Report Last Updated - 3/07 (Winter)
Real Name - Shelton Benjamin
Birthdate - ?/?/76
6'2" 245 lbs. - Orangeburg, SC

Aliases - none

Athletic background - Wrestling, Track & Field (University of Minnesota)

Teachers - Danny Davis, Jim Cornette (OVW Camp)

Professional background - Indies, OVW(`00-`02), WWE(`02-)

Groups - Team Angle

Career Highlights - n/a

Finisher(s) -
- Springboard Blockbuster
- T-Bone (Exploder into Powerslam)
x Dragon Whip/Shell Shocka (Reverse Enzugiri)
x 450 Splash

Favorites -
- Leap-to-the-Top Rope Superplex
- Neckbreaker
- Samoan Drop
- Shelton (Stinger) Splash
- Superkick

Ringwork Rating -
move set - 7
science - 3
aerial - 2
power - 7
strikes - 6

Intangible Rating -
entertainment - 6
selling - 6
bumping - 7
heat - 6
carrying - 6
push - 6
potential - 6

Outlook - Shelton Benjamin comes from a strong athletic background including national championships in both amateur wrestling and track (in the same year, which is pretty remarkable). He was brought into OVW and immediately paired with fellow UM graduate Brock Lesnar as the "Minnesota Stretching Crew." While they weren't the top stars in OVW like one might suspect, the WWE remained high on the two. Benjamin had been seen as a more natural worker than Kurt Angle, but after an injury sidelined him he never showed the same ability. Shelton Benjamin was brought up and made an underling of Angle's and has shown glimpses of brilliance ever since. It has, though, been five years since he was brought up. The WWE tends to use few blacks and often saddles them with gimmicks that are negative stereotypes. Furthermore, blacks who receive pushes have typically been when they were in their late thirties or forties. Whether or not this is evidence of historical racism in pro-wrestling or shows the few who have received pushes were late starters or late bloomers. Benjamin has obvious strengths, his incredible athleticism, his credible look and his ability to look strong, unfortunately his weaknesses, his limited character development and his lack of ring generalship, continue to stagger him. Until those hurdles are overcome by him and/or others, Shelton Benjamin will continue to have more potential than ability.