9. Shelton Benjamin - WWE Intercontinental Champion (2004-6)
Arguably the best pure athlete in WWE history, Shelton Benamin broke out as a singles star in spring 2004 when he was drafted to Monday Night Raw. Right out of the gate, he defeated Triple H in consecutive matches and became one of the primary enemies of Evolution. Unfortunately, an injury briefly sidetracked him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHorVaROv6s When he returned, he was voted by fans into a match against Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship at Cyber Sunday. He would win the title that night, then proceed to defend it against worthy challengers such as Chris Masters, Edge, Ric Flair, Snitsky while regular mixing it up with main event talent such as Shawn Michaels and the aforementioned King of Kings. A three-time IC champion, Benjamin was a throwback to the days when that titleholder was a workhorse, the type of Superstar management could trust to deliver a quality performance on a nightly basis. A great wrestler whose matches were often some of the best of any show, Benjamin was a valuable piece of the WWE roster for the duration of his singles career.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
