Shelton Benjamin Named Guest of Honor For WaleMania

Shelton Benjamin is considered one of the most gifted technical wrestlers in the world who did not receive his full potential in the global juggernaut, WWE. Despite no longer being a part of the company and wrestling a match outside the company already, he will be involved in the WrestleMania 40 festivities in some capacity.

The former WWE Intercontinental champion has been announced as the Guest of Honor for the annual WrestleMania week party, WaleMania, set to take place on Thursday, April 4 at Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia, PA.

It has been an exciting celebration of one of the biggest events in sports entertainment with stars from the current WWE roster like Ricochet, Samantha Irvin, MVP, and Omos, and many other VIP guests and celebrities also scheduled to attend the party.

Here is the official press release for WaleMania set to go down in the city of Brotherly Love.

Walemania continues its annual tradition of hosting the largest wrestling party during Wrestlemania week this year at the Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia on Thursday, April 4th.

Founded by Grammy-nominated rapper/actor/poet Wale, hosted and curated by The Ringer’s Kazeem Famuyide and Emilio Sparks. Produced by Andria Parides, Walemania is the most electrifying celebration, bringing fans and athletes together. Kicked off with a live episode of The Masked Man Show, the night includes special performances, surprise guests, and a segment dedicated to their guest of honor.

This year’s “Guest of Honor” is 20-year veteran Shelton Benjamin. A former collegiate wrestling champion, Shelton Benjamin came from the same 2002 OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling) developmental class as other wrestling greats Randy Orton, Batista, and John Cena. Shelton’s career included stints in New Japan Pro Wrestling and winning championships in WWE and Ring of Honor numerous times.

“Bringing my friends together from the world of music and wrestling is something I truly look forward to doing every year leading up to Mania week,” says, Wale, “This year is going to be the biggest one we’ve ever done and I’m looking forward to giving my fans and friends a unique experience.”

Walemania brings a star-studded list of guests to Franklin Music Hall. Some of the wrestling superstars that will be in attendance include Ricochet, announcer and singer Samantha Irvin, WWE Legend MVP, Omos, wrestler and rapper A.J. Francis, Angelo Dawkins, , NXT’s Meta-Four, Killer Kelly, Shazza McKenzie, and many more.

The lineup will include recording artists Connie Diamond, Nick Papz, and 3ohBlack. DJ Money, Cory Townes, DJ Tommy Carlucci, and Gigi Rosa will provide the sounds on the 1s and 2s. The self-proclaimed “Number one voice in wrestling media,” Van Lathan, will participate in the festivities.

Famuyide says, “Walemania is truly one of the highlights of the big wrestling weekend and I love that we get to help kick it off right one more time. Its growth over the years and embrace by both wrestling and hip-hop community has been amazing and continues to be one of the most unique experiences in live events. Im looking forward alongside Emilio Sparks and of course Wale to bring Philadelphia an unforgettable night.”

Amidst the WrestleMania festivities, Shelton Benjamin has been linked to rumors related to him signing with WWE’s direct competitor, AEW, with discussion having started about a month ago.

While nothing is confirmed at the moment, it will be interesting to see Shelton Benjamin make his appearance as an important guest for an event with WrestleMania 40 on the horizon.

What are your thoughts on Shelton Benjamin being announced as the Guest of Honor for WaleMania? Sound off in the comments!