Success, Bust or In-Between: Shelton Benjamin

[It's Damn Real!]

With a relative success rate for these in the TNA section, I figure it can't hurt to try an expansion into a larger market with the WWE/F.

Just as was done with the series in the TNA section, former talents of the company will be critiqued (by you) regarding their work in said company. You can vote them either a success, a bust or in-between if you don't feel they deserve either extreme.

In addition to your vote, I'd like to know why you feel the way you do. Why was this particular charater a succes, a bust or in-between?

Next in the series is Shelton Benjamin.

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Shelton Benjamin
Years with WWE/F: 10 (2000–2010)
Number of titles runs: WWE Intercontinental Championship (x3), WWE Tag Team Championship (x2), WWE United States Championship (x1)

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Notable Feuds:
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• Chris Benoit via The World's Greatest Tag Team/Team Angle (2002)
• Los Guerreros (2003)
• Triple H via Evolution (2004)
• Chris Jericho (2004)
• Carlito (2005)
• Ric Flair (2006)
• Rob Van Dam (2006)
• Cryme Tyme via The Worlds Greatest Tag Team (2006)
• Kofi Kingston (2007)
• Matt Hardy (2008)
• MVP (2009)
• Sheamus (2009)
• Christian (2010)

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Other Accomplishments:
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• Debuted in the WWE on Smackdown! in 2002 forming Team Angle with Charlie Haas and Kurt Angle.
• Original member of the World's Greatest Tag Team and Team Angle.
• Drafted to WWE Raw in 2004.
• Was managed by "Momma Benjamin" in 2005.
• Competed in the second Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania XXII.
• Drafted to ECW in 2007.
• Drafted to Smackdown! in 2008.
• Traded to ECW in 2009.

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Previous Polls:
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• Mr. Kennedy – 47.37% In-Between, 31.58% Bust, 21.05% Success

 

[Ferbian]

About time you brought them in here IDR, I wish I could participate properly in your TNA threads, but I shall enjoy participating in your WWE threads when you make these.

Either way, I think Shelton Benjamin is a in-between, while he never made it to the main event, and was a clean bust in the later period of time with WWE, he did accomplish things both with the tag team division and the mid-card singles competition, winning a fair deal of championships, had some decent matches with Triple H and Shawn Michaels for a period of time before he slowly started dropping from being a potential success to be honest, but obviously never became a success, and he wasn't quite a bust.

So I'm voting In-Between

 

[Hawkeye]

I vote In-Between because even though in the later years we didn't see much of him aside from his ECW run,he was apart of WGTT who were pretty hot during the post attitude/ruthless aggression period.He's got numerous titles to his name,and he certainly made an impact in the WWE.Now that I'm typing this I wish I could change my vote because he was a success.Everyone can't be Cena, Orton, or Taker.We only need a few of those.Shelton was one of the guys that was there to give us a break from the Main event scene and show us what the mid card could do.He had heart in the ring,and it showed every night.Sure his mic skills could have been better but everyone's got their areas.I certainly won't forget his name,or that sweet entrance music for WGTT

 

[Chicago1989]

I gotta go with in-between for Shelton Benjamin. It's hard to believe that someone like Shelton has spent about 10 years in the WWE and hasn't become a main eventer after everything he's done for many years....what a shame

At least he's still young though..but anyways, I say in-between because although he was never a Stone Cold or a Rock, he's definitely left a mark in wrestling with his superior athletic skills and amateur background. You can also say that he's one of the most successful African-American wrestlers in the history of the WWE. He's done everything that there is to accomplish in the WWE, but all he was missing was the crown jewel and that was a World Title.

So I gotta go with in-between on this one.

 

[Loso]

I want to say bust for Shelton but I'm going with in-between. And it's based on his wrestling skills I'm being that nice. Dude really needs a personality...and just couldn't get over with crowd enough.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Shelton Benjamin is an in-between in my view, not a doubt in my mind. Benjamin is a great natural athlete, that's one thing that announcers have pounded into the minds of fans since he came to the WWE. Benjamin can also put on very good matches and has been a fixture in a lot of big matches at times, including the MITB match. However, Benjamin was never able to ultimately make it beyond the mid-card range and I don't think it's fair to entirely lay the blame on WWE Creative.

Benjamin's personality was about as bland as it gets. The guy had no charisma and just really had trouble making fans care about what he was involved in for long and consistent periods of time. His time as a member of Team Angle is possibly where he was the most over, but that was due to his association with Kurt Angle more than anything else. Even feuds and wins over the likes of Triple H, RVD and Chris Jericho ultimately couldn't get this bland personality over.

It's not to say that Benjamin didn't have his share of successes though. Benjamin held the WWE Tag Team Championship twice with Charlie Haas for 180 days total, Benjamin held the Intercontinental Championship for a total of 354 days, his first reign being the most successful at a very respectable 244 days. And, his last title run was with the United States Championship that lasted 240 days. Benjamin held a respectable number of titles and was placed in some high profile feuds and matches, but he just never really made it to the next level.

 

[16mikeytot]

I gotta say Shelton had a tale of two careers. So in my mind he's in between. If you give me the first half of his career I would sucess but as the other half of his career I would say bust. You know I believed he was a lock to become a future world champion after he beat Triple h three straight time. But shortly and surely his career mainly went down from their. He went to become a solid mid-carder than he became a joke with his mom accompanying him to the ring (gotta admit that was kind of funny). Then he just floated around from mid-card status to jobber really. He became a floater someone who's just their to be there. He got some decent fueds at times but at other times I would forget he was their. I mean Shelton could wrestler but it seemed like in his late run with wwe he was just a spot guy. I know he got a title match with Christian at TLC but really could anyone else (Kozlov, Big Zeke, Regal) could have worked an entertaining ladder match? Don't think so. Between all the way.

 

[XgringolocoX]

I had to go with BUST. Not because I'm not a fan of Shelton, but because he just never gained any steam.
Shelton is like the little engine that almost could. Get in ring, just no personality or mic skills. Team Angle just need to mat based wrestlers to mesh with Kurt Angle. None of his IC nor his US Title reign were amazing or absolutely memorable.
I believe he was in the WWE this long because they were hoping his mic skills would develop, they never did.
I don't feel he's a bust because he was never heavyweight champ, but because he never could carry a great feud.

 

[Derf]

I think he was a success, only when compared to every peerson to ever appear on RAW, Smackdown, or any other WWE show. Yeah he never won the big one, but only a very small percent of anyone does.

The guy was always winning titles! When he debuted, he was part of WGTT, and they were huge in their time. When he was drafted, he beat HHH clean, a feat almost NEVER seen by anyone, let alone a seemingly "nobody". And he did it multiple times too!


Then there were his IC title runs. His first run is one of the longest ever, I'm pretty sure the longest in the past 15 years or so. And whoever said he had no prsonality, who cares! His wrestling skills were a 9 out of 10, and his mic skills were 1 out of 10, thats a 10 out of 10 in my book.

And then just when you thought he was a jobber, he goes and wins the US title for several months anyway. And even after losing that title about a year ago, he STILL stayed popular, he even got a few wins against Sheamus before his title run, and a ECW title shot against Christian in a great match.

One thing Shelton never did, unlike many others, was become a jobber. He always held his own, and almost always had some kinda story to keep him on screen, and for that, I think he was a success.

Now if only there was somee other company he could go to and become a bigger success...

 

[greg_74]

I got to say in between for Shelton. Just based off talent alone, I kinda want to say bust because I feel like he could have done alot more but that also has to do with him not getting the right push. Whether that was his fault or not, idk but overall he had some great matches and good moments in his career so he's not a bust but there is still a lot he could have done.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

I voted in between because the guy had some great matches and early on looked as though he would shine.

Then i heard that WWE Creative were thinking of pushing him, but then saw that he didn't seem particularly motivated to improve, because he was making so much money compared to when he was amatuer wrestling, that he didn't see the point.

Now i can't honestly say I was a huge Benjamin fan. He did have some very good matches, but it just seemed that from the moment that Shelton's Mamma angle started, his career went to shit and they never tried to do anything with him other than put him in MiTB every year.

So i think Shelton would have been a success if he'd been more motivated and hadn't had a ridiculous angle to have to survive through, but because he did have some awesome moments and a slew of title reigns, and clearly had loads of potential to get even better, i voted for in-between.

 

[TheMadWrestlingFan]

To me Shelton Benjamin was a success in the WWE. Because when The Rock left the WWE to persue his acting career the WWE was looking for the next Rock. So in comes this young talent in my eyes is better than The Rock but the WWE pushed Shelton Benjamin to fast. Sure he had some success with winning titles early on, the WWE didn't take advantage of his skills. Shelton is an awesome athlete. When he took Shawn Micheals to the limit and lost and then beat Triple H (The Son-In-Law) 3 straight times ol Vinnie Mac didn't like it at all. That's why he ended up a permenant fixture of the mid-card. Now I fault Shelton Benjamin also because he should have force the issue but he didn't he just let them do what they wanted to do with him. Plus when it comes to African American Wrestlers, The WWE won't give them a hard push like the would a white wrestler. I haven't seen a black wrestler get pushed to the top since The Rock, and Booker T from a couple of years back... This is 2010 the times have changed... The WWE needs to get onboard on get ran over...

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I've got to go with success. He was an outstanding athlete in the WWE who, just like noted, was in some serious rivalries. Yes, his career didn't catapult like many would have thought in the years of 2005-2006, but he was definitely somebody other people watched out for. I'm pretty sure a great deal of WWE fans thought he would be the future; shame they let him go really.

He is memorable however at the Second MITB by running up the ladder to deliver a clothesline. So far to me that was one of the best 'Mania moments I have seen in a long time. He was phenomenal, and WWE did give him many chances to work on his personality (ex. Momma Benjamin) but he lacked there. As far as I am concerned Benjamin could have been the next Benoit or Bret Hart in the WWE ring. But hey TNA picks him up he will be golden. Gotta pick success because of the big time rivalries and memorable times like the Money In The Bank.

 

[King Blitzkonic]

I said success. Shelton Benjamin did everything he was asked to do and very rarely was he heard to bitch about not getting a sustained push (a la certain other wrestlers). He also brought in many of the innovations for MITB that we're been spoiled into seeing every year (ex: ladder clothesline and the diving out onto everyone from WM 25 as well as the broken ladders all over the place)and has far more wrestling skill than many of the main eventers (-Cough- CENA and BATISTA -cough-).

 

[Disturbed]

i voted in between but it took me a sec to decide whether or not to vote in between or sucess because look at hwat this guy has done he has won many titles and highlighted so many matches..hes very athletic and put on some great ladder matches.And you can call me stupid but it wouldnt surprise me if he went into the hall of fame im not sayin he will im juss sayin it would be no surprise to me because look at some ppl in the hall of fame.he has accomplished more then many wrestlers in the hall of fame.he deserves iit way more than guys like koko B. ware,big john stud,mad dog vachon and many more

 

[Sully]

I think Shelton would be In between, as he never held a world title, but he was very very close to becoming a success. He feuded with some of the top dogs of the company, and he was in like..almost every MITB match, but WWE just didn't give him enough.

That United States title reign back in 08' was fantastic, it showed Benjamin's true skill to hold a title. I think what really put a dent in Shelton's career, was the whole mom feud, in my opinion, it was annoying and uninteresting, as it never really showed any excitement.

Shelton coulda been a real star, but he was stopped short, and is stuck in Limbo.

 

[Chopper]

Shelton actually debuted in June-July 2002 on Heat before moving over to Smackdown in the winter. Just FYI guys.

He had quite a successful career, less than a year into his debut he already had a tag team championship and was working with Kurt Angle, feuding with Benoit and Guerrero. It only took another year before WGTT was wearing gold again. After the split, he was immediately thrown into the IC title mix, eventually winning it. With a good feud with Evolution on the way.

After another Ic title run and a very long US title run (almost a year), I can easily say he was quite successful. Plus, the guy is a human highlight reel for Money in the Bank matches

Would of been nice to see him in the main event, but I never thought it would happen.

 

[The Damieon Humber]

I'm gonna agree with the masses and say In Between. Shelton bar none was the best athlete in the E, but imo never got the push from creative he needed. Yea he was dull on the mic, but doesn't practice make perfect? I thought the "Gold Standard" was enough to give him nice heel heat. But when you're on ECW feuding with Abraham Washington, who I never seen in a match, you'll lose steam too. Countless great matches with legends of the E. And one of the most memorable moments from a ladder match of ALL TIMES! Shelton Benjamin: In between. Not by choice

 

[The Damieon Humber]

Plus when it comes to African American Wrestlers, The WWE won't give them a hard push like the would a white wrestler. I haven't seen a black wrestler get pushed to the top since The Rock, and Booker T from a couple of years back...


I couldn't have said it better myself!!! I've been saying that for years that Vince didn't like black people. And The Rock ain't black...he's Samoan AND black. Not 100% African-American. No 100% has held the WWE World title. Booker T's reign with the World Title to me is tainted because he protrayed a white king. Thats what a brotha gotta do to get heat? Steal things to sale on WWE.com? Act like a White Tyrant? BE A BOOGEYMAN?!?!? I rest my case.

 

[justinept]

I'm going to with a complete bust. And then I'll follow that by saying that some of you guys have lost your mind.

I have no idea why people are saying in-between because he won titles early in his career. That he won titles early in his career is a direct reflection of what WWE initially thought of him. They initially thought that the guy was going to be a main event player one day.

That he stopped winning titles is direct reflection of what WWE ultimately realized about him. They stopped giving him titles because they realized that he wasn't going to be a star in their company.

When a guy has lofty expectations --- and he fails to come close to meeting those expectations --- then he is a bust. There's no in-between here.

Since the WWE is a company that is about pushing merchandise and pay-per-view buys, then let me ask you all this --- How many of you own a Shelton Benjamin shirt ... or purchased a pay-per-view because Shelton Benjamin was on the card?

B-U-S-T.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

I voted success, for the reason that he did accomplish a lot in his wwe career..he was a natural athlete in the ring wwe shouldn't have gotten rid of him...

he had lengthly reigns as intercontinental and us champion, voted best tag team with haas in 2003, very underrated from 2005-2007...im glad he had good reigns as champions, he was a good champion aswell....i didn't see him being the world champion anytime soon though...but for reasons other than that, he has to be a success...

also, he appeared in all MITB matches at wrestlemania...

 

[Theo Mays]

While you could very easily vote bust considering many people had high expectations for Benjamin and he never achieved them. Despite that I'm still going to say Shelton Benjamin was a success. He was up and down through out his career, but he could always step right into the midcard and be considered a contender. He was the best athlete in the business and he had some quality matches throughout his career. He had numerous title reigns in the tag division and with the IC and the US title. He has pinfall victories over people such as Triple H, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair. While he didn't live up to many's expectations, he still had a quality career in the WWE.

 

[Viper929]

Although I was a Shelton fan, I chose in-between because of WWE's inability to push him onto greater things. I know Shelton's mic work and charisma weren't great but his in-ring work and athleticism really stood out. I think with the right nudge here and there, Shelton could of become one of the top stars in WWE and could of easily put on great shows with any other WWE talent.

 

[darbare]

hell he had a career for almost 10 years making probably a good 300k a year.....id say he was a success...he wouldnt care what anyone else thought anyways.....would you guys care if you made that much money on average? that alone is a success....but to win titles.....not everyone can say theyve held the ic and us titles......success in my eyes....he didnt have to be a cena or triple h or orton.....just enjoy his in ring work and realize that he may have been happy bringin in the dough with little input into the product

 

[wushady]

I voted for success his last year or so was definitely a bust. I can see why a lot of people wouldn't think his WWE career was a success.He never won a world title or even reached main event status. However not many people accomplish what he did in WWE. Lasting ten years, and winning championships can easily be seen as a success not to mention he's the longest reigning IC champion since The HonkyTonk Man.