Is Shelton Benjamin Still With WWE?
Contents
Shelton Benjamin was last seen on WWE programming in early 2017, leading many to wonder if he is still with the company. Here’s what we know.
Introduction
Shelton Benjamin was drafted to the RAW brand as part of the 2004 WWE Draft Lottery on March 22, 2004. He was then moved to the SmackDown! brand on May 26, 2005, as part of the Superstar Shake-up.
What Happened to Shelton Benjamin?
Shelton Benjamin was a part of WWE for a long time, and he was even a part of some memorable tag teams. However, he was released from WWE in 2010 and has not been back since. What happened to Shelton Benjamin? Let’s take a look.
He was released in 2010
Shelton Benjamin was released from WWE in April 2010, just two years after he was moved to the SmackDown brand. The reason for his release has never been fully explained, but it is thought that WWE simply had no plans for him at the time.
Benjamin returned to WWE in 2017 as part of the Mae Young Classic tournament. He has since appeared sporadically on Raw and SmackDown, but has not been given a major push.
He was re-signed in 2016
In 2016, WWE and Shelton Benjamin came to an agreement which saw the return of the former United States Champion. Unfortunately, Shelton Benjamin’s return was met with injury as he tore his rotator cuff shortly after his return and has been sidelined ever since.
He was injured in 2017
In 2017, Benjamin was injured and had to take some time off from WWE. This injury sidelined him for almost a year, and he did not return to WWE until early 2018. Despite his return, it was reported in mid-2018 that Benjamin was again injured and would be taking more time away from WWE. As of 2019, Benjamin is still with WWE but he has not been active due to his injuries.
Where is Shelton Benjamin Now?
Shelton Benjamin was released by WWE in April 2010 along with several other superstars. WWE claimed they were going in a “different direction” and wanted to focus on younger, up-and-coming talent. Benjamin has not been seen on WWE television since his release.
He is wrestling on the independent circuit
Shelton Benjamin is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor (ROH). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he was a two-time Intercontinental Champion and Tag Team Champion.
Benjamin began his wrestling career in 2000, wrestling for various independent promotions in the Midwestern United States. In 2001, he signed a development contract with WWE and was assigned to their Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) territory. He debuted on WWE’s main roster in 2002 and quickly won the Intercontinental Championship. After leaving WWE in 2010, Benjamin wrestled for various independent promotions, including Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan and Ring of Honor in the United States.
In 2018, Benjamin returned to WWE after an eight-year absence, wrestling on the Raw brand. In January 2019, he won the Slammy Award for “Match of the Year” for his match against Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series.
As of 2020, Shelton Benjamin is still wrestling on the independent circuit.
He is a coach at the WWE Performance Center
Shelton Benjamin is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he works as a coach at the WWE Performance Center. Benjamin is a former one-time Intercontinental Champion, two-time United States Champion and one-time World Tag Team Champion. He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
In June 2019, it was reported that Benjamin had signed a multi-year contract with WWE. In October 2019, it was announced that he would be returning to television as part of the NXT brand.
He is an analyst on WWE Backstage
Shelton Benjamin is an analyst on the WWE Backstage show which airs Tuesdays on FS1. It was announced in January 2020 that Benjamin would be joining the show as a special contributor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it appears that Shelton Benjamin is no longer with WWE. His profile has been removed from the WWE website and he has not been seen on WWE programming for some time. It is unclear what his future holds, but it seems unlikely that he will be returning to WWE in the near future.