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A former WWE United States Champion made a bold statement regarding his tenure in the Stamford-based company. The star being discussed is Shelton Benjamin.
The Standard of Excellence made his AEW debut on the fifth-anniversary episode of Dynamite and is currently aligned with MVP. Since arriving in the promotion, he has won matches against Lio Rush and Sammy Guevara and has been pushed as a huge star in the Jacksonville-based promotion.
Shelton Benjamin has worked in many promotions like ROH, NJPW, Noah, and mostly in WWE. He was presented as a decent star in the Stamford-based promotion during the first run but wasn't given a push during the second run, aside from his time with The Hurt Business. He was then released from the promotion in September 2023.
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While speaking with Gabby AF, the former United States Champion revealed he would win championships in AEW. Shelton also stated that he wanted to succeed in previous ventures and claimed that former employers didn't provide him with the opportunity.
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"No matter what I'm doing, I'm definitely in it to be champ. Sometimes it's just not your time. Sometimes the story is not about you. But no matter what I'm doing, I'm in it to win championships — world championships, tag team championships, any title. I've always wanted the spotlight. But sometimes the people in charge had different plans," he said. [H/T - Wrestling Inc.]
Shelton Benjamin reveals why he chose AEW after WWE's release
The 49-year-old star wasn't signed to any huge promotion after his release from the Stamford-based company for over a year. On October 2, he made his debut in All Elite Wrestling.
While speaking with Gabby AF, Shelton Benjamin explained he joined AEW because it has a huge audience outside of WWE. He wanted to maximize the opportunity as he claimed he had limited years left as a pro wrestler.
"I want the biggest possible audience. Outside of WWE, there is nowhere bigger than AEW. I don’t have as much time as lot of guys, as far as in-ring," he said.
The newcomer will face Swerve Strickland this Wednesday at Fright Night Dynamite.
