Shelton Benjamin reflects on his mindset going into all the WWE Money in the Bank Ladder Matches.
Shelton Benjamin was in four of the first five WWE Money in the Bank Ladder Matches. His performance in the inaugural match at WrestleMania 21 set the stage for what these matches would be known for. Benjamin has also said the only thing he hasn't done in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match is win.
During a recent video on Maven's YouTube channel where he goes through the highlights of his career, former WWE Intercontinental Champion and current AEW Tag Team Champion Shelton Benjamin reflected on a big spot in the 2008 Money in the Bank Ladder Match where he would be pushed off of a ladder by Carlito and Mr. Kennedy and landed through a horizontal ladder bridge between the ring and the barricade.
"I can tell you right now what I was thinking here when it came to Money in the Bank. No matter what was going on with me that year, the previous year, when it came to this match, this is my time to show the fans, 'Okay, this is why I'm a WWE Superstar.' No matter if I'm winning, losing, no matter how I'm being utilized by the company, this is where I remind the company and the fans, 'This is why I'm here."
He went down to speak about the spot where he crashed from a ladder through a horizontal ladder on the outside of the ring, and his mindset at the time.
"There wasn't really much to I was thinking about, other than, 'Land in the middle.' As the ladder is going over, in my head, I'm like, I gotta be off this ladder before it touches the rope. Because if it touches the ropes, it's gonna bounce back at me... Carlito and Kennedy, they were supporting, so I had a little push off. Gotcha. As I'm going over, I'm watching to determine when to go."
He went on to say that he learned that attacking the ladder with full force lessens the blow and the pain of the bump.
Elsewhere in the interview, Benjamin reflected on the short-lived angle in which Thea Vidale played his mom on WWE TV. Learn more about why he declined to involve his real mother in the storyline here.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Maven's YouTube channel in addition to linking back to this article and giving Fightful credit for transcription.
