The storyline was Benjamin’s idea.
In September 2023, Shelton Benjamin’s second run with WWE came to an end as he was included in a batch of talent releases.
He looked back at his run while speaking to Metro. Benjamin would go on to recount a storyline pitch he presented and it involved Saraya a.k.a. Paige. It had to do with Benjamin being her bodyguard while she was the General Manager of SmackDown and it would turn romantic.
(A) pitch I had, I wanted to be – this is when I came back the second time. I think Paige was the General Manager for SmackDown. The idea was I will start off as kind of her bodyguard, but I think it was it was going to turn romantic and that was all – they were all set to do that, and then it just didn’t happen.
Elsewhere in the interview, Benjamin remembered an occasion when former WWE CEO Vince McMahon wanted him to be known as ‘Mr. Entertainment’.
At one point, I was going to be Mr. Entertainment where, you know, I’ll be singing. I think we kind of teased it once with the Bellas where I was kind of singing Louis Armstrong to them… I remember Vince (McMahon) wanted me to be Mr. Entertainment. That never happened.
Benjamin is working independent dates and doing signings. In January, he stated that he believes he should still be in WWE.
