Shelton Benjamin's AEW Debut Plans Postponed

Plans for Shelton Benjamin to debut in All Elite Wrestling have been postponed.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, talk around Shelton Benjamin working a programme in AEW "slowed down" as somebody in the promotion was sidelined.

"There were talks about him going to AEW for a programme but there was a reason that slowed down. Somebody got sidelined and he is actually going to work PROGRESS in Europe," Sean Ross Sapp said during a Fightful Q&A.

It emerged in March that there were ongoing talks between All Elite Wrestling and Shelton Benjamin. People within AEW had been pushing for the promotion to sign Benjamin in 2023 prior to his WWE release last September. AEW and the former ROH World Tag Team Champion did not immediately hold talks following Benjamin's WWE exit but they did begin conversations in recent months.

Benjamin has only worked two matches since his WWE release, one in Puerto Rico and another in Australia. He will be a part of PROGRESS Super Strong Style 16, which begins on May 26 and will be held at the Electric Ballroom in London, England. Other participants are KC Navarro, Gene Munny, Eddie Dennis, Bryan Keith, Mike Santana, Man Like Dereiss, Luke Jacobs, Simon Miller, Tate Mayfairs, Connor Mills, and Kid Lykos II.