Jim Ross Wants Ex-WWE Star In AEW

Jim Ross wants AEW to hire a former WWE star who’s “a credit to the business.”

Shelton Benjamin was released from WWE in September 2023 alongside other stars including Nic Nemeth, Dana Brooke, and Mustafa Ali. Since then, Benjamin has stayed away from the ring, although he has been considering his options. Most recently, Shelton Benjamin told AEW his door is always open. One man who wants the company to take him up on the offer is Jim Ross.

Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, the AEW announcer gave a pitch for how the promotion could use Benjamin. Ross suggested the star has a singles run to showcase his talent before using his experience in a tag team.

“You get him a single run with somebody who could actually really wrestle and let him show his skills. Then, you find a partner for him and let Shelton’s experience help build a foundation for a tag team.

“I’m a big fan of Shelton Benjamin. When we recruited Cena [John Cena], Brock [Brock Lesnar], Orton [Randy Orton], and Batista, the best athlete of that group was Shelton.”

The only issue JR sees for Benjamin is his ability to connect with the audience. Despite this, he still thinks the former Intercontinental Champion could be a great addition to AEW’s locker room.

“Shelton’s issue was personality, connecting with the audience. I love Shelton. A company guy, a team player, he came from a team environment, which is always important to me. I’m a big fan of his work and him as a man. He would help any locker room. I can just imagine what kind of mentor he would be to some of the kids, not just his color, not African-American only, but young talent.

“Shelton’s journey has been well documented and I’m proud I got to hire him. He’s a credit to the wrestling business, no question.”

Jim Ross Praises Popular WWE Star

Jim Ross has praised WWE announcer Pat McAfee as a “supreme talent.” Ross is impressed with how much Mcafee has studied wrestling, even utilising wrestling language on other sports shows. According to JR, it seems that McAfee is “living the dream” in his WWE career.

H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.