Shelton Benjamin Reveals How His WWE Return Came Together

For years fans hoped to see Shelton Benjamin makes his return to WWE, but they no longer have to hold out hope, because Benjamin is back and he’s now part of the SmackDown Live brand.

When Shelton Benjamin originally parted ways with WWE, many fans were sad to see him go as they felt he was underrated during his first run. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion recently spoke to WWE.com about his return, and he admitted that he had been patiently waiting for a call from WWE, until someone convinced him to be more proactive.

“I had always been waiting for the call, instead of pursuing the call. And, this is going to be very out of left field for anyone that hears this, but me coming back actually started with a conversation during WrestleMania 32 weekend that I had with Lilian Garcia. I ran into her and we were just talking. Basically, she slapped some sense into me. She said, “Put yourself in a position to succeed. Don’t be afraid to initiate.” You’re never too old to learn something new. When someone is giving you wisdom, the source can come from anywhere.”

Benjamin then ran into Mark Carrano later that day and that’s when the dream of returning to WWE started to become a reality.

“Later that same afternoon, I ran into [WWE Talent Relations VP] Mark Carrano. We had a little quick chat. He basically said, “Are you interested in coming back?” And I was like, “Well, of course.” I didn’t actually hear from him again until June when I’d just returned to Japan for a month-long tour. Of course, then I got home and that’s when things started to unravel.”

As for how it feels to be back with the company after all these years, Benjamin says that it still hasn’t hit him yet.

“It’s all kind of surreal, and I don’t feel like it’s hit me yet. Since I left the WWE, I moved to improve myself as a performer and come back. I really didn’t expect it to take seven years. So, it’s been a long road and I’m still trying to get used to it. It’s all very surreal. Being back with WWE is an emotional high and a professional high. So far, so good.”

Now that Bejamin is back in WWE, what do you want to see him do? Should he stay in the tag team division or branch out on his own? Sound off in the comments below.