Before Shelton Benjamin was let go by WWE, there was already talk within AEW talent that Tony Khan should sign the wrestling veteran.
AEW Talent Hopeful Shelton Benjamin Joins Their Promotion
When WWE and UFC were official merged, it did not take long for major changes to occur. Nobody was safe, from office workers, to talent and those backstage.
One of the bigger names let go was Shelton Benjamin. Fightful Select states, behind the scenes, AEW has been talking about him.
In fact, they were under the impression his WWE contract was up relatively soon. Although, it seems like his WWE deal actually had a good amount of time left.
Mustafa Ali Release Upset Many In WWE
Like most releases, Benjamin has a 90 day non-compete clause. Once that ends in the middle of November, he can work anywhere and does not even have to change his in-ring name.
He can still wrestle inside the ring, but a role behind the scenes producing matches and/or training the young talent also seem possible. Maybe, he can take on multiple roles for Tony Khan’s company.
The amateur wrestling standout has spent over 20 years in pro wrestling. In Ohio Valley Wrestling, he trained alongside Brock Lesnar.
Then, he spent 12 years on the main roster before being cut. He had nice runs in ROH and NJPW, before re-signing with WWE in 2017 to work with Chad Gable.
Eventually, he joined The Hurt Business and won tag team gold. Besides a bunch of tag team title reigns, he held the United States Championship and Intercontinental Championship.
His time in the The Hurt Business was the highlight of his second WWE stint. Towards the end, he was rarely used on TV and mostly in backstage segments that went nowhere.
So, would Benjamin be a perfect fit for AEW? And, if so, what should his role be?