As previously reported, Shelton Benjamin has officially joined AEW and made his in-ring debut this past Wednesday on Dynamite. In a recent interview with Gabby AF (via Fightful), he shared why he chose to sign with AEW, even though he had offers from other promotions.
Benjamin talked about his desire for new challenges and the chance to work with top talent in the industry. He expressed excitement about AEW’s creative atmosphere and the opportunity to contribute to a growing promotion. He also emphasized the value of being part of a roster that includes both experienced wrestlers and fresh faces, but the biggest reason was the opportunity to perform Infront of a bigger audience.
Shelton Benjamin said:
I did have a few offers. MLW was very interested. I was doing a lot of international things and exploring other options, in and out of pro wrestling. Acting is one of them. Even things like real estate and things not related to wrestling. It basically boiled down to, I like to put myself in the best possible position to succeed. When the door closed at WWE, I really thought long and hard about where I wanted to go. 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. I don’t have as much time as lot of guys, as far as in-ring. Not that I’m going to retire anytime soon, but for the time I have left, I want to reach the biggest possible audience. What better place than AEW? There is no better place.“
