Mia Yim (finally) had something nice to say about Shelton Benjamin.
WWE is honoring Shelton Benjamin by celebrating the 20th anniversary of his WWE SmackDown debut. Benjamin first appeared on the December 26, 2002 episode of SmackDown, joining Charlie Haas and Kurt Angle to form Team Angle.
WWE spoke with a number of Superstars to reflect on Benjamin’s career including Yim, who is friends with Benjamin in real life. The two share a playful “frenemies” relationship on social media, and she joked that she couldn’t believe she would admit it on camera before calling him an “iconic” talent.
The clip features appearances from several names that Benjamin has worked with like Kurt Angle, Molly Holly and Shawn Michaels, who had a memorable match with Benjamin on the May 2, 2005 episode of WWE RAW.
“I feel like one of the best matches of my career,” Michaels said. “I really feel like what Shelton and I did out there was really cool. It’s a match that people to this day still remember it and I’m always so proud of matches like that, things that people know where they were at when they saw that match.”
Read More: Matt Hardy: If Shelton Benjamin Debuted Today, Things Would Be Different
WWE Superstars and Legends discuss the influence and legacy of @Sheltyb803 as WWE celebrates the 20-year anniversary of his #SmackDown debut. pic.twitter.com/yARhn0YKkm
— WWE (@WWE) December 26, 2022
During a past interview with Pro Wrestling Post, Yim explained how she’s always seem him as an older brother figure, noting how they met in 2011 and he’s always been there for her.
“After one of my relationships, the domestic violence one, he was there throughout the entire thing. He was there if I needed a place to hide away. He would make sure that I would have a place and would come get me if anything were to happen,” Yim explained. “So even though we banter and we go back and forth, it’s all full of love. We have each other’s back. He is someone I would keep in my life even after wrestling. He’s still a piece of sh** though. [laughs]”
