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Former United States Champion Shelton Benjamin is arguably one of the most decorated superstars in WWE. Yet he has found himself competing in the Main Event show in recent weeks. Benjamin peaked during the Ruthless Aggression era as both a tag team and a singles competitor. He saw a short career resurgence with the Hurt Business faction, but once that went bust, so did Benjamin's push.
In 2022, the three-time Intercontinental Champion has only wrestled five times on Monday Night RAW. The bulk of Benjamin's matches occur on episodes of Main Event, with matches that aren't talked about on RAW or SmackDown. His last two matches on the red brand have resulted in defeats.
If the former United States Champion were to return to relevancy, he'd need an angle that the WWE Universe can get behind.
Let's go over five ways The Gold Standard can raise his stock to relevancy.
#5. WWE brings back The Hurt Business
During the New Era, Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were best utilized alongside MVP and Bobby Lashley. The Hurt Business helped Benjamin become a prominent member of RAW once more. Every member of the stable got a career boost during their run in the group.
Despite not putting on the performances that made him famous in the Ruthless Aggression era, Benjamin still attained championship glory once more, capturing the RAW Tag Team Titles alongside Cedric Alexander.
Many members of the WWE Universe were upset when The Hurt Business first broke up, but WWE can alleviate their concerns by reforming the faction.
If MVP leaves Omos to reform The Hurt Business, it's safe to say that many wrestling fans wouldn't mind. However, MVP could also recruit The Nigerian Giant into the group, making the faction the fiercest it's ever been.
Benjamin could also benefit from this and get featured regularly on the main roster, along with having a string of high-quality matches.
#4. The return of the World's Greatest Tag Team and/or Team Angle
Shelton Benjamin was first introduced on SmackDown alongside Charlie Haas as a 2002 Christmas gift to Kurt Angle from Paul Heyman. As a trio, they all held gold, with Angle already being WWE Champion and his underlings in Team Angle becoming WWE Tag Team Champions in February 2003.
The WWE Universe will likely be more than receptive to a reunion tour of the group in 2022 and beyond. If they can't acquire Angle as their manager, wrestling fans also wouldn't mind seeing one last hurrah for the self-proclaimed World's Greatest Tag Team.
As a tag team, Haas and Benjamin received two title reigns apiece in WWE and Ring of Honor.
Fans will likely welcome them back with or without Kurt Angle. But imagine the possibilities of a three-man Team Angle vs. The Bloodline. That is only if Angle is receptive to one more match.
#3. Shelton Benjamin should push Bobby Lashley to the limit
One thing the former Intercontinental Champion can do to regain relevancy is to push Bobby Lashley to the limit on Monday Night RAW and/or at a premium live event. By having a high-quality and highly competitive match against The All Mighty, Benjamin can show that he can still pull off bangers.
Benjamin would also have a shot at becoming a two-time United States Champion and dethrone Lashley. With a renewed focus on the US Title, Benjamin can definitely benefit from a program with the current champion, Lashley.
Even if The Gold Standard doesn't win the US Title this time, he can still regain relevancy by putting on an entertaining performance in the ring. Win or lose, the program with Lashley is much better than what Benjamin has been doing this past summer.
#2. Gold Standard revamping of the 24/7 Division
WWE's 24/7 division has become an afterthought for many wrestling fans. There has been speculation that the title will be scrapped sometime under Triple H's regime.
Instead of scrapping the title outright, the company could ditch the comedy segments surrounding the 24/7 division and replace it with entertaining wrestling matches. However, if they don't want to ditch the comedy aspect outright, they should still aim to make every match and segment the best that they possibly can.
Benjamin could be the leader of the 24/7 Title reboot, telling the fans that the championship will now live up to The Gold Standard. If done right, this division could highlight wrestlers who don't regularly feature on Monday nights.
He was the 24/7 Champion on three separate occasions. During his fourth reign, he could really make a difference if The Gold Standard set his mind to it.
#1. A new faction of Ruthless Aggression
The Ruthless Aggression era kicked off in 2002, bringing us many beloved superstars, including Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena. The era would end during the summer of 2008, but not before giving wrestling fans memories that would last a lifetime.
The era of Ruthless Aggression also had a slew of notable mid-carders. Wrestlers like Carlito, Chris Masters, Chavo Guerrero Jr., John Morrison, Gene Snitsky, MVP, Mr. Kennedy, and Benjamin brushed shoulders with main eventers but were never able to grab that proverbial brass ring.
WWE can give wrestling fans a dose of nostalgia by introducing a heel faction from the Ruthless Aggression era, one that's bitter that they never became top wrestlers in WWE. The faction could even be named after that era.
They'll be the natural enemies of Ruthless Aggression wrestlers who become top stars with the company like Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, and The Miz if he doesn't join them. They'll also look to take opportunities from today's new stars, with the exception of those who join their cause.
What do you make of Benjamin's run in WWE so far? Let us know in the comments section below.
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