10 Wrestlers Who Should Replace Shelton Benjamin As SmackDown's New Star
3. MVP
Hotly-tipped to return as part of the 2016 Brand Split, MVP’s WWE re-emergence has yet to materialise. The man himself has denied any contact with the company, and while it’s best to take wrestlers’ comments on such situations with a pinch of salt, WWE must now see him as one of the most obvious choices to fill the Benjamin role.
MVP’s previous run was fairly productive. He had a nice stint as United States champion, and was presented as a talented, must-see performer from the day he stepped through the door. Things fell off shortly after he’d lost the belt, however, and with MVP finding himself featured less and less prominently, he left WWE in 2010.
An NJPW run followed, before MVP signed for TNA and became one of the company’s lynchpins. A serious knee injury prevented him from reaching his full potential there, but MVP remained one of TNA’s standout performers even when he wasn’t wrestling, further compounding the common opinion that WWE had sold him short by not delivering on a main event push.
Charismatic, brash, and strong in the ring, MVP would be a welcome addition to SmackDown’s midcard. As a former US Champion, he’d be a great guy to help rebuild the Intercontinental division and put over the next wave of younger superstars.