Shelton Benjamin Has Mixed Feelings About His Match With HBK

[@CVVCLIPS]

Watch the full interview with Shelton Benjamin on my main channel here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/on2xlmB6r9uVrdk

[@trentreimer130]

Benjamin was one of those guys whose in-ring performance was so good that it lifted the whole show up a notch.

[@gotenhuggins270]

Right

[@QualityEJC]

The springboard into the sweet chin music was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen as a kid.

[@battlerap314]

Then WWE started reusing the angle to much over and over again 😂😂

[@quintonlovett]

Totally agreed!!.. I remember watching that show!!

[@fmthebaron]

@@battlerap314 they actually did it just 6 months after this when HBK did it to beat Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series 2005.

[@BLACKRULERSHIP]

i remember as a kid he had beat triple h couples times was that real or was that just put in a video game

[@robertm6590]

This was the only thing I remembered about that match. It was hard to pick your jaw up off the floor after that. It wasn't just the spot but how amazingly well executed it was.

[@Devondavis-fm2dz]

His match with Shawn on raw will never be forgotten

[@battlerap314]

A classic

[@stephenholliday9536]

💯

[@Mr_APeezy]

NEVER!!

[@kenterminateddq5311]

I didn't understand why Shelton had a love-hate relationship with his match with Shawn. Because it could've helped him with a manager?

[@Absinthexx7]

@@kenterminateddq5311because he felt like it should have propelled his career, and other than people remembering the match it didn’t really. Shelton and Morrison are 2 guys I think could’ve gone so far in wwe they were such good wrestlers but for some reason Vince never saw it that way

[@adriandashmusic]

They did Shelton dirty he is one of the best to do it literally so underrated

[@awesomereviews1561]

Shelton can be proud of this match. It’s one of the best RAW match ever.

[@sharker102s]

it's up there with benoit and orton for the title

[@BLACKRULERSHIP]

i remeber when he was beating ricc flair at vengance fans was booing him as a face lets me know why he never became the star he should have been

[@juanbotello1]

That was a WrestleMania quality match on Raw.

[@Babtundeolwtanji_15]

Well when you have shawn Michaels who's the best of all time in the ring vs a amazing talent in shelton your bound to have awesome matches

[@Judgemental_Crow]

@@Babtundeolwtanji_15Shelton>Hbk

[@Joe.Morello11]

Shelton’s biggest misfortune was that he was in the WWE with incompetent management. Incredible talent, deserved so much more.

[@wingedhussar1453]

Nah he was incompetent and not good enough

[@dionruffin3996]

Please explain

[@Joe.Morello11]

@@dionruffin3996 He was never put in programs that really elevated him, or in a situation to be taken seriously. He tagged with Lesnar in OVW, and on RAW he had Mama Benjamin. Sheltons always been a star, just didn’t get have the right creative behind him.

[@jasontodd1896]

Exactly. Shelton deserved better

[@jasontodd1896]

@@wingedhussar1453no

[@kashmir1225]

to me though, ill always remember shelton benjamin beating triple h clean the night he was drafted to raw. He is one of my favorite wrestlers going up

[@shashwotmarsani8417]

yeah i think vince wanted to push shelton to main event scene when he was moved to raw but just got bored of him after some time vince has the attention span of a child

[@Squeakypickles619]

The week after he was drafted to raw The night he was drafted HHH wrestled Eddie Guerrero in the main event before the huge lockeroom brawl

[@Yvanehtnioj2000]

They centered that whole RAW episode around Shelton i feel HHH is the one who got them to swap Sheldon for Randy in the title scene

[@WaveOfTheRager]

He seems like such a genuine and likeable person. He has a great personality, for whatever reason it just didn't translate on screen

[@Fatalflawtv]

Well to be fair the wrestlers play the character they're given, they are not going on tv being themselves

[@PeterHowe228]

I saw Shelton at an Indy show in Oshawa Ontario in May and he's still got it.

[@bashcrash9148]

I mean Vince didn’t know the difference between Michael Tarver and Shelton Benjamin…. So….

[@jaymac8421]

They all look the same pal!

[@KDB349]

Oh my god. Wtf is wrong with Vince? 😂

[@JoeChillton]

Fraud could go several books on that fuck ​@@KDB349

[@Ahmed-og2jm]

??? No way this is real?

[@scottdecowski4913]

​@@Ahmed-og2jm😂 oh yeah, that story has been told countless times

[@claybaxter3202]

HBK had ppv quality matches on Raw back then. So awesome

[@reginaldshort8486]

Imagine if he got Teddy Long for a manager. He had great matches against HHH, HBK, Angle, Jericho and others and his reward was a MAMA gimmick manager.

[@Stingraycoolpodcast6996]

"the undertaker "

[@willg1315]

I remember watching that match live on Raw. 10 years old, school night, watching it with my dad. We were both blown away. Anyone who didn't watch during that time probably can't appreciate just how good Shelton was. He was never great on the mic but if he was coming up in today's era, he'd have been a multi-time world champion in the same vein of someone like Bryan Danielson. Just unfortunate that he hit his prime in an era that still valued character work over the in-ring product to such a vast degree.

[@derrickbailey1714]

I wouldn’t say that because at the time Brock was just as bad on the mic during his first run and he was just as good as Shelton in the ring hell they were even tag team partners in OVW. But he got pushed to the moon and as Shelton mentioned here creative could’ve gave him someone to talk for him. Brock had Heyman 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@willg1315]

@derrickbailey1714 not a great comparison. Brock was the monster heel, Shelton was the plucky underdog babyface. Historically, WWE has struggled to pair babyfaces with managers. It's usually a heel shtick. If WWE had the foresight or ambition to do something similar to The Hurt Business, like when MVP was managing Bobby Lashley, and make Shelton some kind of cool tweener, maybe that would have worked. When they did try to push Shelton as a heel with his Mama as his manager, he was woefully miscast because his appeal was due to his flashy in-ring style and athleticism. At the time, most audiences didn't boo a guy like that, because they appreciated his work so much. It's not like today where you have a ton of different heel characters still doing suicide dives and showstealing moves, and its so common that they can still get heat. Back then, being a heel in WWE meant switching to a slower, mat-based style and that was never going to work for Shelton.

[@MR12AMAZING]

​@@willg1315You explained everything perfectly 👍🏿.

[@Highlace]

His momma was so proud that night, me too, good match son ❤️💯☝🏾

[@alecjordan6100]

It drives me crazy how Vince thought he could get people over by having them lose constantly. He never tried that sh*t with Brock or Angle or Cena or anybody who actually got over as a top guy.

[@wingedhussar1453]

When he has feels like a guy can't hold viewers attention or evaluated to hold the top spot then he doesn't push them to world title. Pretty simple.doesnt matter

[@jasontodd1896]

Vince is trash

[@President_Shin]

Facts

[@hiddensword9387]

I don't think he wanted Shelton over as a top guy though, he was solid mid card. Sometimes Vince doesn't see what others do. You said it yourself, he didn't do it with the Angle, Cena and Brock, clearly he felt Shelton was missing something.

[@derrick4452]

People hate admitting the obvious for some reason. Shelton was black and Vince didn’t want any black wrestlers as top guys at that time, pure and simple. The Rock don’t count either because his Somoan side was pushed far more then his black side.

[@Ahmed-og2jm]

It was the moment he knew the glass ceiling for people like him was real

[@Albrto2077]

The ceiling for wrestler that can't cut a good promo.

[@klombernzx]

@@Albrto2077 Brock could never cut a good promo either and he became a big star regardless, although he had Heyman.

[@jetla22]

They should have gave him a mask and made WWE version of Suicide from TNA

[@Albrto2077]

@@klombernzx Cowboy brock Lesnar would disagree plus the dude a once of a lifetime athlete who looks like an absolute monster , maybe shelton could have done something different but hey atleast he was an upper midcarder which isn't a bad thing.

[@jasontodd1896]

@@Albrto2077Brock still can’t cut a promo or have a personality

[@TheRealVerbalAbuser]

One of the matches that will be remembered for all time.

[@jaystevens9703]

I was there live years ago and was my first RAW live event just legendary .

[@cappy2282]

Shelton is great and he definitely could have been bigger star

[@mike_datzmag1c21]

*should have been

[@Mr.Majestic77]

Unfortunately, after only almost three months in AEW, Tony Khan has had Shelton Benjamin an afterthought. Instead of Shelton Benjamin signing with Tony Khan's All Elite Wrestling, Shelton probably should have signed to Billy Corgan's National Wrestling Alliance, and possibly becoming the new NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. Shelton Benjamin signing with Anthem Sports and Entertainment's Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, would have resulted in Anthem implementating a salay/pay cut as soon as he would have signed with the company.

[@mugshot1978]

Shelton deserved so much better. He was a top tier wrestler. His only drawback was that his mic work was lacking. What if he too had been a Paul Heyman guy?

[@richle905]

It made no sense for that HBK match not to lead into something bigger. It seemed like it was finally Sheltons time to be a top contender.

[@theguardian3431]

I still remember his unbelievable performance at thr first Money in the Bank match.

[@gabeguzman9478]

2004-2005 was a good year for him

[@christopherhill7131]

That match was an instant classic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@RedForeman]

Smackdown Vs Raw 07” I would always recreate the ladder spot where he runs up it’s crazy how they added that into the game I don’t think it’s been in since .

[@cerebralsamurai8382]

Anyone who was able to match HBK in the ring is instant legend

[@oogabooga9985]

Thats his best match how do you have mixed reactions but a positive is you did acknowledge your shortcomings and pointed out the fact that you needed help and or a manager that is respect earned

[@mykeaikens193]

Was probably the first time in my young life I seen someone show someone else love love.

[@JGJ505]

This match was so good, it’s one of the best matches that ever happened on raw

[@Marc_Masters]

@1:53 we all know why these things are. Thank you CVV for giving Shelton a platform to tell his story

[@Xzar_Xzar]

I went to a house show in 2004 and Shelton Benjamin stole the show as a mid carder. His raw athleticism was as good as I’ve ever seen.

[@Idiedin1980]

Sheltpn would have been great as an agent or a trainer in NXT, he's already got experience coaching wrestlers and his work is as sound as anyone out there

[@FireAngelChris]

He 100% correct about that 8 month losing streak

[@brianchapman8531]

Yup. The Shawn match was a perfect setup for a strong Shelton push, but it never came. All he needed was the right manager.

[@wildwine6400]

"Nobody has anything bad to say about Shelton Benjamin" I'm sure Mia Yim will have a thing or 2 to say 😅

[@The-Deadite]

Lol whats the beef she has with Shelton?

[@MetalGaiden96]

​@@The-Deadite It's all in fun. They have a sibling rivalry type of relationship. They're actually really close friends. Lol.

[@WaveOfTheRager]

I think he saved her from an abusive relationship, and looked out for her and considers her a sister.

[@rp26101]

I remember watching that match on tv. Absolutely phenomenal.

[@LazyFoxBandit]

Been saying it for years. The guy had the talent in the ring, NO question about it. All they needed to do was give him the right gig, or help him along the way to it like they did with Roman Reigns and many others.

[@cliff402ful]

I heard he just couldn’t cut a promo. Should’ve had someone help him with it

[@LazyFoxBandit]

@@cliff402ful Yeah thats what I mean by having someone help him along the way. Kinda like how Hayman did with Brock and others.

[@jetla22]

They should have just gave him a costume like La Parka and don't worry about promos.

[@giancarlolorenzo274]

They wouldnt coz hes black

[@Sasuke67451]

That super kick made me jump out of my seat. I’ll never forget it

[@SmifLaly]

One of the GREATEST matches in RAW history.

[@jaymac8421]

This guy was in the same OVW class as Cena, Orton, Lesnar and Batista and even J.R. Said that he was the most naturally talented out of that bunch, he should have been up there with those guys in his WWE career but we all know what held him back even if some of you don’t want to admit it.

[@tyyrreekk9005]

But those other 4 guys had something that made them marketable it's not just about in ring talent wheres the money? Booker T is probably the most successful black wrestler he won it all in WCW and WWE because he was money Shelton was too generic hell Bobby Lashley is another black wrestler who's marketable and fans love him same with Mark Henry.

[@lsj6721]

Yeah. He was a charisma vacuum. Or do you want to make it about color again? Even though there are a lot of successful people in WWE that had color.

[@Domepeezy]

@@tyyrreekk9005only in wcw booker was treated mid tier in wwf/e

[@Domepeezy]

@@lsj6721 no there wasn’t and the majority of who you’d mention happened in the last 7-9 years the wwf/e was rough

[@lsj6721]

@@Domepeezy you seem to forget groups like nation of domination, vince was even high on one of them despite the opinion of the group's leader; you also seem to forget the greatest rival of SCSA; you also forget that guy who was considered to be very strong; and since you mentioned booker... why? because he lost to HHH? how many championships he won after that? Shelton, even though said to be the best wrestler (not pro-wrestler) among those from OVW, was never on their level: 1. he was no brock lesnar, a once in a lifetime athlete; 2. he was never as charismatic as cena. do not forget that if not for steph discovering his rapping talent he would have been released; 3. he never was never as savvy as orton; He was that kurt angle who is never near angle's level. Also, do not forget the champs who were from other ethnicity. Color is not just about black and white. Before you call me a racist, I am not from america, I am an asian.

[@whatsALthisthen]

I wish Shelton could’ve gotten some more leverage during that time period. He had his incredible match with HBK on Raw but he was also a standout performer in the first Money in the Bank match just a few weeks before.

[@Fortune31Studios]

2005 was an amazing year but they did drop the ball on 3 guys. Shelton, Christian & Matt Hardy. In Wrestling that window is short so when you don't capitalizes on the momentum it's impossible to get back

[@hornetguy9063]

I was there. Match was absolutely GOATed

[@stackywarbucks]

Shelton should have got a title run he is one of the best

[@PrettyboyAshtun]

one of the best raw matches ever it’s ppv level

[@kforcer]

I just wish he'd stayed in Suzuki-Gun. I just felt like he fit that stable like a glove, him and Minoru Suzuki and Taka Michinoku were all so cool together. It was like a stable where the common glue was that they were all tough and mean and really, really good.

[@markula_4040]

Total agreement. As awesome as the spot looked, it was a clear sign that Shelton had reached his ceiling in WWE and there was nowhere else to go. They were never going to see him as more than a good wrestler that can jump out of the building but not worth any type of main event program.

[@breakingamer3550]

Shelton in ring performance left a lasting impression to WWE fans " Ain't no stopping me, nah!".

[@a.merico7016]

Hands down, the best match ever on Raw.

[@ViceJupiter]

I feel like that match with one of the best spots ever overshadowed what he did the night before against Jericho at Backlash. I watched that back & it’s much better than the match with Shawn.

[@onevoice4894]

Let’s be honest, Shelton’s biggest disadvantage was his skin colour. Vince was NEVER going to push the button on him for that reason.

[@mrsanatra1]

Lets hope Triple H is better. Wwe hasnt had a believeable blsck champion since bobby lashley snd before that, the rock. Kofi & Big E were joke champions

[@onevoice4894]

@@mrsanatra1 agreed 🎯💯

[@Jamal-lb6oj]

SB should had an title Run he had so much potential

[@dominiquejones3805]

Shelton is 1 of the best in the ring.

[@ohiosfinest]

Shelton was done dirty in WWE. He was a great wrestler, and if AEW was around, he would’ve excelled there.

[@whodatboi2567]

I completely understand Shelton here. For all his faults, if the WWE was committed to making him a main-eventer they would have found ways to work around his weaker areas. Bobby Lashley has the same promo ability as Shelton IMO but WWE believed in him so they backed him up despite his flaws. Shelton could have easily gotten the same treatment.

[@NuMetalfan1996]

When I think Shelton Benjamin, I think the MITB matches, his Momma, his feuds with Carlito, the IC title, and that Sweet Chin from the Springboard. Basically everything he did from 2005 to 2007.

[@scesfizia]

Ironic as his momma ruined his career

[@marthouismcmiller4787]

When i think of him i think of him beating triple h after mania

[@scottsacala]

There are at times in this interview where Shelton's voice breaks into a rasp that sounds like Shawn's voice

[@NathanTG]

I Def blame it on management not seeing the talent. I think what happened was (and I 100% agree here) Shelton went from being a major rising star to being...Oh shit he sells like crazy, and then got the Dolph ziggler treatment. Wrestlers who are amazing at selling and setting up spots often fall into the category of making others look good. Even though they're doing all the work.

[@ipleathetv6334]

I feel so bad for guys like this that wanted that taste of limelight so bad and was so talented for it but just couldn’t get there for one reason or another. But don’t be sad that it’s over, be glad it happened.

[@yousafihsan167]

This was one of the best matches of his career. Two great performers gave an amazing match and shelton should’ve won a world championship in his WWE career

[@IHateYouTube-sr1wj]

No, he shouldn't have. He was upper mid card at best and that's being generous.

[@thecerebralkingofgames2563]

THANK YOU

[@Yumchapapi]

Deserved so much better. Would rather him be champ over these current so called superstars

[@clarity2115]

Shelton with Paul Heyman, would've been Gold.

[@donelllige670]

Best Shelton matches hbk and triple h 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@BePatient888]

Shelton is too much of a gentleman to say what we already know. Vince McMahon didn't recognize Black wrestlers and put them over as much as he could have, and he had a lot of missed opportunities because of that. Vince did not push black wrestlers add top tier main event single talents. Upper mid card was the ceiling for a long time, with literally one or two breakthroughs that included Rocky Johnson (The Rock’s dad). Even now, to this day, there have only been 2 black WWE champions (who held the WWE title, not the world championship or the WCW belt).

[@k-dizzy889]

That match lives rent free in my head and that should’ve been the start of an illustrious career for him. But of course, Vince and his cronies had to fumble it.

[@soldierside365]

He needed a pivotal moment. If I remember he used to tag with brock in the developmentals and absolutely nothing came from that. He could have fueded with brock, made in to a heel, given some attire that wasn’t a generic singlet, and let loose on the mic.

[@grxzzly94]

i meeeean look what they did to Booker T until “King Booker” …look HOW LONG it took for M. Henry to get a World Title.

[@livefrom5b412]

I was always confused as to why Paul Heyman was never used as a mouthpiece for Shelton Benjamin alongside Brock Lesnar.

[@DJR33333]

Shelton had great matches with HBK, Jericho, and HHH in his early years, and then they ruined his credibility with that losing streak. It made no sense for them to do that.

[@soulsection71]

Knowing what we know now about Vince we see why they did that to Shelton

[@DJR33333]

@@soulsection71 it was dumb, because frankly - the roster was pretty lame in terms of people fans were excited about in those years, after the top 5-6 guys. Midcard was terribly booked back then, and Shelton was the biggest example IMO.

[@soulsection71]

@@DJR33333 look how they squashed booker.. lost to triple H at mania n then have stone cold whoop his ass all through a grocery store.. look how Vince did kofi n his crew.. ppl coming out saying Vince was racist n a pervert. We see now all of it was true.. Shawn was Vince’s boy toy so I knew Shelton wasn’t gon go over on Shawn unless Shawn wanted to.. Shawn used Shelton because he knew Shelton was gone have a good caliber match with him.

[@Robert-zv4qu]

It's because Shelton is black. Even Booker T admitted that about his career in WCW.

[@davidthanos]

The most underutilized talent they had. Actually him and cesaro

[@KING624LIFE]

Every guest should cut a promo to tell who is your next guest

[@mikegotti812]

One of the most entertaining and talented to do it. But let’s be honest they never pushed him through because he couldn’t cut a promo to save his life

[@kingtim_ade]

Shelton Benjamin had all the tools of a great wrestler but the only thing he lacked were Mic Skills!!

[@rodddb]

It was this match that someone said, he’s a great wrestler, with a great look, nice build and he’s black. We must hold him back or someone will loose their spot.

[@mistanderson]

To me they could've put him with Heyman backstage to work with him and improve his mic skills even more. Guys they wanna push they have hide their weakness. Like Jack Swagger they put him with a manage. Jack Swagger was a damn champion like HOW

[@rileyanthony]

Shelton should have been a world champion

[@khamla616]

Good thing hhh is in charge now

[@fupalover]

Nah he's doing the samething. Not building talent. He literally just wasted MITB

[@michaelvazquez7851]

Nice interview

[@antg113]

Didn't expect his voice to sound like that, I don't remember it sounding like that

[@MASTER3371]

He’s just older now. Thats all. It usually happens like that

[@thebroketraveller9601]

Shelton was sooo under-utilized it’s insane, he was technically/athletically probably top 3 on the roster for a number of years there and he was never given the push he deserved, criminal with how wwe does the booking and Shelton was a victim of their lack of creativity

[@matthewellis4529]

He should have went to TNA and have Cornet has his manager. I guarantee that he would have been a top player for multiple years and then work his way back in the WWE

[@DJYC21215]

"Losing" doesn't put you over, especially when it was a point in Shawn Michael's career where he shouldn't have been winning matches anymore against younger talent anyways. It was an Intentional Burial and he knows it. He's already been fired, so it's odd why he's too afraid to say the Obvious.

[@dokwalk]

As a kid, I never understood why Shelton wasn't progressing..

[@Rob_Shoot]

The only thing the hurt him was his mic stills.

[@quarantinebored1427]

You would think having that match, they would’ve had a program with Shelton Benjamin and HBK.

[@waynechicago727]

No lie he should had been wwe champion or world champion 💯at least main event so matches

[@tanyanankiatsuranon9187]

A month long feud with taker? I watched the shows each week back then but I don’t remember that.

[@RandySavageOHHHYEA]

It’s because he tore his rotator cuff when he was supposed to comeback for Smackdown Live. I remember everybody saying “wow shelton could be a wwe champion maybe!” that shit was real but he just got screwed basically. I’ve yet to watch the full interview

[@battlerap314]

WWE drop the ball on Shelton Benjamin mannn they could have did much more

[@MegatronYES]

I wish Shelton had been given the career that Brock was given

[@WolfEffectzz]

shelton is a charisma black hole, like a 2000s ricochet

[@Domepeezy]

@@WolfEffectzzso was Brock 😂 he still can’t cut a promo and definitely not he was part of team angel which was dope

[@zlord1199]

Dude don’t compare him with Brock. Brock has a much better look and he’s taller and better character.

[@fupalover]

​@@zlord1199 Wrong

[@WolfEffectzz]

@@Domepeezy the only time sheltons character was interesting was when he had his momma managing him lmao. he's similar to a ricochet/justin gabriel/evan bourne where theres not much to them apart from their athleticism/ability for cool spots. which is an OK spot in the card to have

[@MarkDanger777]

Shelton's was red hot on his debut to raw messing up triple h plans and stuff. At that time, he should've been the next big thing. I felt like he could've been as big as randy orton if they kept that fire on him.

[@00ghostcobra]

Benjamin should have had a pretty decent babyface title run in WWE.. At the time that he had that match with Michaels, he was pretty much the best athlete in the whole company.. There was no type of match that he couldn't compete in..

[@phillysfinest215]

His voice

[@100thedarkdestroyer]

It would've been tough for Shelton to hang consistently in the main event but I think he should have been elevated on the card based on in-ring skills and athleticism alone. The top guys would've preferred to work a Shelton Benjamin rather than some big clumsy hoss who's likely to injure your and have a crap match. It's important to have a few credible great workers on the card and WWE was lacking that during Shelton's prime years, which is why top guys like Cena often had boring and forgettable matches.

[@brianmcmahan6719]

Its unbelievable... Vince hated real wrestling fans. And didnt want a black man on top. Period...shelton is a LEGEND! NO QUESTIONS ASKED

[@tyn8823]

It’s funny how is all including Benjamin know the reason why but no one wants to say it becuse it’s uncomfortable

[@SethKasso]

It's hard to fathom how anyone sees Shelton have THAT match with Shawn and thinks "Alright, now he should gonna lose for 8 months straight," let alone that being the thought of the man running the company. That should have been run back at Mania 22, have Shelton go over Shawn on a huge stage in a classic like what Shawn and Angle had at 21. WWE's tried to force guys of way lesser talent and promo ability down people's throats. 2005-2007 Bobby Lashley, Khali's entire run, Mark Henry pre-2011, all the generic jacked white dudes on 03-05 Smackdown.