He then transferred to theUniversity of Minnesota on a wrestlingscholarship for his junior and senior years of college.[8] He achievedAll-American status twice in wrestling, placing fifth in the heavyweight division of the NCAA Championships in 1997, then improving to third place in 1998.[11] After graduation, he served as an assistant wrestling coach at hisalma mater and trained futureOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW)tag team partnerBrock Lesnar.[8][10] Benjamin thought about trying to qualify for the2000 Summer Olympics but decided instead to pursue a professional wrestling career.[10]
On January 10, 2000,[3] Benjamin signed a contract with theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was placed in its developmental territoryOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW). OVW bookerJim Cornette paired Benjamin with his former college roommateBrock Lesnar after he felt Lesnar was "boring" as a wrestler and had "no personality", while Benjamin was "exciting".[13][14] Together, they were known as the "Minnesota Stretching Crew,"[10] and they held theOVW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions.[15] The first two reigns occurred during February and July 2001.[10] They won the title for a third time fromRico Constantino andThe Prototype on October 29, 2001.[10] After Lesnar was called up to the main roster in November 2001, Benjamin formed a tag team withRedd Dogg Begnaud called "The Dogg Pound" and once again won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on July 17, 2002.[10] Benjamin then wrestled at severalhouse shows for the main WWE roster and eventually made his WWE television debut onSunday Night Heat as aface on July 29 defeatingJustin Credible.[10] A week later he defeatedShawn Stasiak on Heat. He was taken off WWE television that September and returned to OVW.
Team Angle / World's Greatest Tag Team (2002–2004)
Benjamin joined WWE'sSmackDown! brand on the December 26, 2002, episode ofSmackDown!, forming an alliance withCharlie Haas withOlympic gold-medalistKurt Angle as theirmentor known as "Team Angle".[10] Their first televised match together in WWE was on the January 2, 2003, episode ofSmackDown! againstEdge andChris Benoit.[16]
The duo won theWWE Tag Team Championship just a month after their debut by defeating the champions,Los Guerreros (Eddie andChavo Guerrero Jr.) on the February 6 episode ofSmackDown!.[17] They continued theirfeud with Benoit untilNo Way Out on February 23, when Benoit teamed with Brock Lesnar to defeat Team Angle.[18] The two then went on to compete in their firstWrestleMania match atWrestleMania XIX on March 30, retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat match against Los Guerreros, and Chris Benoit andRhyno.[10] Team Angle later lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Eddie Guerrero and his new partnerTajiri atJudgment Day on May 18 in aladder match.[10] The storyline concluded on the June 12 episode ofSmackDown!, when Angle confronted Benjamin and Haas and fired them from Team Angle.[19] They then began referring to themselves as "The World's Greatest Tag Team" and won the WWE Tag Team Championship back from Guerrero and Tajiri on the July 3 episode ofSmackDown!.[10][20] They lost the titles to Los Guerreros on the September 18 episode ofSmackDown!, after Benjamin suffered alegitimate knee injury during the match.[10] Benjamin was sidelined for approximately one month,[10] but the pair competed together again, taking part in a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Tag Team Championship atWrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004.[21]
During a match withGarrison Cade on the June 20 episode ofHeat, Benjaminpunched Cade's knee brace, breaking his hand in the process and briefly taking him out of action.[10] Benjamin returned on the September 13 episode ofRaw helping Randy Orton fight off Evolution and was later chosen by the fans to compete for the Intercontinental Championship in a match against then-championChris Jericho atTaboo Tuesday on October 19. Benjamin won the match,[27] giving him his first singles title in the company. During his reign as Intercontinental Champion, Benjamin retained the title against challengers such asChristian atSurvivor Series on November 14,[28]Maven atNew Year's Revolution on January 9, 2005,[29] and Chris Jericho atBacklash on May 1.[30] On the May 2 episode ofRaw, Benjamin facedShawn Michaels in the first round of the Gold Rush tournament to determine the number one contender for theWorld Heavyweight Championship, but lost.[31] Benjamin lost the title toCarlito on the June 20 episode ofRaw (Carlito used the ropes during the pinfall), ending the longest Intercontinental Championship reign of that decade and the 21st century overall at 244 days (that record has since been broken byGunther in 2023).[32][7]
Benjamin in 2005
Benjamin was then depicted as having a "losing streak" over the next several weeks, which led to Benjamin's "Momma" (played by comedian/actressThea Vidale) coming toRaw to confront Benjamin. Momma slapped and yelled at Benjamin every time he lost a match.[33] Before long, she assisted Benjamin in his matches, often interfering on his behalf.[34] This led to Benjamin turning heel for the second time in his career.[33] Benjamin then began a rivalry with then-Intercontinental ChampionRic Flair. On the February 20, 2006 episode ofRaw, Benjamin defeated Flair to win his second Intercontinental Championship after Momma faked a heart problem, causing enough of a distraction to allow Benjamin to cheat and win the title.[35] Benjamin continued to feud with Flair, but Momma no longer accompanied him to ringside. Benjamin explained her absence by stating that she was undergoing heart surgery in the hospital. She actually left due to being sexually harassed by someone in WWE.[33]
Benjamin competed in the secondMoney in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania 22 on April 2.[36] Benjamin then began a rivalry withRob Van Dam, the winner of the match, in an attempt to take Van Dam's Money in the Bank contract. During this time, Benjamin emphasized his new heel persona by now wearing shades, jewelry, and occasional colored shirts while entering the ring.[37] At one point, Benjamin was defeated by his former tag team partner, the returningCharlie Haas, on the April 17 episode ofRaw. A stipulation added to the match meant that due to this loss, Benjamin had to defend the Intercontinental Championship in the same match as his shot at Van Dam's contract, meaning atBacklash on April 30 it would be a "Winner Takes All" match.[38] Van Dam won at Backlash and became Intercontinental Champion.[39][40] On the May 15 episode ofRaw, Benjamin regained the title from Van Dam in aTornado Tag Team match, pitting Benjamin, Triple H andChris Masters against Van Dam andWWE ChampionJohn Cena;[10] both the WWE Championship and WWE Intercontinental Championship could be won by whoever pinned the appropriate champion. Benjamin pinned Van Dam, picking up his third Intercontinental Championship.[41] Subsequently, Benjamin feuded with Carlito and others for his Intercontinental Championship before losing the title toJohnny Nitro in aTriple Threat match also involving Carlito atVengeance on June 25.[42]
On the December 4 episode ofRaw, Benjamin's former tag team partner Charlie Haas came out to celebrate with Benjamin after he defeatedSuper Crazy.[43] On the December 11 episode ofRaw, Benjamin announced theWorld's Greatest Tag Team was officially back in a segment withCryme Tyme.[44][45] They defeatedThe Highlanders in a match later that same night.[45] They then started a feud with Cryme Tyme, but were largely unsuccessful in defeating them, including a tag team turmoil match atNew Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, where they were eliminated by Cryme Tyme.[46][47][48] Benjamin entered theRoyal Rumble match at theRoyal Rumble on January 28, but was eliminated by Shawn Michaels.[49] They finally managed a win over Cryme Tyme, ending their undefeated streak, on the January 29 episode ofRaw.[50]
On the April 2 episode ofRaw, the World's Greatest Tag Team was unsuccessful in defeating the team ofRic Flair andCarlito, but defeated them in a rematch the following week when Haas distracted Carlito, allowing Benjamin to gain the pin over Flair.[51][52] They won again two weeks later when Carlitoturned on Flair, attacking him and allowing The World's Greatest Tag Team to win viacountout.[53] They then challengedThe Hardys for theWorld Tag Team Championship atOne Night Stand on June 3 in a ladder match, but were unsuccessful.[54]
Following this, the World's Greatest Tag Team began a rivalry withPaul London and Brian Kendrick after losing to the duo in their debut match on the June 18 episode ofRaw.[55] A few weeks later, London defeated Benjamin in a singles match, however, on the July 23 episode ofRaw, The World's Greatest Tag Team got a tag team win over London and Kendrick to end the rivalry.[56][57][58]
Benjamin and Haas then routinely competed against the teams of Hardcore Holly andCody Rhodes andSuper Crazy andJim Duggan until November, when the team was disbanded due to Benjamin joining theECW roster.[59][60][61]
On the November 20 episode ofECW,Elijah Burke introduced Benjamin as the newest member of theECW brand. Benjamin, who had dyed his hair blond before leavingRaw, began wearing gold wrestling attire and referring to himself as "The Gold Standard". OnECW, Benjamin began once again receiving more airtime and higher profile matches, defeatingTommy Dreamer in his debut.[62] Benjamin then qualified for theRoyal Rumble match and won an over the top rope preview. Benjamin appeared in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, entering at number 17, but was eliminated byShawn Michaels.[63] He suffered his first loss since coming to ECW toKane by count-out, on the January 29, 2008, episode ofECW. On the February 22 episode ofSmackDown, Benjamin defeatedJimmy Wang Yang in a qualifying match for theMoney in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania XXIV on March 30,[64] which was won byCM Punk. After WrestleMania, Benjamin briefly feuded with Punk, before he began an on-screen rivalry withKofi Kingston, who defeated Benjamin on the April 22 episode ofECW. On the May 6 episode ofECW, however, Benjamin defeated Kingston, thus ending Kingston's undefeated streak. To end the feud, Kingston then defeated Benjamin in an Extreme Rules match on the May 20 episode ofECW.
As part of the2008 supplemental draft, Benjamin was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[65] On the July 11 episode ofSmackDown, Benjamin defeatedUnited States ChampionMatt Hardy in a non-title match, earning himself a future title shot. AtThe Great American Bash on July 20, Benjamin once again defeated Hardy to win the United States Championship.[66][67] Throughout his reign as champion, he retained the title several times against competitors such asR-Truth andHurricane Helms. On the March 20, 2009 episode ofSmackDown, Benjamin lost his United States Championship toMontel Vontavious Porter, ending Benjamin's reign at 240 days.[68] Benjamin then participated in the Money in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania 25 on April 5, but failed to win as CM Punk won the match for the second year in a row.[69] On June 29, Benjamin was traded to the ECW brand.[70] The following night, Benjamin returned to the brand in a losing effort to the debutingYoshi Tatsu.[71] He defeated Tatsu in a rematch the following week onECW.[72] After a tag team match, Benjamin abandoned his partnerZack Ryder during a tag team match, turning Benjamin face for the first time since 2006. He would soon feud with Ryder andSheamus over the following weeks. Benjamin and Sheamus beganfeuding with and traded wins against each other onECW andSuperstars and the feud lasted until Sheamus was moved to theRaw brand on October 26. The next night onECW, Benjamin lost to Sheamus in Sheamus' final match on the brand.[73]
Benjamin wrestled Christian atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13 for theECW Championship in a ladder match, but came up on the losing end. At theRoyal Rumble on January 31, 2010, Benjamin entered the Royal Rumble match at entry number 20, but was eliminated byJohn Cena in under a minute. On the final episode ofECW, Benjamin formed an alliance withVladimir Kozlov. Together, they defeated three members of the ECW roster:Vance Archer,Caylen Croft andTrent Barreta. On the February 26 episode ofSmackDown, Benjamin returned to the SmackDown brand and once again qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania XXVI on March 28, beatingCM Punk. However, Benjamin failed to win the match.[74] He defeated the returningJoey Mercury in his last match at theSmackDown tapings on April 20 in adark match.[75] On April 22, Benjamin was released from his WWE contract, ending his decade-long tenure with the company.[76]
In November 2010, Benjamin competed for American Wrestling Rampage. He made his debut on November 10 with Haas facingLa Résistance. During his tour with AWR he defeated Shawn Daivari in a steel cage match. He also had tag team matches with Haas taking onBooker T andScott Steiner. On March 8, 2011, Benjamin wrestled in a dark match prior to theSmackDown tapings inHouston,Texas, defeatingCurt Hawkins.[79] On March 9, 2011, Benjamin won theMWF Heavyweight Championship and lost it on June 4.
At JAPW 18th Anniversary Show, Haas, Benjamin and Angle reunited for the first time in 11 years. In the main event, Benjamin and Haas defeated Chris Sabin and Teddy Hart.[80]
On May 15, 2015,Global Force Wrestling (GFW) announced Benjamin as part of their roster.[81] He made his debut for the promotion on June 20, defeatingChris Mordetzky in a main event singles match.[82] Benjamin participated in Global Force Wrestling's inaugural tournament to crown their very first GFW Global Champion, which served as the company's world heavyweight championship. After gaining a victory in the quarter-finals, he forfeited his next match-up toBobby Roode due to a storyline concussion.
Benjamin and Haas returned to ROH at theRing of Honor Wrestling television tapings on December 9, where they defeated theBravado Brothers (Harlem and Lance).[84] The following day, at the second set of television tapings, they defeated the All-Night Express ofKenny King andRhett Titus, and participated in an eight-man tag team match, teaming with theBriscoe Brothers against the Kings of Wrestling and the All-Night Xpress, which ended in a no contest.[85] On December 18 at theFinal Battle 2010 pay-per-view Benjamin and Haas announced that in 2011 they would be wrestling regularly for Ring of Honor.[86] At the following pay-per-view,9th Anniversary Show, on February 26, 2011, Benjamin and Haas defeated the Briscoe Brothers in the main event of the evening to earn another shot at the Kings of Wrestling and theROH World Tag Team Championship.[87][88] On April 1 atHonor Takes Center Stage, Benjamin and Haas defeated the Kings of Wrestling for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.[6] On June 26 atBest in the World 2011, Benjamin and Haas successfully defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship in a four-way match against the Briscoe Brothers, the Kings of Wrestling and theAll Night Express.[89] The following day ROH announced that both Benjamin and Haas had signed contracts with the promotion.[90] On December 23, atFinal Battle 2011, Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to the Briscoe Brothers.[91] On May 12, 2012, atBorder Wars, Benjamin and Haas regained the ROH World Tag Team Championship from the Briscoe Brothers.[92] On June 24 atBest in the World 2012, Benjamin and Haas lost the title to Kenny King and Rhett Titus.[93]
In early August, ROH, in storyline, suspended Benjamin for attacking Titus and several ROH officials with a steel chair. The suspension was used to explain Benjamin's absence from ROH, while he was working in Japan.[94] Benjamin returned on September 15 atDeath Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency, accompanying Charlie Haas and Rhett Titus during their tag team championship tournament matches.[95] On December 16 atFinal Battle 2012: Doomsday, Benjamin and Haas defeated Titus andB. J. Whitmer in a Street Fight.[96] The following day it was reported that Benjamin had requested and received a release from his ROH contract.[97] Benjamin made one more appearance for ROH on February 2, 2013, when Haas turned on him during an ROH World Tag Team Championship match against the Briscoe Brothers.[98] Benjamin was scheduled to face Haas on April 5 atSupercard of Honor VII, but after Haas had parted ways with the promotion, he was replaced byMike Bennett, who went on to defeat Benjamin.[99]
On December 9, 2011,New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced that Benjamin would be joiningMVP for a tag match againstMasato Tanaka andYujiro Takahashi atWrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2012.[100] Benjamin and MVP were victorious in the match, after MVP submitted Takahashi.[101] Benjamin returned to New Japan on June 16 atDominion 6.16, where he and MVP defeatedKarl Anderson andTama Tonga in a tag team match, with Benjamin pinning Tonga for the win.[102] On July 8, New Japan announced Benjamin as a participant in the2012 G1 Climax tournament.[103][104] Benjamin returned to the promotion on July 29 atLast Rebellion, where he, Karl Anderson, MVP andRush defeatedSuzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki,Lance Archer,Taichi andTaka Michinoku) in an eight-man tag team match, with Benjamin pinning Taichi for the win.[105] In the following month's G1 Climax tournament, Benjamin ended up winning four out of his eight matches, failing to advance to the finals.[106][107] On November 11, New Japan announced that Benjamin would return to take part in the2012 World Tag League, where he would be teaming with MVP under the tag team name "Black Dynamite".[108] Benjamin and MVP finished their tournament on December 1 with a record of three wins, one over the reigningIWGP Tag Team ChampionsK.E.S. (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer),[109] and three losses, failing to advance from their block.[110] On December 2, the final day of the tournament, Benjamin got into a brawl with Masato Tanaka,[111] which led to New Japan the naming him the number one contender to Tanaka'sNEVER Openweight Championship the following day.[112] On January 4, 2013, atWrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Benjamin unsuccessfully challenged Tanaka for his title.[113][114]
Benjamin returned to New Japan on April 20, now working as a member of the villainous Suzuki-gun, teaming with the stable's leader Minoru Suzuki in a main event tag team match, where they defeatedKazuchika Okada andShinsuke Nakamura.[115] On the following tour, Benjamin worked under the ring name "Shelton X Benjamin", playing off the fact that prior to him being revealed as the newest member of Suzuki-gun, Suzuki's partner had been billed simply as "X".[1] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2013, Benjamin unsuccessfully challenged Nakamura for theIWGP Intercontinental Championship.[116][117] Benjamin returned to New Japan on June 22 atDominion 6.22, where he and Minoru Suzuki defeated Shinsuke Nakamura andTomohiro Ishii in a tag team match, with Benjamin pinning Nakamura for the win.[118][119] From August 1 to 11, Benjamin took part in the2013 G1 Climax,[120] where he finished with a record of five wins and four losses, narrowly missing advancement from his block.[121][122] On September 29 atDestruction, Benjamin received another shot at the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, but was again defeated by Shinsuke Nakamura.[123][124] From November 24 to December 7, Benjamin and Suzuki took part in the2013 World Tag League, where they finished with a record of three wins and three losses, with a loss againstTakashi Iizuka andToru Yano on the final day costing them a spot in the semifinals.[125][126] Benjamin returned to New Japan on January 4, 2014, atWrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, where he and Suzuki were defeated byThe Great Muta and Toru Yano in a tag team match.[127][128] On March 15, Benjamin entered the2014 New Japan Cup, defeating Yujiro Takahashi in his first round match.[129] On March 22, Benjamin defeatedKatsuyori Shibata to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.[130] The following day, Benjamin was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals byBad Luck Fale.[131] From July 21 to August 8, Benjamin took part in the2014 G1 Climax, where he finished fifth in his block with a record of five wins and five losses.[132][133]
On January 10, 2015, Benjamin, along with the rest of Suzuki-gun, took part in a major storyline, where the stable invaded aPro Wrestling Noah show, attacking Marufuji andTMDK.[135][136] Benjamin made his in-ring debut for Noah on January 12, when he, Suzuki, Taichi and Michinoku defeated Marufuji,Atsushi Kotoge,Muhammad Yone andTaiji Ishimori in an eight-man tag team match.[137] Over the next few weeks, Benjamin worked all Noah events,[138] while starting a feud withTakashi Sugiura due to him also having a background in amateur wrestling.[139] Benjamin and Sugiura finally met in a grudge match on July 18, where Sugiura was victorious.[140] In November, Benjamin made it to the finals of Noah's premier singles tournament, theGlobal League, but was defeated there by Naomichi Marufuji.[141] On June 12, 2016, Benjamin unsuccessfully challengedGo Shiozaki for Noah's top title, theGHC Heavyweight Championship.[142]
On the July 26, 2016, episode ofSmackDown, WWE aired a promotional video, announcing that Benjamin would return to WWE and appear onSmackDown.[143] However, on August 7, 2016, Benjamin announced that due to atorn rotator cuff which required surgery, he "will not be returning to WWE at this time".[144] In March 2017, Benjamin announced that he had been cleared for action, following his injury.[145]
On August 17, 2017, it was reported that Benjamin had re-signed with WWE.[146] He returned on the August 22 episode ofSmackDown and was paired withChad Gable, working as afan favorite tag team. The duo made their in ring debut on August 30, 2017, defeatingThe Ascension. AtHell in a Cell, Benjamin and Gable defeated TheHype Bros, marking Benjamin's first appearance at a WWE pay-per-view since 2010. AtClash of Champions, they had theirSmackDown Tag Team Championship title shot in a fatal four-way tag team match, in which they were unsuccessful. On the January 2, 2018, episode ofSmackDown Live, they defeatedThe Usos for the titles, but the decision was reversed by the referee when he realized they unknowingly pinned the wrong twin. The following week onSmackDown Live, the duo turnedheel when they insulted the referee of their title match the week before, demoralized the fans, and accused general managerDaniel Bryan of being biased, which resulted in Bryan booking them for atwo out of three falls match against The Usos atRoyal Rumble, where they lost in two straight falls.[147] AtWrestleMania 34 on April 8, Benjamin competed alongside Gable in theAndré the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but neither won.[148] On April 16, Gable would be traded toRaw during the2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up, thus disbanding the team.[149]
On the April 17 episode ofSmackDown, Benjamin issued a challenge to anyone in the locker room.Randy Orton would initially accept the challenge, however, while making his way to the ring, newly draftedUnited States ChampionJeff Hardy would come out and accept the challenge instead, defeating Benjamin.[150] The following week onSmackDown, Benjamin would issue another open challenge, first answered by Hardy, but Orton would replace him. Benjamin would go onto defeat Orton.[151] Benjamin appeared at theGreatest Royal Rumble inJeddah, Saudi Arabia, competing in the titular 50-manRoyal Rumble match. Benjamin entered the match as entrant number 48 and was eliminated byChris Jericho.[152]
At theRoyal Rumble pay-per-view on January 27, 2019, Benjamin competed in the Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated byBraun Strowman.[153] On the March 11 episode ofRaw, Benjamin surprisingly appeared and attackedSeth Rollins, and later faced Rollins in a losing effort.[154] In August, Benjamin was announced as one of sixteen competitors in theKing of the Ring, where he was defeated by his former tag team partner Chad Gable in the first round on the August 27 episode ofSmackDown Live.[155][156] As part of the2019 draft, Benjamin was drafted to theRaw brand. On January 26, 2020, Benjamin participated in theRoyal Rumble match and entered at #10 at thenamesake pay-per-view, but was eliminated by theWWE ChampionBrock Lesnar.
On the June 15 episode ofRaw, Benjamin faced United States ChampionApollo Crews, where Crews won after using the ropes as leverage. Following the match in aWWE Network exclusive,MVP promised Benjamin a rematch with Crews for the United States Championship, thus teasing an alliance between the two. On the June 22 episode of Raw, Benjamin attacked Crews during the VIP Lounge with MVP before their scheduled match. Despite this, Benjamin was defeated by Crews.
On the July 20 episode ofRaw, Benjamin officially joined MVP andBobby Lashley's stableThe Hurt Business as they helped him capture the24/7 Championship fromR-Truth.[157] During his time with the stable, he would win the24/7 Championship three times.[158][159] On the August 10 episode ofRaw, Benjamin defeated United States Champion Apollo Crews in a non-title match following a distraction by MVP and Lashley. This was Benjamin's first victory on Raw in over 14 years.[160][161] On the September 7 episode of Raw,Cedric Alexander joined The Hurt Business when he betrayed Crews and Ricochet during a six-man tag team match, attacking them and helping The Hurt Business win the match.[162] On December 20, atTLC, Alexander and Benjamin defeatedThe New Day (Kofi Kingston andXavier Woods) to win theWWE Raw Tag Team Championship.[163] This would also make him a 3-time WWE (Raw) Tag Team Champion. Benjamin and Alexander would later drop the titles back to Kingston and Woods on the March 15 episode of Raw.
On the March 29 episode ofRaw, Lashley lambasted Alexander and Benjamin due to them losing the Raw Tag Team Championships and losing toDrew McIntyre in a 2-on-1 handicap match, a loss that meant they would be barred from ringside at Lashley's WWE Championship match atWrestleMania 37 against McIntyre. This led to Lashley attacking Alexander and Benjamin, thus kicking them out of the faction in the process. They started a losing streak, lost to the teams such asThe Viking Raiders (Erik andIvar) twice, and toRK-Bro (Randy Orton andRiddle) once. On the May 3 episode of Raw, Alexander turned on Benjamin after losing toLucha House Party. On the May 10 episode of Raw, Benjamin fought Alexander in a match with Alexander losing to Benjamin.[164]
On the September 27 episode ofRaw, Benjamin and Alexander helped Lashley fight off The New Day and in the process, reuniting The Hurt Business.[165] In January 2022, after not being seen together, Benjamin and Alexander approached Lashley under the assumption they were still a unit, only to be dismissed. This would cause the pair to launch a sneak attack that evening, but they were easily dealt with.[166]
On May 14, 2022, it was reported that Benjamin suffered an undisclosed injury and would be out of action.[167] He made his return on the June 13 taping of Main Event in a winning effort againstAkira Tozawa. On August 8, 2022, Benjamin faced Cedric Alexander in theMain Event tapings in a losing effort, effectively signaling the end of The Hurt Business. Afterwards, they embraced each other and shared a moment in the ring, turning Benjaminface for the first time since 2017. On the January 9, 2023, episode ofRaw, Benjamin and Alexander reunited to take part in a Tag Team Turmoil match. Earlier during the show, Lashley and MVP teased an alliance, with MVP crediting himself for reuniting Benjamin and Alexander, and getting Lashley reinstated on Raw after being suspended.[168] On the February 6 edition ofRaw, Benjamin and Alexander defeatedAlpha Academy with MVP in their corner further hinting at a possible reunion. However, the reunion angle was quietly dropped shortly after although Alexander and Benjamin would continue teaming together.
Benjamin was released from his WWE contract on September 21, 2023, ending his second tenure of six years with the company and effectively disbanding the tag team of Alexander and Benjamin.[169]
On February 8, 2024, it was announced Benjamin would make his debut for Prestige Wrestling at their eventAlive or Just Breathing on May 16 againstJosh Alexander, who was later replaced byTom Lawlor due to health issues.[170][171] At the event, Benjamin defeated Lawlor.[172]
Benjamin made hisAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut on thefifth anniversary episode ofDynamite, where he was reunited with and introduced by fellow former Hurt Business memberMVP as his business partner.[173] The duo would go on to reform The Hurt Business under the new name "The Hurt Syndicate" and established themselves asheels.[174] On the October 16 episode ofDynamite, Benjamin made his AEW in-ring debut, where he defeatedLio Rush.[175] On October 30 atFright Night Dynamite, Benjamin was defeated bySwerve Strickland, suffering his first loss in AEW. After the match, Benjamin, MVP, and a debutingBobby Lashley attacked Strickland, with Lashley subsequently joining The Hurt Syndicate.[176] On November 24, Benjamin was announced as a participant in the2024 Continental Classic, where he was placed in the Blue league.[177] Benjamin finished the tournament with 6 points, but failed to advance to the playoff stage.[178]
Benjamin is a fan ofvideo games. He won WWE'sTHQ Superstar Challenge, a video game tournament that took place every year duringWrestleMania weekend, four years in a row before retiring from the event in 2007.[196][197] He has theGuinness World Record for "wrestler who won the most WWE THQ Superstar Challenges".[198] In April 2020, during the nationwide quarantine in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Benjamin jokingly asked parents via Twitter to keep their children from playing online games due to younger players beating his records.[199]
Since 2002, Benjamin has maintained a close friendship withCharlie Haas, who often refers to him as his "brother." He served as the best man at Haas andJackie Gayda's wedding, and is the godfather to Haas' oldest daughter.[citation needed] Benjamin is also close friends withBrock Lesnar, having met him at the University of Minnesota and roomed with him. He once let Lesnar stay in his basement when Lesnar was out of money.[200] In 2004, Benjamin visited Four Dwellings Primary Academy inBirmingham in the United Kingdom to teach students about reading week.
^PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts"."Wrestling's historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 119.
^Most WWE THQ Superstar Challenge titles (gaming)Archived July 30, 2017, at theWayback Machine retrieved February 8, 2015: The highest number of WWE THQ Superstar Challenge tournament victories is four, a record held by Shelton Benjamin. For the past five years at WrestleMania, THQ has held an annual tournament called the Superstar Challenge, in which WWE wrestlers compete for the title of best SmackDown vs. Raw player. The only other winner of the Superstar Challenge has been Elijah Burke, who won the title in 2007 at WrestleMania 23. He won the first 4 years, 2003-2006 (Outdated,AJ Lee won in 2012, victors of 2008-2011 unknown)
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