Shelton Benjamin in talks with AEW - Reports

Tony Khan continues to add new members to his roster, and it seems like Shelton Benjamin could be the next former WWE star to appear in AEW. Fightful reports that the Gold Standard has had talks with All Elite Wrestling.

Shelton Benjamin was released from the WWE in September 2023 and has since been one of the veteran names on the free-agent market.

A three-time Intercontinental Champion in WWE, Benjamin is a highly respected name in pro wrestling. It's hardly surprising that Fightful stated that people within AEW had been pushing for his signing last year when rumors of his contract expiring began to circulate. He was eventually let go by WWE, and it was clarified that he initially had no contact with AEW during the early days of free agency.

However, the situation has changed recently. It is being reported that Shelton Benjamin has had "conversations and discussed the possibility of him appearing for the company." The discussions allegedly happened as far back as a month, but there was no update on whether he'd officially joined AEW on a part-time or full-time basis.

At this point, all that is known are the apparent talks between both parties, which should, in an ideal world, lead to his AEW debut.

Shelton Benjamin's ROH history could come into play if he decides to go to AEW

It's downright astonishing when you realize Shelton Benjamin has been wrestling since the early 2000s and, even in his late 40s, can compete at the highest level.

After his first stint with WWE concluded in 2010, Benjamin hit the indies and went on to have a highly acclaimed run in Ring of Honor, which is now a sister promotion of AEW.

As Benjamin returned to WWE in 2017 before AEW's formation, he never got to work for the Tony Kha-led organization despite being one of the most sought-after and established names in the independents.

While debuting for AEW itself is an excellent proposition for the veteran star, his history in ROH could also be explored as a creative possibility.