Rose’s historic signing helped open doors for other wrestlers. “I was comfortable in my skin at this point, and I thought it was important for the world to meet someone like myself,” she said. She knew she’d be entering a whole new spotlight by signing with AEW, the first wrestling company besides WWE to secure a deal with a top-25 cable network since WCW went bankrupt in 2001. Rose had built a name for herself by working for independent promotions in America and Japan. “I thought Nyla was a great wrestler and when I found out, I thought, ‘Well that’s great, too.’ I didn’t expect that, but it’s awesome.” “And I thought she reminded me of a female version of some of the big, bruising, badass wrestlers of my childhood.”īut Khan was unaware of the history he made by adding Rose to his roster, as she became the first openly transgender wrestler to sign with a major American professional wrestling promotion. “She’s a tremendous, powerful, monster heel wrestler who bullies people,” said Khan, the son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. After coming across Nyla Rose, he knew he found someone who could be a cornerstone of the promotion’s women’s division. Seeing Shelton Benjamin’s run with them come to an end was a surprising moment, but perhaps it is the moment where he’s given another opportunity to do great work in another company.When All Elite Wrestling (AEW) was launched in 2019, CEO and co-founder Tony Khan sought to sign the best talent he could find regardless of race, gender or sexuality. It is an unfortunate move that WWE takes, even as the company continues to rake in record revenue. It would be interesting to see if a run with AEW would finally put him in a position that fans have long pushed for him to achieve.įans and colleagues showed support for the performers released from their contracts. Still, he never hit main event status during that time. That time saw him compete in other major organizations like IMPACT and New Japan where he had some stellar matches. Maybe a new location and new creative team can shake things up enough to give fans a view of something different from him.īenjamin spent nearly six years outside the WWE after his first release back in 2011. No one has ever questioned Benjmain’s wrestling skills, but the character work has long been a detraction. Roderick Strong is putting on an amazing performance as the third man in the MJF – Adam Cole angle. Letting him perform as a “shooter” of sorts would be the perfect introduction.ĪEW has shown itself capable of taking someone not known for much of their character work and letting them thrive. Putting him with Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Yuta Wheeler, and Claudio Castagnoli would be a shot in what has already been an amazing career. If AEW really wanted to create a spark, slot Benjamin in with the best faction in professional wrestling today, The Blackpool Combat Club. But imagine if Benjamin was leveraged for more of the “midcard.” Shelton Benjamin versus Samoa Joe for the Ring of Honor World Television Championship? What about Benjamin versus Eddie Kingston for the ROH World Championship? These are just some ideas right off the cuff. Of course, no one is expecting him to be immediately slotted into the main event picture to battle MJF for the AEW World Championship. There are so many ways he could be leveraged that would please fans and remind the community that he is still a valuable part of the industry. Imaging Benjamin in AEW creates immediate excitement. His time with WWE is over after a round of roster cuts, but if he popped up in All Elite Wrestling, the company could do something special for both him and the fans who have followed his career for decades. That never occurred, but Benjamin is still a legend in the industry. His early run with WWE was special, mainly because many believe he had all the requirements to be WWE Champion. Shelton Benjamin is one of those professional wrestlers that fans either love or respect. Shelton Benjamin has long been a fan favorite among wrestling fans who continue to push for him to get that main event moment.
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