Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin
Born	(1975-07-09) July 9, 1975 Orangeburg, South Carolina
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Shelton Benjamin
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight
Billed from	Orangeburg, South Carolina
Trained by	Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut	November 2000

Shelton Benjamin (born July 9 1975) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) working on its RAW brand as one half of The World's Greatest Tag Team with Charlie Haas.

Benjamin is a three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and has held the WWE Tag Team Championship and OVW Southern Tag Team Championship two and four times, respectively. Aside from professional wrestling, Benjamin has an extensive amateur wrestling background, winning the South Carolina state high school heavyweight wrestling championship on two occasions. He also acted as an assistant coach in amateur wrestling.

Career

Amateur wrestling

Benjamin grew up in Orangeburg, South Carolina where he was an accomplished amateur wrestler. He began wrestling while in the 10th grade at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School. While in high school, he achieved a 122–10 win-loss record and was a two-time South Carolina state high school heavyweight wrestling champion, earning the title in both 1993 and 1994. He also was a Junior College National Track Champion in the 100 metre and won the junior college national wrestling heavyweight title in 1996 while attending Lassen Junior College in Susanville, California. He was then accepted to attend the University of Minnesota, where he achieved a 36–6 win-loss record. Moreover, while attending the university, he was a two-time All-American heavyweight wrestler. After graduation, he served as an assistant coach at the University and trained with future OVW tag team partner Brock Lesnar. In 1997, Benjamin went 36–6 and made 12 pins in the Big Ten Championship, in which he placed 6th. Instead of trying to qualify for the 2000 Olympics, Benjamin decided instead to try and pursue a professional wrestling career.

Ohio Valley Wrestling

Benjamin was offered and accepted a contract from World Wrestling Entertainment and was placed in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as one half of a tag team with Brock Lesnar (also a wrestling teammate at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities). Together they were known as the "Minnesota Stretching Crew", and they held the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions. The first two reigns occurred during February and July 2001. They were booked to win the titles for a third time from Rico Constantino and The Prototype on October 29 2001. After Lesnar was called up to the main roster in November 2001, Benjamin formed a tag team with Redd Dogg Begnaud called "The Dogg Pound" and once again won the OVW Southern Tag Team Title on July 17 2002.

World Wrestling Entertainment

2002–2003

He was offered a WWE contract in September 2002. He joined WWE's SmackDown! brand as a heel on December 26 2002 and formed Team Angle along with Charlie Haas, with Olympic gold-medalist wrestler Kurt Angle as their kayfabe mentor. Their first official match together in WWE was on the January 2 2003 edition of SmackDown! against Edge and Chris Benoit. They continued to feud (in storyline) with Benoit until No Way Out 2003, when Benoit teamed with Brock Lesnar to defeat Team Angle.

The duo were booked to win their first WWE Tag Team Championship just a month after their debut by defeating the champions, Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero) on February 6 2003. The two then went on to compete in their first WrestleMania match at WrestleMania XIX, retaining their tag title in a triple threat match against Los Guerreros and Chris Benoit and Rhyno. Team Angle later dropped the title to Eddie Guerrero and his new partner Tajiri at Judgment Day 2003 in a ladder match.

The angle concluded on the June 12 2003 SmackDown!, when Angle kayfabe confronted Benjamin and Haas and fired them from Team Angle. They began referring to themselves as The World's Greatest Tag Team, and "won" the tag title back on the July 3 edition of SmackDown!. They dropped the title on September 18, after Benjamin suffered a legitimate knee injury during a match against Los Guerreros. He was sidelined for approximately one month, but the pair competed together again, taking part in a fatal four-way WWE Tag Team Title match at WrestleMania XX.

2004–2005

On March 22 2004, Benjamin was booked to be moved to the RAW brand as part of the 2004 Draft Lottery. After arriving, Benjamin quickly became a face when he was booked to win a pinfall victory over Triple H. Benjamin then "feuded" with Triple H, beating him three times in total: once by pinfall, once by countout and once by disqualification. As part of the storyline, Benjamin then feuded with the other members of Triple H's stable Evolution. Benjamin defeated Ric Flair at Backlash 2004 and lost to Randy Orton in a WWE Intercontinental Championship match at Bad Blood 2004.

During a match with Lance Cade on WWE Heat, Benjamin punched Cade's kneebrace, legitmately breaking his hand in the process, which briefly put Benjamin out of action. Benjamin returned in the fall of 2004 and was chosen by the fans to compete for the Intercontinental Championship in a match against then-champion Chris Jericho at Taboo Tuesday 2004. Benjamin was booked to win the match, giving him his first singles title in the company. During his reign as Intercontinental Champion, Benjamin retained the title against challengers such as Christian at Survivor Series 2004, Maven (who he defeated "twice") at New Year's Revolution 2005, and Chris Jericho at Backlash 2005. Benjamin dropped the title to the RAW-debuting Carlito on June 20 2005. He was the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of the decade.

During his Intercontinental Championship reign, Benjamin participated in the very first Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21 but came up short. He later lost a match on RAW against Shawn Michaels in the "Gold Rush tournament", but whilst losing, it was considered one of the greatest matches of the year. For months afterwards, Benjamin "jobbed" to wrestlers on the RAW roster such as Carlito, Chris Masters, Snitsky, and Rob Conway. Benjamin then engaged in a brief "feud" with Kerwin White (Chavo Guerrero's golfer gimmick) and his caddy Nick Nemeth.

Benjamin's next storyline began on the December 5 2005 edition of RAW, when Shawn Michaels was scripted to give Benjamin a speech to get him "psyched" for their tag match together later in the night. As Michaels was preparing to finish the match, Benjamin tagged himself in and "missed" a crossbody, allowing Carlito to pin Benjamin. Benjamin was booked into a storyline "losing streak" over the next several weeks, which led to Benjamin's noisy, scolding and domineering "Momma" (played by comedian/actress Thea Vidale) coming to RAW to confront Benjamin about his losing streak. Momma slapped and yelled at Benjamin anytime he lost a match. Before long, she assisted Benjamin in his matches, often interfering on his behalf. This led to a second heel run for Benjamin.

2006-2007

Shelton Benjamin at a house show in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

In 2006, Benjamin feuded with then-Intercontinental Champion Ric Flair. On the February 20 2006 edition of RAW, Benjamin (with Momma at ringside) "defeated" Flair to regain the Intercontinental Championship after Momma faked a heart problem, causing enough of a distraction to allow Benjamin to kayfabe cheat and win the title. Benjamin continued to feud with Flair, but Momma no longer accompanied him to ringside. As part of the on-going angle, Benjamin, in kayfabe, stated that she was undergoing heart surgery in the hospital, and that he held Flair responsible.

Benjamin competed in the second Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 22. He "feuded" with the winner of that match, Rob Van Dam, in an attempt to take RVD's Money in the Bank contract. During this time, Benjamin emphasized his heel turn with a new gimmick: wearing shades, jewelry, and occasional colored shirts while entering the ring. At one point, Benjamin was defeated by his former tag team partner, the returning Charlie Haas, during an episode of RAW. A (predetermined) stipulation added to this loss meant that Benjamin had to defend the Intercontinental Title in the same match as his shot at Van Dam's contract, meaning at Backlash 2006 it would be a "Winner Takes All" match. Rob Van Dam came out on top at Backlash to take Benjamin's Intercontinental title. Benjamin regained the title from Rob Van Dam in a Tornado tag team match, pitting Benjamin, Triple H and Chris Masters against Van Dam and WWE Champion John Cena. Both the WWE Championship and WWE Intercontinental Championship could be won by whoever pinned the appropriate champion. After Triple H pedigreed Van Dam, he turned his attention to John Cena and went for the pin on the WWE Champion. In accordance with the predetermined outcome of the match, Benjamin got to Van Dam first, picking up the pin and his third Intercontinental Championship.

Subsequently, Benjamin kayfabe feuded with Carlito and others for his Intercontinental Championship before dropping the title to Johnny Nitro in a triple threat match also involving Carlito at Vengeance 2006.

During late 2006, Benjamin began a new racial gimmick and storyline by kayfabe complaining of how other African American wrestlers reflected a negative stereotype, and that he was being discriminated against in the company because he was black. During December 2006, Benjamin's former tag team partner Charlie Haas came out to celebrate with Benjamin after he defeated Super Crazy. The World's Greatest Tag Team was officially reunited when they defeated the Highlanders on the December 11 2006 episode of RAW. The duo "feuded" with Cryme Tyme and competed mainly on Heat.

In the fall of 2007, Shelton Benjamin was pushed to compete in several number one contender matches for the Intercontinental Championship, often losing to Jeff Hardy and Santino Marella. After Hardy won the title, Shelton challenged for the title, but did not win it.

In wrestling

Shelton hits Carlito with his T-Bone Suplex

• Finishing and signature moves
  • T-Bone Suplex (Exploder suplex lift into a powerslam pin)
  • 450° splash – OVW
  • Superkick – 2002–2003 as a finishing move; Used as a regular move from 2004–Present
  • Stinger splash
  • Dragon whip
  • Northern Lights suplex pin
  • Fireman's carry drop
  • Springboarding flying neckbreaker
  • German suplex pin / Release German suplex
  • Falling gutwrench powerbomb – 2002–2003
  • Falling neckbreaker, as a counter to a vertical suplex where Benjamin lands on his feet first
  • Inverted facelock backbreaker
  • Benjamin Frost Kick (Roundhouse kick)
  • Somersault plancha, sometimes by springboarding or running off a ladder
  • Top rope springboard bulldog
  • Jumping DDT, as a counter to a back body drop

• Managers
  • Kurt Angle
  • "Momma" Benjamin

Championships and accomplishments

Benjamin has been a two-time Tag Team Champion in WWE.

• Black Athlete Sports Network
  • African-American Wrestler of the Year award in 2005

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Brock Lesnar (3) and Redd Dogg (1)

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (3 times)
  • WWE Tag Team Champion (2 times) - with Charlie Haas

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Tag Team of the Year award - Charlie Haas in 2003
  • PWI ranked him # 9 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2005.

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Most Underrated Wrestler award in 2005
  • Most Underrated Wrestler award in 2006

Outside of wrestling

Shelton is an avid video gamer. He won WWE's THQ Superstar Challenge, a video game tournament that takes place every year during WrestleMania weekend, four years in a row before retiring in 2007. He spends time every day playing.

References

• Bob Kapur (2007-05-11). "Shelton Benjamin hard to faze". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• John Milner (2005-05-17). "Shelton Benjamin's Profile". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Jason Scales (February 2002). "It's all about the Benjamin". Wrestling Digest. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
• Blackjack Brown (2004-04-04). "Benjamin stuns HHH -- and WWE". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Kevin Eck (June 2003). "Next: we pick the 10 WWE wrestlers primed for stardom". Wrestling Digest. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
• John Gaudiosi (2007-05-18). "Shelton Benjamin: WWE Superstar and PSP® Fan". Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Jon Robinson (2004-05-03). "Shelton Benjamin Interview". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Shallow Lester. "Shelton Benjamin Interview". FHMOnline. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
• Eric Cohen. "Shelton Benjamin Talks About Tribute to the Troops 2006". About.com Professional Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
• Korbid Thompson (2006-01-03). "2005 African-American Wrestler of the Year". Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• WWE Profile
• Benjamin at Online World of Wrestling