2 weeks ago
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The Gabby AF podcast gave Shelton Benjamin, the popular wrestler, a chance to reflect on various aspects of the wrestling scene. One topic that came up was his conversations with the former head of WWE, Vince McMahon. While many have criticized McMahon after his departure as WWE’s leader, highlighting how he often abused his authority, Benjamin shared a different perspective.
The 49-year-old wrestler admitted that his relationship with the former WWE boss was strictly professional, but he also acknowledged that he sometimes saw McMahon in specific moods, which he considered completely normal.
“It was mostly professional. I’ve never had a bad meeting with Vince. I’ve seen Vince in bad moods and things like that, but my personal interactions with him have always been pretty pleasant. There might have been one time when I first started where he might have barked at us for something small that he probably wouldn’t have remembered, but because it’s Vince, I remember. In the grand scheme of things, it was nothing.”- Benjamin said, as quoted by Pwmania.
Shelton Benjamin on negative experiences with Vince McMahon
Shelton Benjamin stressed that, personally, he didn’t have many negative things to say about Vince McMahon. However, his biggest issue with McMahon was that he didn’t always have enough faith in him. Benjamin felt that in order to be given certain opportunities or placed in certain roles, McMahon needed to believe in him more. That was his main gripe with Vince.
As many other wrestlers have pointed out, they often felt they deserved bigger opportunities, but it's clear that WWE's boss, Vince McMahon, had a tough job trying to give everyone a chance and focus on each person to the extent they might have wanted. Shelton Benjamin was certainly impressive in WWE, with huge talent. However, WWE is a company filled with many talented and high-quality wrestlers, making it quite difficult for every single one of them to get the spotlight or opportunities they hoped for.
Despite that, Shelton didn’t have many negative experiences. He mentioned that whenever he asked for a meeting, he was usually able to get one, though sometimes he had to wait a long time; like one occasion where he had to wait three or four hours after a show.
According to Benjamin, McMahon’s attitude was essentially, "If you really want the meeting, you’ll wait for it."
He stressed that some people would leave during these waits, but for him, it wasn’t a huge issue.
The 49-year-old wanted to fight for his place, ready to wait for a chance and talk. However, as he pointed out earlier, this great wrestler believes he could have had a better chance, but he was not completely satisfied with the treatment.
Looking back on his time in WWE, the experienced wrestler is grateful for the moments that helped steer his life in the right direction. Shelton Benjamin feels motivated now to show the key figures in WWE that he deserves a bigger opportunity. However, he does not seek to defy or challenge authority; proving himself isn’t his main driving force. Instead, he’s focused on continuing to grow and make the most of the opportunities that come his way, rather than holding any resentment or desire for revenge.
“I cherish my time in WWE because it really changed my life for the better. I have more good memories than bad. It’s not about proving myself to anybody as much as it is showing them what they’ve been missing this entire time.”- Benjamin continued.
The popular wrestler did not forget to refer to AEW, where he is obviously having a great time.
Shelton Benjamin shared that AEW is full of great talent, and one of the first names that came to his mind was Will Ospreay, who he described as “phenomenal” and someone he’d love to work with. 49-year-old also mentioned Jon Moxley, saying he didn’t even realize they’d shared a locker room until now.
Benjamin listed other wrestlers he’d be interested in facing, such as Swerve Strickland, MJF, and Hobbs. He also pointed out that there are some familiar faces he’s always enjoyed working with, like Christian and Edge, with whom he’s had some memorable matches.
Shelton emphasized that AEW offers a lot of exciting first-time opportunities for him, and while the list is long, these are just a few highlights; there are plenty of other names on it as well.
AEW is a company that wants to progress in the future and write great stories on the wrestling scene. Although they know that it is difficult to compete next to WWE, the leaders of this company have no intention of giving up on being side by side with WWE.
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