10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Sept 15)
9. Shelton Benjamin Was Shocked It Took WWE So Long To Rehire Him
Shelton Benjamin can claim all he wants that his new tag-team with Chad Gable isn't WWE's hasty attempt to mix American Alpha with The World's Greatest Tag-Team, but that's exactly how the duo are coming across on SmackDown. Benjamin is a straight replacement for Jason Jordan, make no mistake about that.
In an interview on WWE's official website, Shelton revealed how surprised he was that the company didn't hire him back for 7 years. After leaving in April, 2010, Benjamin rejoined WWE this past August. During his time away, Shelton worked for ROH, NJPW and Pro Wrestling Noah, as well as on the indies.
Benjamin admitted he didn't think it'd take 7 long years to make a WWE return, but then said he's just glad to be back in the big time. The tag role is well-suited to a veteran like Shelton; more experienced than Gable, Benjamin is also well-remembered by older fans. He just didn't think he'd have to wait so long for a comeback.