5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (July 26)

5. Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin 2009.jpg
WWE.com

Few wrestlers gained any significant forward motion on this week’s SmackDown. There were only four matches featured across the show’s two hours, and most of the featured segments did very little to advance stories and get the participants over.

One guy that does stand to benefit from this week’s show, however, is Shelton Benjamin. The former United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Champion will soon return to WWE programming after a six-year absence, and while the aired vignette didn’t offer a specific return date, it successfully reintroduced him to the WWE faithful and built excitement for his re-emergence.

Benjamin has spent the bulk of his post-WWE career wrestling in Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and most recently, Pro Wrestling Noah. Skill-wise, he’s just as exciting as WWE fans will remember, and working in Japan for such a prolonged period of time has seen him diversify his athletic moveset. While the New Era is supposed to be about building new stars, Benjamin can still go in the ring, and SmackDown is desperate for bodies. He’ll bring an instant jolt of excitement to Tuesday nights.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.