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http://www.charleston.net/stories/040404/moo_04wrestle.shtml

8:30 a.m. Sunday, April 4, 2004 
 
Orangeburg's Benjamin breaks out with WWE 

BY MIKE MOONEYHAM 
Of The Post and Courier Staff 

It was nearly three years ago when I talked to WWE executive Jim Ross
about Shelton Benjamin. At the time I couldn't quite understand why
Benjamin was into his second year languishing in the company's
developmental Ohio Valley Wrestling camp.

In a May 2001 column, I wrote that "Shelton Benjamin may be one of the
best wrestlers you've never seen."

Ross, who has a natural eye for talent, agreed that the Orangeburg
native had all the tools to be a major star. It was August 2002 before
he was finally elevated to the main roster and an eventual spot on
Smackdown.

Initially used as a backdrop for Kurt Angle and as fodder for fellow
University of Minnesota wrestling sensation Brock Lesnar, with whom he
teamed at Ohio Valley Wrestling and coached at UM, Benjamin enjoyed
moderate success as part of Team Angle with former Seton Hall standout
Charlie Haas. And while the two enjoyed among the most critically
acclaimed matches on the Smackdown roster while trading tag-team belts
with Los Guerreros and Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri, it wasn't exactly
the high-powered push that would garner Benjamin much notice beyond
the mid-card level.

All that changed last Monday night. One week after being traded to the
Raw roster as part of Vince McMahon's draft lottery, Benjamin
established himself as the breakout star he had seemed destined to
become. Much like The Rock, Steve Austin and other WWE phenoms who
seized opportunities in the past, Benjamin made the best of his chance
last week on Raw and became the company's latest breakout player.

If Benjamin was the star, the much-maligned Triple H was the
star-maker. Hunter Hearst Helmsley accomplished in one evening what
hadn't been done in nearly two years on Smackdown. He made Shelton
Benjamin a bona fide superstar. And if Triple H's clean job to Chris
Benoit at Wrestlemania didn't serve to hush the critics, his loss to
Benjamin last week surely had to have done the trick.

While it takes two to tango, in the wrestling business it often takes
a seasoned announcer to complete the deal. Jim Ross once again proved
why he's the MVP of wrestling broadcasters by delivering an
impassioned call of the match and giving the fans a reason to care.
The wrestling business has always been about issues and emotions, and
no one drives that home better than Ross.

One of the chief criticisms of WWE over the past several years has
been its inability to create new stars. Pending an effective follow-up
to Monday night, the company looks to have created one in Benjamin,
who took the big step that many on the roster dream about taking but
never quite do. Last week's Raw was Benjamin's coming out party, and
there was an entire locker room which joined in the celebration. The
show as a whole drew a strong 4.3 rating, while the overrun quarter
featuring the Triple H-Benjamin match posted a very impressive 4.8.

Again, much of the credit goes to Triple H, who seems to have lost
some of the excess bulk that hindered his ring work the past couple of
years. His series of bouts with Benoit and Shawn Michaels have been
among his best in recent years, and Monday night's match with Benjamin
showed that few are better than WWE's "franchise player" in telling a
story within the context of a wrestling match.

Those who know Triple H don't question his passion for the business.
The 34-year-old, whose real name is Paul Levesque, has always
maintained that wrestling has been burned into him, a hobby that he
enjoys doing every single day. The wrestlers he has admired the most
reflect his appreciation for the history of the profession. Ric Flair
is his favorite on a short list that includes names like Arn Anderson
and Tully Blanchard, wrestlers he highly respected for their ability
to have intense matches on a regular basis.

"I learned this business the old school way," Helmsley said in a 2000
interview, crediting his ex-trainer, Killer Kowalski, and the older
generation for paving the road for today's stars. "I very strongly
believe that it's the best way -- not just high spots and what gets
the biggest pop or how to be flashy or do a four-minute match. It's
how to work, how to think and the psychology of the business. I was
taught that from day one."

Often unfairly criticized due to his McMahon family ties and perceived
political maneuvering, his ascension in the wrestling ranks wasn't
exactly a fluke. Underutilized in WCW and initially stuck in a
mid-card role as an aristocratic blueblood in WWE, Helmsley was far
from an overnight sensation and paid his share of dues and time in the
doghouse during his first few years with the company. When the
proverbial ball was finally handed to him, he took it and ran. It's
the same advice he has offered to aspiring WWE ladder-climbers.

Much like his idol Flair, who catapulted Sting (Steve Borden) to
national prominence in a memorable Clash of the Champions match in
1988, "The Game" may have given Shelton Benjamin his ticket to
stardom. The proof, though, is in the pudding, and the positions
Benjamin and Benoit hold six months from now will reveal if the
company has actually moved toward a team-player and fan-responsive
approach.

"Hunter has been doing a great job lately," said former Dory Funk Jr.,
who held the NWA world title from 1969-73. "His matches with Shawn
(Michaels) and Shelton Benjamin have been excellent.

"Shelton's going to do a great job for them. They're (WWE) finally
coming around more to wrestling. They had gotten far away from it a
few years ago, but they're working their way back around. You have to
tell that story in the ring, and you have to include the fans."

"That was an awesome match," said Jack Brisco, who held the NWA world
title on two occasions from 1973-75. "Watching that match and
listening to Jim Ross reminded me of when he and Gordon (Solie) were
together on TBS. Gordon helped make a lot of stars."

-- Adrian Lewis of Carolina Pro Wrestling will hold a tryout for his
wrestling school at 2 p.m. April 17 at the New Omni Health & Fitness
Center, 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., West Ashley. For more information,
call Tank at 532-9924.


--- Internet Rex 2.29