In the world of pro wrestling, storylines play a crucial role in the growth of the business. Stories often take unexpected turns, and WWE is a master at this. One such incident revolves around WWE superstar Shelton Benjamin.
It was a unique idea pitched by none other than Vince McMahon, the chairman of WWE. Mr. McMahon had plans to involve the mother of the superstar in the plot somehow. Although Shelton didn’t agree to this, Vince was still able to pull it off.
Vince McMahon once intended to have the WWE superstar’s mother
McMahon had the vision to bring Benjamin’s real-life mother into a wrestling storyline, a move that would have undoubtedly added a personal touch to the narrative.
Back in early 2006, Mama Benjamin used to involve herself in Shelton Benjamin’s matches, leading the WWE superstar to secure victories. Her presence led Benjamin to become WWE Intercontinental Champion in February before her departure a month later in March. Mama Benjamin was played by the American comedian Thea Vidale, but that hadn’t always been the plan.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Benjamin discussed Vince McMahon’s original idea, saying: “I had a meeting with Vince (McMahon) and I was just like, ‘Okay, right now I’m not doing anything. I want to contribute.’ And I had an idea and first — and I don’t know where he came up with the mama thing. So when he first approached me about it, he basically said, ‘How would you feel about having your real mama on the road?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely not. There’s no way I’m going to expose my mother to this locker room. Because as nice as a guy I am, I love everybody on the roster. But if one person were to say something (I didn’t like) to my real mom, I would have had a really short career.”
Who played Mama Benjamin on WWE? exploring her short-lived WWE run
For those who followed WWE in 2006, the character of “Mama Benjamin” might be a familiar name. She was portrayed as an overprotective mother who would get involved in Shelton’s matches, leading him to a series of victories. This character arc culminated in Benjamin winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship in February 2006. However, by March, the character was no longer part of the storyline.
Interestingly, the woman who played Mama Benjamin was not Shelton’s real mother. Instead, she was portrayed by American comedian, Thea Vidale. However, the storyline was still not complete as it ended. In an interview on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast, Benjamin revealed that WWE nixed the storyline due to a situation involving Vidale:
“Unfortunately, she has some medical problems and you know some other things that I guess management wasn’t happy with. Basically, she got let go and got let go before the story could be completed. That’s kind of a buzzword these days. Yeah, we didn’t finish the story.”
Do you have any favorite memories from the Momma Benjamin storyline? Let us know in the comments section below!
