Ex-WWE Star Wins Big On AEW Debut
A former WWE star won big in their debut in AEW when they got in the ring for the very first time on Dynamite.
On the fifth anniversary edition of Dynamite, MVP revealed the AEW arrival of Shelton Benjamin as he continued to hound Prince Nana about Swerve Strickland’s recent misfortune.
At WrestleDream, Swerve Strickland firmly rejected MVP’s overtures but that could come back to bite him as Benjamin warned the former AEW World Champion that they weren’t asking him to join them but rather demanding that he did.
Benjamin and MVP later had a backstage run-in with Lio Rush before MVP asked if Rush was free on Wednesday and a match was made.
Shelton Benjamin Picks Up First AEW Win
On Dynamite in San Jose, Shelton Benjamin got in an AEW ring for the first time as he handed a defeat to Lio Rush. In the process, Benjamin won his first TV singles match since May 2021 as he defeated Rush with his exploding t-bone suplex.
Afterwards, Tony Khan officially welcomed Shelton Benjamin to AEW with the customary All Elite graphic.
What an amazing debut tonight on Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite!
Welcome to @TBSNetwork + @AEW, Shelton Benjamin!@Sheltyb803 is ALL ELITE! pic.twitter.com/GG1P9lRi0T
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 17, 2024
MVP and Shelton Benjamin were in recruiting mode as well on Dynamite with MVP leaving his business card in Lio Rush’s boot after the match. The pair also confronted The Acclaimed backstage telling them to let MVP know when they decide to get serious. A business card also changed hands and while Anthony Bowens made clear he wasn’t interested, Max Caster pocketed the card.