Benjamin - Face or Heel?

[Kaptain KnicKy]

I'm just watching the HBK/Benjamin encounter from back in ... 05, it's a classic match when Benjamin was a face. I remember when Benjamin first went to RAW and was pushed a little, picking up some wins over HHH and what not, gaining the IC Title a little later, and generally being one of the top middle card guys on RAW.

Since then we've seen him go heel and what not, and he's had his IC reign/s, he's had his decent fueds (disregarding the 'momma' angle) and the thing I want to know is - will Shelton Benjamin work better as a heel or as a face?

Do you think he would go over well with the fans, if he could rekindle the 'athleticism' he utilised and showed off so well back in 05? I think if this was to happen, he could go over well as a face, and not as well as a heel. I think he has the potential to do some awesome things, not on the mic as of yet, but won't be able to do those things as a heel. What do you all think, should he go face? Can he afford to go face, with the current heel/face ratio...

 

[Beer Money Army]

doesnt bother me if he is heel or face.. I will watch shelton benjamin ..

 

[JurassicBonez]

Benjamin's my 2nd favorite wrestler in the E, so this maybe biased, but anyway. As much as I'd like for him to be a face, nows not the time. He shouldn't go back as of yet, because he's just now starting to get over as a heel. If they did turn him face again, he needs to go into an actual program with someone, a heel, and not just some matches leading to one ppv, and after that it's over. That's why I think this MVP feud will work well for both of them, if played out right. I'm just hoping during their 1st title match, MVP wont win that one, but the feud still continues and he wins somewhere down the line.

As for him being a face, they'd have to turn a lot of other guys heels, because the face:heel ratio has the faces dominating by a lot. As for him going for the atheletic stuff and the spots, when he became the Gold Standard, he chamged that. He doesn't do that a lot anymore. He has a quick/speedy powerhouse like style now. And with that transition, it's a whole lot less botches on his end. I say keep him heel for now. Start to transition him later in the year, maybe May or June, but not now.

 

[Airfixx]

With Shelton it's evident to me that it's only really his ring-work that gets him over to any notable degree, so until such time that he can make the crowd care about his character more I don't see a great deal of importance as to whether he's face or heel...

 

[Evil Austin]

I like Shelton Benjamin alot but I think he plays a much better Face then a heel. (Oh and he should get rid of the blonde hair.)

But if he wants to get past the mid card and be noticed he either needs to be a good face on ECW or a Heel on Raw or Smackdown as there are too many faces to compete against in either brand.

 

[RatedDCA]

It doesn't bother me much if he is a Face or a heel, He's talented as hell and he's the best technical wrestler in WWE today. but i think he'll play better as a Face, I've seen him back in 05 when he was the IC Champ and he's a face then. And i've really enjoyed his feuds. But now his character has grown stale with the "Gold Standard" thing.

 

[Hometown Kid]

Ha ha i've been saying this for years that he should be face. But Airfixx is right in that his character is unimportant, his style is that of a Benoit type, he just needs that sort of gimmick really and just focus on ring work.

But i'm actually excited about his heel run for the first time with the upcoming MVP feud. Since MVP has been buried into a non-factor at this point (emphasis on at this point) Shelton needs to go over to remain and effective heel. Or MVP can go over (more likely) and Shelton needs to get the hell off SD and turn face. Character development could be key if he is going to be a "player"...but time will tell as far as that goes.

And either way he seriously needs to lose the blonde hair. >_>

 

[noumenon]

I really don't understand the hype over this guy. I'll give it to him that he's had some good matches over his tenure in the company...but c'mon the guy has ZERO fucking charisma. The Gold Standard? What the fuck does that mean. The only time I got a kick out of him was with the "MOMMA" angle...because...it added to his CHARACTER.
I honestly see no difference whatsoever between face and heel Benjamin. What, he wears sunglasses sometimes when he's heel?

 

[straight_edge76]

Benjamin...face or heell it doesn't matter to much to me. I will watch him either was he enertains me and can put on one hell of a show.

 

[LKP]

Shelton Benjamin should stay heel. He cuts ok promos and no matter what people will pop for his high spots and enjoy his wrestling matches. I like the way he is now so don't change him. If yo do change him make sure you keep him on smackdown and give him a feud with Morrison now that will would be awesome.

 

[straight_edge76]

Thinking about it Benjamin would likely be better as a heel. This is rather cliche but he has virtually no charisma but the heel persona makes his character a little bit un-likeable. I won't say hatable because he does not have that quality, Orton, Edge, a heel HHH....they are hatable but Benjamin is just someone you like to cheer against.

 

[NinoBrown]

Benjamin is like Benoit, no matter how low average their mic skills are or if they're heel or face, you know they'll put on a good match. Regardless of who they're facing, you will be entertained.

 

[Airfixx]

This is rather cliche but he has virtually no charisma

There's nothing cliche'd about the TRUTH. LOL



In answer to the comparrisons to Benoit... One notable difference is the intensity that Benoit brought (and IMO served to compensate for his lack of what traditionally gets acknowledged as charisma)..... Benjamin doesn't even come close.

 

[Jaybsty]

did someone say shelton is startin to get over as a heel? :bad: do you know wtf heat means? and no...i'm not talkin bout the show that used to have stevie richards ME'ing.

 

[Airfixx]

did someone say shelton is startin to get over as a heel? :bad: do you know wtf heat means? and no...i'm not talkin bout the show that used to have stevie richards ME'ing.

Rediculous isn't it... 'Rose-tinted' smarking from the Shelton fans as usual.