Shelton Benjamin recently explained why he chose to sign with AEW during an interview with Gabby AF.

Benjamin made his AEW in-ring debut on the October 16 episode of Dynamite, where he secured a victory over Lio Rush. He is set to return to the ring this week for a singles match against Sammy Guevara.

After being released by WWE in September 2023, Benjamin had interest from other promotions, including MLW and TNA. However, he ultimately chose AEW due to the company's broad reach.

“I did have a few offers. MLW was very interested. Obviously, I was doing a lot of international things and exploring other options as far as in and out of pro wrestling. Acting was one of them, well, is one of them," Benjamin stated.

Following his WWE release, Benjamin wrestled internationally for promotions like The Crash in Mexico, Progress in England, and OPW in Australia. He also recently faced Kevin Knight at a DEFY event in Seattle.

Benjamin shared more about his decision, saying, "I like to put myself in the best possible position to succeed. When the door closed at WWE, I really thought long and hard about where I wanted to go. Impact was a very tempting place to go, but what it just boils down to is I want the biggest possible audience, and outside of WWE, there is no one bigger than AEW."

Benjamin added, "I don’t have as much time (left) as a lot of guys, as far as in-ring and things like that. Don’t get me wrong, not that I’m going to retire anytime soon, but for the time I have left I want to reach the biggest possible audience I can. What better place than AEW? There is no better place.”

During the interview, Benjamin also commented on the potential impact of Bobby Lashley joining AEW, although he wouldn’t confirm if Lashley has signed with the promotion.

“The prospect of Bobby coming to AEW, I think that’s huge. I think it’s a win for AEW because you have, aside from myself, one of the most phenomenal athletes that you can ever get. Two-time WWE World Champion. I think it only brings a bigger audience to AEW, so it’s a plus. When that will happen? I’m not sure. Bobby has his own plans and when and if they coincide with ours is yet to be determined.”