Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas: 'World's Greatest Tag Team' Ring of Honor Bound?

Shockwaves of disbelief and frustration ripped through the pages of the Bleacher Report's pro wrestling section when Shelton Benjamin was released from his WWE contract at the tail end of April this year.

He was future endeavored, despite being one of the most athletically-gifted men on the WWE roster, once again proving that in-ring ability does not necessarily equal guaranteed success in the world of "sports entertainment."

The WWE simply had nothing for Benjamin to do and decided to give him the axe to make room for new superstars. It is an unfortunate, but often necessary, part of the business.

Benjamin's release left his fans wondering what "The Gold Standard" would do next; many predicted he would try his luck with the WWE's main competition, Total Nonstop Action wrestling, once his 90-day no-compete clause was up.

We are still about a month away from that happening, but some intriguing recent developments have led me to believe that Benjamin may not be making TNA his first post-WWE destination.

This is all pure speculation, but it seems like we may be seeing Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas reunite as the "World's Greatest Tag Team" for a run in Ring of Honor.

A recent ROH newswire stated that two "supreme talents that have , at one time or another, been recognized as the world's best" had met with ROH management.

It is a very vague statement but those words planted the seed of Benjamin and Haas in my mind. Rhett Titus further fueled those thoughts with his post-match comments at "Death Before Dishonor VIII" last weekend.

Titus claimed that since they were managed by the "world's greatest manager," Austin Aries, that he and Kenny King must be the "world's greatest tag team."

While Titus and King, the All-Night Express, are a relatively new pairing for ROH , they have put together some impressive wins over the likes of Up In Smoke and The Briscoes .

Perhaps a feud with Benjamin and Haas , one of the most fondly remembered teams in recent years, is in the works for the ANE .

ROH also announced that "Tag Wars 2010" is coming and details will be revealed soon.

The tag team scene in ROH is, perhaps, the best in the United States, but the loss of Kevin Steen and El Generico as a team has left a bit of a void. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards, the American Wolves, seem to be focusing more on singles wrestling, though a reformation is never out of the cards with those two.

The current champs, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli , are called the "Kings of Wrestling" for a reason. Few teams have been as dominant as they have been since reforming at "Final Battle 2009."

With another impressive win over the Briscoes at DBDVIII , the Kings have cemented themselves as the top duo in ROH and seem ready to take down whoever is next in line for a shot at the gold.

The Briscoes are, without a doubt, the most successful team in ROH history and are always a threat to take the championships. Suffering another loss to the Kings has definitely hurt their claim to the No. 1 contenders .

The All-Night Express are on the rise and are certainly loaded with confidence. King and Titus are two of the most promising young guns in ROH and the leadership of the "greatest man in the world," Austin Aries, has been an essential part of their success.

Adding Benjamin and Haas to the mix would no doubt be a huge bonus for ROH fans, and the tag team scene would benefit from another credible duo looking to make an impact.

On July 22, "The Bluegrass Brawl" marks the ROH debut in Kentucky. The 90 days will be up by that point, making it a perfect event for the WGTT to make their debut.

The Young Bucks, also known as "Generation Me" in TNA , will be making their ROH return during that same weekend. They have been announced for the July 23-24 weekend in Illinois. Opponents have yet to be announced.

Could we see Benjamin and Haas going up against Gen Me that weekend?

Many fans have speculated that Benjamin and Haas will join the TNA roster to reform their alliance with Kurt Angle. While a run in ROH would be great, it likely would not be for very long. It would certainly make for a solid tune-up for Benjamin and Hass before they make the jump to TNA .

As I've said, this is all pure speculation at this point. No one really knows what Benjamin will do once his 90-day clause expires in July, but the evidence of a stint in ROH is undoubtedly out there.

If anything, it would benefit everyone involved. Benjamin and Haas could get rid of some "ring rust," and ROH could have a top-notch, big-name tag team competing for them. It would definitely benefit the fans, who would experience some great tag team wrestling.

Could it happen? Yes.

Will it happen? We'll find out in about one month.

 

Photo courtesy of WWE .com