Shelton Benjamin’s departure from WWE in 2023 caught many off guard, given his respected status and popularity as part of The Hurt Business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the initial shock, Benjamin shared on Chris Van Vliet’s “Insight” podcast that he harbored no resentment towards the company for letting him go. He understood the reasoning behind the decision and accepted it gracefully.
While Benjamin felt there were more opportunities for him within WWE, he acknowledged that if those opportunities were not being utilized, his release was inevitable. Following his departure from WWE, Benjamin has kept busy working with various independent wrestling promotions around the world, including APC in France, Progress in the UK, OPW in Australia, and the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico.
Having accumulated a total of 17 years with WWE across two separate stints, Benjamin’s initial tenure spanned a decade, during which he also competed in Ohio Valley Wrestling. His second stint, which came to an end in 2023, lasted six years before his departure from the company.
