"She got let go" – Shelton Benjamin on WWE unexpectedly releasing former talent
Shelton Benjamin recently recalled why his WWE storyline with Thea Vidale, aka Momma Benjamin, suddenly ended in 2006.
Vidale appeared on WWE programming as Benjamin's on-screen mother. The real-life comedian accompanied the former Hurt Business member to the ring several times. On one occasion, she even faked a heart problem to help him win the Intercontinental Championship from Ric Flair.
In an interview on Chris Van Vliet's Insight podcast, Benjamin revealed that WWE nixed the storyline due to a situation involving Vidale:
"Unfortunately, she has some medical problems and you know some other things that I guess management wasn't happy with. Basically, she got let go and got let go before the story could be completed (…) That's kind of a buzzword these days. Yeah, we didn't finish the story."
Benjamin also spoke about the possibility of The Hurt Business reuniting in WWE one day.
Reason behind Shelton Benjamin's Momma storyline
The outlandish angle began when Shelton Benjamin expressed concerns to Vince McMahon about his lack of creative direction. The WWE Executive Chairman pitched a storyline involving his mother, which led to Thea Vidale being hired.
McMahon even suggested that Benjamin's real mother appear in the storyline, but he immediately dismissed the idea:
"So when he first approached me about it, he basically said, 'How would you feel about having your real mama on the road?' And I said, 'Absolutely not. There’s no way I'm going to expose my mother to this locker room.'"
Benjamin added that he has a good relationship with the rest of the roster. However, he would have had a "really short career" if his real mother appeared in WWE and anyone said something bad about her.
Do you have any favorite memories from the Momma Benjamin storyline? Let us know in the comments section below.