Matt Hardy Reflects on How WWE’s Evolving Priorities Would Have Elevated Shelton Benjamin’s Career

Matt Hardy recently shared his insights on how the wrestling landscape has evolved, suggesting that Shelton Benjamin would likely have achieved greater success in today’s WWE environment. During an appearance on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Hardy revisited the Unforgiven 2005 roster and reflected on Benjamin’s potential.

“Everyone knew he was extremely talented. He was just this freak athlete,” Hardy remarked. “All the athleticism was there.”

According to Hardy, what limited Benjamin’s advancement in 2005 wasn’t his in-ring ability, but rather external factors surrounding his wrestling persona.

“In today’s environment, Shelton would have had a much easier path,” Hardy observed. “I still think there were a lot of people that were worried about his character and his speaking and everything else. I think that is kind of what ended up holding him back at that point. That’s just not as much of an issue nowadays, because if you’re athletic and you’re someone who can really go, they can make something work.”

Hardy highlighted a memorable spot—a counterattack from Shawn Michaels that became iconic—when discussing Benjamin’s impact during that era.

“That was such an amazing moment that was replayed over and over again,” Hardy noted.

Benjamin’s career trajectory included holding the Intercontinental Championship throughout most of 2005, along with notable matches against Michaels. Despite spending nearly 15 years in WWE, he never captured a world title. After being released in 2010, he briefly returned in 2017 before parting ways again in 2024. Now signed with AEW, he’s experiencing the most prominent phase of his career as part of The Hurt Syndicate alongside Bobby Lashley and MVP.

Harding also discussed another controversial figure from that same pay-per-view—Chavo Guerrero, who had recently adopted the persona of Kerwin White, a character centered around racial stereotypes under the tagline “if you’re not white, you’re not right.”

“I like Chavo so much. I love seeing him around. Enjoyed working with him,” Hardy said, recalling their shared history, including matches against each other in programs involving Eddie Guerrero.

“Chavo said, ‘Oh, this is a weird thing that I’m doing.’ But he was like, ‘All right, let’s commit to the bit,'” Hardy explained. “If they want you to do it, then you got to go all the way in. You got to commit to the bit and make it work.”

Hardy emphasized that dedication wasn’t the issue for Guerrero during his stint as Kerwin White.

“He was trying. He was doing the best he could, but it was definitely an uphill battle,” Hardy stated. “Even if you’re looking at 2005, that’s still kind of a tricky character slash angle to pull off.”

When asked if anyone cautioned Vince McMahon about the controversial nature of the Kerwin White gimmick, Hardy confidently replied that it wouldn’t have made a difference.

“I’m sure someone told Vince that. But Vince, if he was adamant about something, he was gonna move forward with it,” he said.

Following Eddie Guerrero’s passing in November 2005, Chavo retired the Kerwin White character during a Raw tribute show, returning to using his real name permanently.

While Benjamin possessed all the skills required within the wrestling ring, Hardy suggested his potential was hindered by perceptions outside of it. Conversely, Guerrero faced a mismatched character concept regardless of his commitment level. Both performers left lasting impressions despite contrasting outcomes—one shaped by missed opportunities, the other constrained by creative choices.

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