Shelton Benjamin is the new AEW World Tag Team Champion.
The AEW star is no stranger to be a tag team champion. Benjamin came up on WWE’s main roster with Charlie Haas and won the WWE Tag Team titles on numerous occasions. Benjamin has even won the tag belts with Brock Lesnar (down in Ohio Valley Wrestling) and Cedric Alexander, but he just couldn’t do it with Chad Cable. Though the duo had a high profile feud with The USOs, they ultimately didn’t get the job done. The tag team disbanded shortly thereafter.
Reflecting on his WWE comeback, Shelton Benjamin talked about teaming with Chad Gable in 2017 and complimented the WWE star on Talk is Jericho.
“When I first arrived, they put me with Chad Gable. Phenomenal worker, he has not [gotten the due that he deserves]. He hasn’t and to me it sucks because everyone has an excuse. I said, for every excuse, I can point out an example why that excuse makes no sense. That guy is special whether fans realize it or not. He’s got a blue collar mentality, he’s uber talented, he’s dedicated, he’ll do whatever you need him to.”
Benjamin went into discussion about teaming with Gable and explained why it just didn’t work out as a tag team.
"When they put us together, he’s actually from Minneapolis too. So, it seemed right, especially with Jason [Jordan] not being able to work anymore. I don’t really think that tag team worked. We had some good matches, they threw us in some really zany matches. We had a great match with The Usos, but for me, it really wasn’t working through no fault of anyone. The chemistry, it wasn’t like me and Charlie. Me and Charlie were like — Charlie was the best partner I’ve ever had. So, for whatever reason, while we got along great, we just didn’t click the same way. It wasn’t the same. That being said, all due respect, that kid is phenomenal and everything he’s done, he’s made work.”
Benjamin is doing pretty well with Bobby Lashley as his tag team partner. It’s a shame that Chad Gable continues to be underused in WWE. His American Made faction should’ve propelled him into middle card status, but the group has just been used as glorified jobbers. Benjamin is right, Gable is a phenomenal worker and has come into his own on the mic as well. Hopefully someday, he’ll be given the push that he truly deserves.