Matt Hardy Weighs in on What Held Shelton Benjamin Back in WWE

On the latest episode of Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the TNA star talked about why Shelton Benjamin never reached the top of the WWE main event ladder and more. Benjamin was known for being capable of great matches, but Hardy suggested that his not being a top promo guy held him back, as it was a time when personality was paramount in the company. You can check out some highlights below:

On Why Shelton Benjamin Never Got to the Top in WWE

“I would say probably his biggest issue was just from a speaking perspective, [a] promo or character perspective. Things have changed now. Things have changed where if you go out and you’re authentic and you go out there, you can bust your ass and work circles around people, and you’re this amazing athlete, then things have changed a lot.

“There’s a lot of guys who never got to that next level because of those things. Because whoever was in charge thought they lacked, from a personality perspective, or from a character perspective, whatever it might be. Jerry Lynn kind of stands out which, he was a crazy talented guy.”

On the Generational Shift:

“Yeah, just like the specific time when he was there, and he was peaking, or in a top spot in WWE — just, that wasn’t the be-all, end-all for a character to really push you over the top and get you into that very thin oxygen area.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.