Matt Hardy Believes Shelton Benjamin Can Be a Game-Changer in AEW

Matt Hardy has high hopes for Shelton Benjamin’s future in All Elite Wrestling. Speaking on the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the wrestling veteran shared his thoughts on Benjamin’s recent AEW debut against Lio Rush on Dynamite and what he believes could have been done differently to highlight Benjamin’s talent.

“I enjoyed seeing Shelton’s match,” Hardy said. “My biggest criticism of it is that I feel like they should have had Shelton have a more definitive win his first time out. I thought he looked great, and it was great for him to have a match.”

While praising both Benjamin and Rush for their performances, Hardy expressed his view that Benjamin’s debut should have showcased him as a dominant force rather than a back-and-forth contest.

“I love the fact that they had a great match,” Hardy continued. “But me personally — this is once again my opinion, take it or leave it — I feel like Shelton should have gone out, and he should have been in a match that was five minutes, and he looked dominant.”

Hardy elaborated that while he respects Lio Rush’s talent and finds him highly entertaining, a more straightforward victory for Benjamin would have better established him as a major player in AEW. “I dig what [Lio] does, but I don’t think we needed a 10-minute, 12-minute match, whatever it was, super competitive back-and-forth,” Hardy explained. “I think you really needed to just shine the light on Shelton. Like, ‘This is Shelton Benjamin. He’s here. He’s badass, and he’s going to be a difference-maker in AEW.’”

Benjamin, a multi-time WWE champion and veteran known for his athleticism, joined AEW after his WWE release, bringing years of experience to the company. While Hardy acknowledged Benjamin’s impressive debut, he believes AEW has an opportunity to use him in a way that maximizes his star power moving forward.