Shelton Benjamin wants WWE to do more with 'underappreciated' star: "The knock is always going to be his size"
WWE has one of its most stacked rosters in years, and Shelton Benjamin feels Chad Gable deserves to be used more by the creative team.
Shelton Benjamin returned to WWE in 2017 and began his run in a tag team with Chad Gable. The alliance lasted a few months until it disbanded in the Superstar Shake-up.
During a recent appearance on The Kurt Angle Show, Benjamin, who got to work closely with Chad Gable, said the latter was a great talent and should have been at a higher level by now in WWE.
The Gold Standard admitted that Chad Gable's size had seemingly been a potential reason behind the lack of a singles push. But he didn't feel these factors mattered anymore in modern-day pro wrestling. For Shelton Benjamin, Gable was underutilized and underappreciated. He added that the Alpha Academy member needed more creative support from WWE:
"Gable is phenomenal, Jesus Christ! Like, he is phenomenal. I really wish they would do more with him. The knock is always going to be his size, but I'm like, who cares, like, who cares? That kid is phenomenal. I don't think I was the right partner for him, but at the same time, I think he is phenomenal, and he is underutilized and underappreciated. So, he has a lot in common with me [laughs]." [From 1:05:20 onwards]
Shelton Benjamin looks back at his pairing with Chad Gable
As the leader of the Alpha Academy, Chad Gable has experienced a consistent run on TV since 2020. However, he underwent a few creative experiments after his abrupt split from Jason Jordan.
Shelton Benjamin had a tag team stint with Chad Gable, and as noted by the veteran wrestler, WWE put them together due to their similar backgrounds. For those unaware, both stars are former amateur wrestlers from Minnesota.
Benjamin, however, believed he was a big enough name during his WWE comeback that he could have gone solo. WWE wanted Gable to have a new partner, and The Gold Standard felt that despite being a good team on paper, the promotion didn't have any concrete plans for the duo.
"They put me with Gable at first, in a tag team; I'd be honest, I wasn't happy about that. I just felt like they were trying to replace Jordan with someone similar, and I didn't like that. I also felt like I had enough name value that I didn't need a partner. I just feel like they didn't have any plans," Benjamin said. [1:04:15 - 1:04:53]
Shelton Benjamin's second WWE run ended in September last year, and, as things stand, he is on the free agent market. While Benjamin has no major plans for now, the 48-year-old knows he has a valuable name and hopes to land somewhere he is appreciated and used well.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription.