WWE Rumors: Veteran ‘SmackDown Live’ Star Could Also Be Getting His Name Changed, Per ‘WrestlingNews.co’
Last week, it was reported by a number of publications, including The Inquisitr, that Chad Gable might be getting repackaged in the coming weeks, with his ring name possibly changing as well to “Shorty G” – a reference to his diminutive stature and his in-ring surname. Now it appears that his one-time – and possibly future – tag teammate may also be getting a similar name change, as a new report claims.
Citing unnamed sources within WWE, WrestlingNews.co‘s Paul Davis wrote on Monday that WWE’s plan is to have Gable reunite with former tag team partner Shelton Benjamin as both men receive a “solid” push as part of SmackDown Live‘s tag team division. However, that might not be all, as Davis added that there has reportedly been some talk of WWE shortening Benjamin’s ring name to “Shelty B.” This would line up with WWE’s previously rumored plans to repackage Gable as “Shorty G.”
Rumors of Gable’s ring name change started swirling after last week’s episode of SmackDown Live, where Benjamin was cutting a backstage promo about his participation in this year’s revived King of the Ring tournament. As the camera focused on Gable, Benjamin looked at his fellow former collegiate wrestling standout and called him “Shorty” before the segment wrapped up.
What’s Not In A Name. WWE Might Be Considering A Pretty Dramatic Name Change For An Established Talent. https://t.co/xINaarPOC3
— WrestlingRumors.net (@WrestleRumors) August 16, 2019
A mainstay of WWE’s mid-card scene from 2002 until his release from the company in 2010, Shelton Benjamin wrestled several years in the independent scene before returning to WWE in 2017 as part of the SmackDown Live brand. As recalled by Sportskeeda, Benjamin then partnered with Gable to form a tag team, though this duo didn’t gain much traction on the blue brand before they were quietly disbanded, with Gable heading to Monday Night Raw in last year’s Superstar Shake-Up and Benjamin remaining on SmackDown.
While Gable enjoyed some success on Raw and briefly held the red brand’s Tag Team Championships alongside Bobby Roode prior to his return to SmackDown in April, Benjamin was barely used on television prior to his inclusion in the King of the Ring tournament. As shown on his ProFightDB page, the 44-year-old Benjamin has wrestled only five televised matches this year, including one singles match where, as a one-time guest on Monday Night Raw, he lost to Seth Rollins on the show’s March 11 edition.
Benjamin is currently one of a handful of WWE superstars who also use their birth name in the ring. Like Gable (aka Charles Betts in real life), Benjamin first made his name in the amateur wrestling scene before debuting in WWE, as briefly noted by Wrestling Inc.
