Speculation on whether AEW will sign Shelton Benjamin following his WWE release - Reports
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin was one of the most notable names released by World Wrestling Entertainment this week, but what are the chances that he ends up in All Elite Wrestling?
Benjamin began his second run with WWE in 2017 after his initial debut in 2016 was halted due to an injury. He went on to become a member of The Hurt Business, which was his most notable work during his second run with the company as he won the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships with Cedric Alexander.
Like with most free agents in wrestling, they are immediately linked with a move to AEW. However, Dave Meltzer speculated in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter that, while there could be place for him in All Elite Wrestling, the company doesn't need someone of Shelton's age right now.
"Shelton Benjamin, 48, a super athlete as a sprinter, football player and two-time All-American wrestler, who was no longer being used and with the decision to use The Street Profits with Bobby Lashley rather than reunite The Hurt Business, he wasn’t going to be used and age obviously being a factor. I could see a possibility he’d be used in AEW but they don’t need more talent in that age group." said Dave Meltzer.
Shelton Benjamin blamed a current WWE Superstar for his release!
The main reason for the recent set of releases is due to the merger between WWE and UFC to form TKO, which meant that cuts for both companies were inevitable. However, Shelton Benjamin has blamed someone else for his release.
One of his good friends in WWE was Mia Yim, who tweeted a heartfelt message to the former Intercontinental Champion telling him that he was going to be just fine in the new chapter of his life. However, Shelton decided to 'blame' Mia for his release.
Mia is currently married to AEW star Keith Lee, and while the tweet might have been in good spirits, a feud between Lee and Benjamin could be a way to introduce Shelton to a new audience.
Do you think Shelton Benjamin will join AEW? Let us know in the comments section below!
Please credit the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.