Shelton Benjamin says the Hurt Business was cut short too soon.
The Hurt Business (Bobby Lashley, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander) was one of the top groups in WWE throughout the pandemic era. The faction broke up in 2022, and despite some teases of a reunion, they never got back together. WWE released Benjamin in a wave of cuts in September 2023, and MVP has been off of television for months. Meanwhile, Lashley has made a new group with The Street Profits and B-Fab, and Alexander teamed up with Ashante "Thee" Adonis.
In an interview with Alistair McGeorge of Metro, Shelton Benjamin reflected on the Hurt Business and stated that there was more that the group could offer.
"I consider that one of my defining contributions to the wrestling business. Definitely cut short too soon – way, way, way too soon. I feel like there’s even to this day, there’s still so much more that Hurt Business could offer. But again, we don’t make those calls. That was just a decision. Like I said, love it or hate it, just gotta live with it and move on," Benjamin said.
Benjamin also confirmed that there were plans for the Hurt Business to reunite in 2023, and the dates were even set, but things changed, and it wound up not happening.
"There was definitely conversation and planning for the Hurt Business to make a return. Then things just changed. They set dates, the dates changed and things changed. Then suddenly it was like, 'Nope, we’re just not doing it. That was… that was a kick in the balls," Benjamin said with a laugh.
The former WWE star said that he never got a clear explanation about the decision. He noted that he knew WWE wanted to put Lashley in a good position, but he thought they could have done that while still bringing the Hurt Business back. Benjamin went on to say that he believed everyone in the group could have been elevated more, and he shared his belief that the lack of a Bloodline versus Hurt Business feud was a major miss.
"I love being a part of helping people succeed. But in the case of the Hurt Business, I felt like there was so much more for every individual in that to really elevate themselves within the company. I think the fact that there was no Hurt Business versus Bloodline war is one of the biggest mishaps in pro wrestling," Benjamin said.
MVP recently said that Triple H said "no" to putting the Hurt Business back together. Check out his comments here.
Batista has stated that WWE left a lot of money on the table with the Hurt Business.
