Shelton Benjamin was born on July 9, 1976, in Orangeburg, South Carolina. As a powerful athlete from an early age, he excelled in multiple sports. In high school, he was the South Carolina state heavyweight champion in wrestling, holding the title for both his junior and senior years at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.
In addition to his wrestling prowess, Shelton also shone in track and football. He was the state champion for the 100-meter dash and a two-time All-State selection in football. After graduating, he attended Lassen Community College in Susanville, California, where he continued to excel in wrestling and track.
At Lassen, Shelton won the 1996 NJCAA Championship in wrestling and the 100-meter junior college championship in track. He then transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the wrestling team. During this time, he trained future WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, among others.
Shelton's wrestling career continued in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW),where he teamed up with Lesnar as the Minnesota Stretching Crew. The duo won the OVW Tag Team Championship and eventually earned WWE contracts. Benjamin officially debuted in the WWE in December 2002 as part of the heel clique Team Angle, alongside Charlie Haas and Kurt Angle.
Haas & Benjamin captured the WWE Tag Team Championship twice in 2003 and later dubbed themselves The World's Greatest Tag Team after parting ways with Kurt Angle. In March 2004, Shelton was traded to WWE Monday Night Raw, putting an end to the Haas/Benjamin tag team.
On his first match on Raw, Shelton ran afoul of the dominant heel clique Evolution, leading to a match against veteran Triple-H. Benjamin pulled off a dramatic upset victory, securing his place as a fan-favorite. A rematch the following week resulted in another victory for Benjamin via count-out, but the members of Evolution exacted a punishment on the young wrestler after the match.
With his extensive background in amateur wrestling and speed advantage thanks to his track experience, Shelton Benjamin is a charismatic, powerful, and skillful wrestler with limitless potential to become a key player in the pro-wrestling world.
