Shelton Benjamin reportedly signed a new multi-year contract with WWE , but there was a time when it seemed like the company had no plans to ever use the superstar again. During his first stint in the company — which came to an end in 2010 — he was released from his contract, even though he was one of the most popular midcard superstars on the roster at the time. During a recent interview with Chasing Glory , Benjamin opened up about the circumstances that led to his departure.
As quoted by 411Mania , the former Intercontinental Champion revealed that he didn’t want to leave WWE at the time, but the company deemed him surplus to requirements. Furthermore, he admitted that he felt sorry for himself due to the lack of opportunities he was receiving, and his “pity party” could have upset WWE officials.
The superstar said his frustration all boiled down to how he was being used, but he also believed that management could have done more to disguise his weaknesses.
“It was almost like my spirit was broken because I felt like every time I had something going, it got taken away from me somehow or another. My entire time then and now, I felt like I’ve always produced in the ring, I knew I needed to work on my promo skills, especially back then, but I also felt like there were ways to work around it that, there were certain things that could have been done to help me that they just weren’t doing.”
EXCLUSIVE: @Sheltyb803 SPEAKS!! #SDLive @WWEGable pic.twitter.com/FqvbUXDKcW
— WWE (@WWE) August 14, 2019
Benjamin also revealed that the unhappiness he felt at the time took its toll on his body. According to the Monday Night Raw superstar, he didn’t recognize himself at the time, which led to him being miserable at work. However, he also isn’t too thrilled about his current position on the card.
Benjamin has barely featured on WWE programming in recent months. His most notable appearance happened at this year’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, which saw him enter the titular match only to be eliminated by his old friend, Brock Lesnar, within seconds.
During the interview with Chasing Glory , Benjamin said he’s frustrated by the lack of television time. The superstar doesn’t believe that he’s chasing anything, unlike his peers who mostly have storylines and regular matches on WWE’s flagship shows. He even said that he was hesitant to appear on the podcast because he feared they’d have nothing to talk about.
