WWE Alum Shelton Benjamin On Learning In The Indies, 'Rejuvenated' Love For Wrestling

On "The Kurt Angle Show," ex-WWE star Shelton Benjamin was asked about his time working for ROH and NJPW. Benjamin performed for those promotions after a decade-long run with WWE between 2000 and 2010.

"I actually had a lot of fun in Ring of Honor," Benjamin explained. "The funny thing is going there; I never did [the] indies ... So I had no frame of reference of the work style and things like that. I never really paid attention because I was with the greatest company in the world right out of the gate. In my head, I don't need to pay attention to any of these other companies because I'm where I want to be. But one, it was a learning experience because the indie crowd and the WWE crowd [are] not the same. And the interactions and the expectations [are] not the same ... That being said, I got to work alongside a lot of cool people."

Benjamin added that he got to work with current WWE stars Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, as well as AEW's Roderick Strong. The former Intercontinental Champion also mentioned that he loved working with the Briscoes (Mark and the late Jay Briscoe). He ultimately described his time with ROH as "a lot of fun" and "a lot of learning." Regarding his run with NJPW, Benjamin said, "I'll be quite honest, New Japan rejuvenated my love for wrestling and the wrestling culture." Benjamin ended up working for NJPW for three years, following a one-off appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 2012. "The Gold Standard" eventually re-signed with WWE in 2016, but he was released again last September.

If you use quotes in this article, please credit "The Kurt Angle Show" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription