Shelton Benjamin reveals his "biggest surprise" since joining AEW

Shelton Benjamin has seen a career resurgence since joining AEW. The 49-year-old is getting plenty of love from the fans, and he's proving that he still has what it takes to hang with the best inside the ring. Benjamin recently revealed what surprised him the most after joining Tony Khan's company.

Shelton Benjamin made his AEW debut in October, joining MVP in The Hurt Syndicate. Bobby Lashley soon joined up as well, and the three have been running roughshod over All Elite Wrestling's roster. Benjamin is also competing in the Continental Classic, but he's having a rough go of it at the moment.

In a recent interview with ITR Wrestling's Kenny McIntosh, Shelton Benjamin said that the fan responses to his matches in AEW has surprised him:

"My biggest surprise is that the fans really appreciate what I bring to the table. I found that I have a lot of great chemistry with the guys I’ve been working. I feel like I’ve been having nothing but just great matches with pretty much everyone I’ve been in the ring with." [HT: ITR Wrestling]

He further described his chemistry with other All Elite talents, expressing surprise that he's been able to gel with them as well as he has:

"Just the fact that I’ve been able to gel so well with guys who I never have worked with before and put on great performances, that has been the biggest surprise to me. It shouldn’t be, because again, these are some of the best athletes in the world, some of the best professional wrestlers in the world. But it’s definitely a pleasant surprise." [HT: ITR Wrestling]

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Bobby Lashley says Tony Khan is a fan of Shelton Benjamin

The Hurt Syndicate established its dominance in AEW early, and though Shelton Benjamin has lost a few matches in the ongoing Continental Classic Tournament, he and his faction remain an intimidating presence.

Bobby Lashley recently addressed their rise in All Elite Wrestling, telling Undisputed's Justin Barrasso that Tony Khan saw how impressive Benjamin was from the outset:

"Tony [Khan] put Shelton [Benjamin] in a couple matches right away, and both of those matches opened people’s eyes. Maybe someone didn’t see that in him before. Tony sees it, he sees how impressive Shelton is. And we all believe in each other. I believe in MVP, I believe in Shelton, and they believe in me," said Lashley.

The Hurt Syndicate is currently working to recruit other talent, although their relationship with Ricochet has soured. But with Benjamin taking another loss in the C2 and Swerve Strickland targeting their potential recruits, the faction's next move remains to be seen.