Shelton Benjamin recently appeared on AEW Unrestricted, opening up about his AEW debut and the positive reception he received from the AEW fanbase. The veteran wrestler expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome, especially considering his history with WWE.
“To this day, anytime someone even recognizes me in the street, I’m honestly very flattered,” Benjamin shared. “So to have that reaction, especially for the AEW crowd, you know, being a quote, unquote, former WWE guy, I was humbled. I was overjoyed. I was actually kind of worried about how the reaction would be, but like I said, the fans have stuck by me through thick and thin all these years, and it was very heartwarming, is the best way I can put it because I really appreciate it. I loved it and I could re-watch that moment over and over and over.”
Benjamin also discussed the journey to his AEW arrival, revealing that it had been in the works for some time. “It’s been a long time coming,” he explained. “We almost made it happen a few times over the past year, but to finally actually be there, and to be performing in front of a live crowd on television, all of those things culminated into, just for me, a great night. So far, it’s been a great experience. I’m definitely enjoying my time there. I just want to bring the best of myself to the program, and hopefully we can do some big things while there.”
Beyond his debut, Benjamin delved into other topics during the interview. He spoke about The Hurt Syndicate, his real-life friendship with MVP, and his first encounter with Bobby Lashley. In a fun comparison, Benjamin broke down The Hurt Syndicate’s roles in relation to Marvel Superheroes, even revealing which member he sees as the group’s Tony Stark. The episode also included behind-the-scenes stories from his recent matches with Lio Rush and Mark Briscoe.
Listeners also got a glimpse into Benjamin’s personal wrestling journey. He revealed his favorite match of his career and shared the story of when he realized he had achieved “big guy” status in the wrestling world. This episode of AEW Unrestricted provided fans with a comprehensive look at Shelton Benjamin’s past, present, and future in professional wrestling.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AEW Unrestricted with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
