Young AEW stars receive a big warning on expectations about wrestling Shelton Benjamin by legend (Exclusive)
The AEW roster has received a big boost with the addition of the experienced Shelton Benjamin. However, wrestling veteran Bill Apter has warned young talents not to take it easy when stepping inside the ring with The Gold Standard.
After a relatively successful second stint in WWE, Shelton Benjamin departed the company last year and waited patiently until his recent AEW debut.
Benjamin has reunited with MVP in All Elite Wrestling, and the duo is expected to add more members to The Hurt Syndicate in the coming weeks.
The former WWE US Champion's AEW signing was the main topic on a recent edition of The Wrestling Time Machine, and Bill Apter believed Shelton Benjamin made the right decision to quit WWE.
Apter has known Benjamin for a long time and said while the 49-year-old was a "nice and quiet guy," the veteran could still outwrestle the young talents inside the squared circle.
The 79-year-old warned AEW stars about underestimating Benjamin and misjudging a match against The Gold Standard to be a walk in the park. On the contrary, Bill expected Benjamin to push wrestlers to their limits:
"I know it sounds repetitive that, you know. 'What a nice guy,' but he is a nice, quiet guy, and a hell of a worker. You don't want to be a young wrestler just getting in the ring with him and figuring out this is going to be an easy gig. He is going to put you through your paces." [1:44-2:00]
Bill Apter is confident that Shelton Benjamin and MVP will elevate AEW
Fresh off a lucrative TV deal, Tony Khan's company is seemingly entering a new era with several creative changes being made in recent months.
MVP's arrival and his subsequent confrontation with Prince Nana confirmed that the former WWE star was after the best talents in AEW. Whether or not Swerve Strickland joins The Hurt Syndicate, MVP and Shelton Benjamin seem to have grand plans.
Benjamin has thus far wrestled two matches and looked like he's not missed a beat. Bill Apter liked what he was seeing from The Hurt Syndicate, and following an impressive start, the veteran expects them to help raise the level of AEW's TV product.
"And him with MVP; at this point, I think that's going to raise AEW Dynamite's level as well," he said. [2:01-2:14]
With Bobby Lashley's impending AEW debut on the horizon, The Hurt Syndicate might be earmarked for a bright future.
Please credit The Wrestling Time Machine and give a H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription.