WWE SmackDown's Tag Team Division Is Ideal Spot for Shelton Benjamin for Now

Shelton Benjamin immediately gave the WWE SmackDown tag team division a shot of adrenaline.

For the first time in seven years, the former United States champion bounded off the top rope in a WWE ring. He and Chad Gable took down The Ascension in short order as Benjamin celebrated his return to the blue brand.

A shoulder injury derailed this moment, moving what should have been Benjamin's return from last fall to Tuesday night. And now The Gold Standard is back on SmackDown, a show he thrived on during its peak in the early '00s.

Some fans may be disappointed that Benjamin isn't facing AJ Styles, going after the WWE Championship or sliding into a headline role right away, but the tag team scene is a smart way to start out his latest run.

For one, it's going to be a major boost for Gable to have an established star like Benjamin at his side. 

In a post-match interview, Gable talked of needing to partner someone with experience. That's true beyond the storyline.

Gable has only been a pro wrestler since 2013. He transitioned from the world of amateur wrestling and is only a year removed from moving up from NXT to the main roster.

Benjamin will be a valuable influence on him, as well as a means to increase the buzz around him. Having a guy with 17 years of experience in your ear is quite the gift.

And the tag team division was in dire need before Benjamin and Gable joined forces.

Simon Gotch's release split up The Vaudevillains. Primo Colon's injury has The Colons out of action. Jason Jordan heading to Raw ended American Alpha.

Even before those departures, though, SmackDown didn't have enough quality teams to build around.

That changes in an instant with Benjamin and Gable in the mix. The duo will be an entertaining title contender on a show with too few of those. WWE's options when it comes to booking the tag teams have increased with the arrival of this remix of The World's Greatest Tag Team.

Benjamin and Gable didn't look like a cohesive team just yet, but the ceiling for the group was clear from the get-go.

ProWrestling.net columnist Jake Barnett had positive things to say about the pairing. "I see a lot of promise there," he wrote, "There's plenty to like about it."

Benjamin and Gable will produce fast-paced, high-octane matches with great mat wrestling mixed in. The two Superstars are both successful college wrestlers with plenty of athleticism to spare.

The Usos suddenly have a pair of top-flight rivals on their tails. And if WWE ever decides to start utilizing Luke Harper and Erick Rowan again, they would hit home runs in the ring with Benjamin and Gable.

And WWE doesn't have to keep Benjamin as a tag team specialist.

The Gold Standard is sure to challenge Styles for the U.S. Championship at some point. He may turn on Gable and begin a red-hot feud. All that can wait.

The tag team division provides an easy, effective entry point for Benjamin upon his return.