simon Miller of WhatCulture, Shelton Benjamin said he was keeping his options open and revealed that he would be visiting Australia for an event.
"My immediate plan is just to coast a bit and see what's out there, see what life has to offer. Because for seven years, I was with WWE and (...) I had a ten-year run with them before that. So for now, I'm not in any rush. I'm keeping my options open. I can't say anybody's any more of a front-runner than anything, but I definitely want to come back to the UK. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be going back to Australia, where I'm going to be involved in an event out there," he said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc]
Shelton Benjamin will be an asset to any company he joins as he is one of the best in-ring performers in professional wrestling. He has competed twice on the independent circuit since departing the global juggernaut last year.