Among the wrestlers released by WWE on Sept. 21, Shelton Benjamin exits the wrestling promotion after spending 14 years with the company across two stints.
His most recent spell with WWE began in 2017 with a tag team alongside Chad Gable, and his last meaningful contributions came as a member of the acclaimed “Hurt Business” faction.
Benjamin is nearing the age of 50, but as anyone who has watched him wrestle over the past couple of years can attest, the man still very much has it.
Let’s take a look back at Benjamin’s accomplishments in WWE and discuss his overall legacy with the wrestling promotion he spent the most time with.
In the ring
Shelton Benjamin joined WWE in 2000 as an OVW product with an impressive background in amateur wrestling, as he was a two-time All-American. He brought that athleticism to WWE, wowing everyone in OVW with his ability to perform acrobatic moves.
Later on the main roster, his exploits in Money in the Bank ladder matches turned heads. To this day, his name comes up quickly when discussing the best moments in MITB history.
But we can’t just talk about athletic ability when discussing Benjamin. That would be selling his skill set incredibly short.
Fixating on his acrobatics and strength would mean that his work as a technical and ring general would go overlooked, and those aspects of his mastery of the craft of pro wrestling are arguably even more impressive.
Benjamin is one of the best tag team wrestlers in recent memory.
He first teamed up with Charlie Haas to form the World’s Greatest Tag Team, and wrestling fans who remember the early 2000s definitely have fond memories of this duo. Benjamin and Haas made perfect use of the Kurt Angle rub.
Then 15 years later, Benjamin would have a similar tag team with another accomplished amateur wrestler, Chad Gable. Despite all the years passing, Benjamin was arguably even better as a veteran wrestler.
His work with Gable was short-lived, but perhaps it will be even more appreciated in 10-20 years when future generations of wrestling fans find these “hidden gem” tag matches and share them across social media (or whatever platforms exist at that time).
In addition to having an infectious theme, Benjamin and Gable put on tag team clinics of layered psychology and crisp technical wrestling that two world-class wrestlers with an amateur background can provide.
Benjamin, in particular, was a highlight, given his wealth of experience and the fact that he was still in top in-ring condition.
Accomplishments
A three-time tag team champion, including with the Hurt Business as Cedric Alexander’s tag team partner, Shelton Benjamin was more than just a great tag team wrestler.
He was also one of the best Intercontinental Champions of his time, capturing the title three times, as well as the United States Championship once.
Although Benjamin was quite good in his second stint with WWE from 2017 to 2023, his prime was in the 2000s.
In the mid-2000s, Benjamin was legitimately one of the best wrestlers on the entire roster, and that WWE roster was absolutely loaded with GOAT-tier performers.
That Benjamin is squarely on that list in the ring speaks volumes to his ability, both in terms of his athleticism and his in-ring IQ.
Benjamin is soft-spoken, but he was a strong babyface promo and could work as an arrogant heel early in his career or a menacing veteran heel in his second stint with WWE.
A versatile performer, Benjamin achieved the pinnacle of success as a tag team wrestler and was a key workhorse in the mid-card scene during the 2000s.
Legacy
While Shelton Benjamin isn’t at the top of the list of anyone’s “GOATs”, you don’t have to be recognized as a Shawn Michaels or John Cena in order to have a lasting legacy in WWE.
Benjamin was a part of a beloved faction in the Hurt Business, a legitimately great tag team with Charlie Haas, and a fan-favorite tag team with Chad Gable. Moreover, he was a multi-time mid-card champion who had to earn those titles with consistently great in-ring work.
Benjamin was never pushed as a Vince McMahon favorite or handed opportunities. If anything, he was sold short by Vince and the WWE machine. Benjamin had the skills to be a multi-time world champion, yet he never got a chance to hold that title.
That, unfortunately, makes Benjamin underrated. Not only that, but the case can be made that Benjamin was the most underrated wrestler of his era, as so many inferior wrestlers earned opportunities just because Vince favored them.
A top professional who consistently delivered the goods in the ring, Benjamin exhibited better character work than he was given for and helped so many others on the roster look better.
He understood things like timing and storytelling in the ring to make any program work, and it is a shame WWE never rewarded him for his efforts to help the show like they did with other wrestlers.
Future wrestling fans will find highlights of Benjamin in tag matches, Money in the Bank, or IC Title bouts and want to learn more about him.
They will realize that Benjamin was a rare talent and one of the best in the business in between those ropes. He has an airtight legacy in WWE as an all-time great tag wrestler and one of the better singles wrestlers on the roster.
