Shelton Benjamin Reveals Why He Signed with AEW

Following his WWE release last year, Shelton Benjamin waited for the right moment and made his AEW debut earlier this month and he has now revealed the reason why he ended up signing with Tony Khan’s company despite getting offers elsewhere.

While speaking during an interview with Gabby LaSpisa on Gabby AF, he talked about why he chose AEW. He received offers from several places, including MLW, and was also looking into opportunities outside of wrestling, like acting and real estate. Shelton wanted to find the best option for his success.

After leaving WWE, he thought carefully about where to go next. While he found IMPACT appealing, he wanted to reach the largest audience possible. He believes AEW is the biggest platform outside of WWE. Although he doesn’t plan to retire soon, he wants to make the most of his time in the ring and feels AEW is the right place for that.

“I did have a few offers. MLW was very interested. I was doing a lot of international things and exploring other options, in and out of pro wrestling. Acting is one of them. Even things like real estate and things not related to wrestling. It basically boiled down to, I like to put myself in the best possible position to succeed. When the door closed at WWE, I really thought long and hard about where I wanted to go. IMPACT was a very tempting place to go. What it boils down to is, I want the biggest possible audience. Outside of WWE, there is nowhere bigger than AEW. I don’t have as much time as lot of guys, as far as in-ring. Not that I’m going to retire anytime soon, but for the time I have left, I want to reach the biggest possible audience. What better place than AEW? There is no better place.”

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On the October 16 episode of AEW Dynamite, Shelton Benjamin made his successful in-ring debut as he defeated Lio Rush in singles competition. He is now set to square off against Sammy Guevara on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, so it remains to be seen if he will be triumphant against The Spanish God.

Do you believe Shelton Benjamin will thrive in AEW? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!