Word Life Vol.7: The Curious Case of Shelton Benjamin

WWE has had many great athletes come and go.

Some as awesome as The Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, the risk-taking Hardy Boyz, Edge, and HBK, who has Father Time on his side.

We're able to see fantastic matches and WWE makes sure that its talent with great in-ring abilities put on a show.

However, some superstars are overlooked. This is inevitable from time to time. But when you overlook pure talent, it's not only idiotic, it's aggravating.

Shelton Benjamin is arguably the most gifted wrestler in the ring for the WWE. Benjamin is one of the few people I can call a high flying submission-ist. We can agree that he is a high flyer, or at least has the abilities of one.

Benjamin has great headlocks and vicious sleeper holds. Technicians don't always have to have a submission finisher to be considered one. Cena isn't that technical and is considered one because of his STFU submission.

Shelton is one of the few people who still does arm bars, executing them from the top rope from time to time. He hops up the top rope and executes an arm-bar takedown or a suplex. He gets more hang time then Matt Hardy, who's considered one of the best high flyers.

Matt can barely do moonsaults and Shelton can easily do a better spring board or any high flying move that Matt can do. The same goes for Jeff, the only difference being that Jeff will jump off anything.

So why not push Benjamin?

He doesn't have the proper mic skills, but neither do the Hardys. WWE is just lazy. They can improve Shelton, develop him, be patient, but they choose to overlook pure talent.

In 2002, Shelton Benjamin debuted in the WWE with Charlie Hass as the World's Greatest Tag Team, and was part of Team Angle. He performs his moves with almost flawless execution that isn't sloppy or clumsy (like, say, Jeff Hardy). Benjamin can adapt to just about anyone in the ring and works a good match no matter who the opponent.

He was the reigning IC champion on RAW until Orton came along. Remember his running clothesline on Chris Jericho when he ran up the ladder? Everyone thought he couldn't top that, but then he springboarded from the top rope onto the ladder and did a suplex on CM Punk.

What other high flyer can do that? Who else can jump all the way to the top rope? RVD grabs the ropes before hopping. Shelton just does it off his feet.

WWE has the next Kurt Angle in the palm of their hands, but they worry about losing the original Angle instead of developing the next one. Since WWE recycles anyway, why not go with Benjamin? If they can try to make Kendrick act like an early '90s HBK, they can definitely make Shelton like Angle.

When will he get his shot? They did that whole momma storyline that just made Shelton look horrible, and the gold standard gimmick is average at best. If we have the power via voices to change things, why not help Benjamin get that push?

Smackdown has Triple H and the Hardys taking up all the limelight. Shelton has been U.S. champion since The Great American Bash last year. He is a champion, but the WWE promotes his low-budget movie "Behind Enemy Lines" instead of promoting his skills.

In Wrestlemania season, Benjamin never gets the good feuds. He always gets the Money In The Bank. He may not have the star power to be part of matches of higher magnitude, but by building him up he will one day.

They did it with Cena. They did it with Orton. Why not Shelton? Great in-ring talent, nearly flawless execution in his moves, but he isn't utilized correctly. The only things that needs to be fixed are his mic skills and his gimmick.

It looks like he'll end up in the Money In The Bank again this year. He has a shot at actually winning it. He'll keep improving and, someday, the WWE might look at him with a different eye.

Hopefully, one day, the curious case of Shelton Benjamin will be solved.