On “Grilling JR,” legendary commentator Jim Ross sat down with co-host Conrad Thompson to discuss talented former WWE star Shelton Benjamin. Ross suggested Benjamin would be an excellent fit for AEW, “If he’s a free agent I’d love to see him get a shot at doing something in AEW. I can see some great matches with Shelton and Bryan Danielson, and others, many others; [Will] Ospreay,” Ross said. 

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Ross continued to offer constructive criticism of the former Intercontinental and United States Champion, saying that he is a gifted athlete and great worker, however unfortunately lacks top-level skills on the mic. “Well his promo ability didn’t do him any favors, and again that’s a part of the process of connecting to your audience. Shelton’s a very likeable guy, he’s a good guy.” Ross continued to say that Benjamin showed enormous promise in the very competitive OVW class of 2002, “That famous class we recruited from OVW back in the day that included [John] Cena, [Brock] Lesnar, Batista, [Randy] Orton, and Shelton. So, guess who the best athlete of the kitten kaboodle was? Shelton Benjamin.”

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While Cena, Lesnar, Batista, and Orton went on to have Hall of Fame careers, some would argue Benjamin’s didn’t quite live up to his potential. “We couldn’t get his personality to rise to the same level as his physical skills,” the WWE Hall of Famer recalled.  Ultimately, Ross said that despite his arguable shortcomings, Benjamin would be an asset to any wrestling locker room,  “As long as he can maintain that integrity and stay in shape, which he obviously does, he’s never gonna be unemployed long.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Grilling JR” with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription