10 Wrestlers Who Should Replace Shelton Benjamin As SmackDown's New Star
7. John Morrison
Just like Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison is a mega-talented multi-time midcard-level WWE champion who has done very well for himself since leaving the company. Whether working as Lucha Underground’s “Johnny Mundo” or going by his birth name (John Hennigan) on the indies, Morrison’s parkour-influenced all-action style continues to win multiple admirers across the globe.
His WWE departure came in 2011 so (like Benjamin) he’s still very much in the memory of all but WWE’s newest set of fans. Had SmackDown shown a vignette for Morrison’s return rather than Benjamin’s, the reaction would’ve likely been the same, as they posted incredibly similar runs throughout their respective WWE tenures. This makes him a natural candidate to fill the void left by the Gold Standard’s unfortunate injury.
Though held back by the same LU contract restrictions as Ricochet, Morrison would be an immediate star on SmackDown’s midcard. He’s the type of worker who goes all-out to entertain the crowd, and while he’s not the best promo guy in the world, Morrison knows how to excite and dazzle between the ropes.
If SmackDown’s midcard is lacking anything, it’s all-out athleticism, which is something Morrison has in spades.