Shelton Benjamin Addresses Feeling Suppressed, Having 'The Reins' In AEW

He might have been in the business since the early 2000s, but Shelton Benjamin has left AEW fans around the world in awe of what he is still capable of this deep into his career. His matches with Lio Rush, Sammy Guevara, and Swerve Strickland have been highly praised by fans and critics, and during the latest "AEW Close-Up" with Renee Paquette, Benjamin was asked if he feels like he has been underestimated during his career, and if he feels like he's finally wrestling with the handcuffs off.

"I definitely feel like I've been suppressed," Benjamin said, who was then corrected by MVP saying that Benjamin has been underutilized throughout his career, as everyone knows what he's capable of. "I've been in the business for a little bit so I've done a few things, and yeah, I've definitely felt like here in AEW, I've had the opportunity to show fans who I really am, what I really can do, and not what was me doing what I had to do for the people I was working with previously. I really love that I can really be me here in AEW."

Benjamin has since been able to reunite with both MVP and Bobby Lashley in AEW as The Hurt Syndicate, with their entrance on the November 6 episode of "AEW Dynamite" being the first time the three men had appeared in front of a live audience together, as the group originally formed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other members of the AEW roster have been approached by MVP in recent weeks about considering the group as an option for their future, but for right now, it remains just MVP, Lashley, and Benjamin.

Please credit "AEW Close-Up" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.