Shelton Benjamin, a versatile and talented performer in WWE, has embraced numerous gimmicks throughout his two tenures with the company. From being a key member of Team Angle and The Hurt Business to adopting his memorable “Gold Standard” persona, Benjamin has consistently demonstrated his adaptability and commitment to unique storylines. However, not all of his creative pitches have made it to television. In a recent interview with “Metro,” Benjamin opened up about some intriguing angles that were ultimately scrapped.
During the interview, Benjamin revealed that his creative ideas often pushed the boundaries of his character, aiming to showcase different facets of his personality and wrestling abilities. One such storyline involved a more intense, darker persona that would have seen Benjamin take on a vigilante role, targeting perceived injustices within the WWE roster. Despite the potential for engaging narratives and character development, this pitch, along with several others, was left on the cutting room floor.
Benjamin’s discussion shed light on the complexities of wrestling storytelling, where not every innovative idea makes it to the screen. His willingness to explore various characters and scenarios highlights his passion for the business and his desire to entertain the fans. As he continues his WWE journey, fans can look forward to seeing how Benjamin’s creativity and resilience will shape his future storylines, even if some of his most daring concepts remain behind the scenes.
Unseen Romance Angle with Saraya (Paige)
One of the more notable storylines Benjamin revealed involved a potential romance angle with current AEW star Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE. This storyline was set to unfold during Benjamin’s second stint with WWE when Paige was serving as the General Manager of “SmackDown.”
“This is when I came back the second time. I think Paige was the general manager for ‘SmackDown.’ The idea was, I will start off as kind of her bodyguard, but I think it was going to turn romantic, and that was all… they were all set to do that, and then it just didn’t happen,” Benjamin shared.
The ‘Mr. Entertainment’ Character
Another interesting storyline that never materialized was Benjamin’s proposed “Mr. Entertainment” character. This gimmick would have seen him singing and entertaining, with a notable segment involving The Bella Twins.
“At one point, I was going to be ‘Mr. Entertainment,’ where, you know, I’ll be singing. I think we kind of teased it once with the Bellas where I was kind of singing Louis Armstrong to them. I remember Vince wanted me to be ‘Mr. Entertainment.’ That never happened,” Benjamin recalled.
Moving Forward
During Vince McMahon’s era as the head of WWE creative, it was common for stories to be pitched and then dropped just as quickly. Benjamin’s experience with these unrealized storylines highlights the unpredictable nature of creative decisions in WWE. Despite not being able to showcase his comedic talents or unique character ideas during his second run, Benjamin now has the freedom to explore new directions on the independent scene, wrestling in a style he prefers and portraying characters he creates.
