Shelton Benjamin Explains Decision To Sign With AEW, Reveals Offers He Declined

When Shelton Benjamin parted ways with WWE, nobody doubted that he'd jump to another promotion. This past "AEW Dynamite," Benjamin had his debut match against Lio Rush, where he impressed the likes of Jim Ross, who believes the best is yet to come with "The Gold Standard." Benjamin was interviewed by "Gabby AF," where he revealed that he had offers from other promotions after leaving WWE. 

"I was doing a lot of international things and exploring other options, in and out of pro wrestling," he recalled. Benjamin noted that acting was one of the things he considered instead of wrestling and even went as far as contemplating real estate. "It basically boiled down to: I like to put myself in the best possible position to succeed."

Parting ways with WWE wasn't easy for Benjamin, as he confirmed that he thought long and hard about his next step after leaving the promotion. "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," he explained. 

Benjamin then admitted that he doesn't have a lot of time left in the ring, and while retirement isn't on his mind at the moment, he wants to make the most of the time he has left. "For the time I have left, I want to reach the biggest possible audience. What better place than AEW? There is no better place."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Gabby AF" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.