Chris Benoit: Difference between revisions
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'''Christopher Michael Benoit''', better known as '''Chris Benoit''' (born [[May 21]], [[1967]], [[Montreal, Quebec]]) is a Canadian professional wrestler. Benoit, who grew up in [[Edmonton, Alberta]], is widely known as one of the most technically proficient and skilled athletes in the pro wrestling world today. He trained in [[Calgary, Alberta]] under [[Stu Hart]] in his "Dungeon" and became one of the many stars to emerge from Stu's watch, alongside notables like [[Bret Hart|Bret]] and [[Owen Hart]], [[David Smith (wrestler)|Davey Boy Smith]], [[Lance Evers|Lance Storm]], [[Chris Jericho]], and others. He is known by well-earned nicknames such as "The [[Canada|Canadian]] Crippler" and "The Rabid [[Wolverine]]." |
[[Image:ChrisBenoitPortrait.jpg|thumb|right|Chris Benoit.]]'''Christopher Michael Benoit''', better known as '''Chris Benoit''' (born [[May 21]], [[1967]], [[Montreal, Quebec]]) is a Canadian professional wrestler. Benoit, who grew up in [[Edmonton, Alberta]], is widely known as one of the most technically proficient and skilled athletes in the pro wrestling world today. He trained in [[Calgary, Alberta]] under [[Stu Hart]] in his "Dungeon" and became one of the many stars to emerge from Stu's watch, alongside notables like [[Bret Hart|Bret]] and [[Owen Hart]], [[David Smith (wrestler)|Davey Boy Smith]], [[Lance Evers|Lance Storm]], [[Chris Jericho]], and others. He is known by well-earned nicknames such as "The [[Canada|Canadian]] Crippler" and "The Rabid [[Wolverine]]." |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Revision as of 11:00, 18 October 2004
Christopher Michael Benoit, better known as Chris Benoit (born May 21, 1967, Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian professional wrestler. Benoit, who grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, is widely known as one of the most technically proficient and skilled athletes in the pro wrestling world today. He trained in Calgary, Alberta under Stu Hart in his "Dungeon" and became one of the many stars to emerge from Stu's watch, alongside notables like Bret and Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, and others. He is known by well-earned nicknames such as "The Canadian Crippler" and "The Rabid Wolverine."
History
Early Days In Canada and Japan
Chris began his career in the mid-1980s in Stu's Stampede Wrestling promotion. He won several International Tag Team titles there before Stampede's demise in 1989, and at that point he departed for New Japan Pro Wrestling under the name and mask of "The Pegasus Kid," later simply "Wild Pegasus." While with NJPW, he came into his own as a performer in matches with luminaries like Jushin Liger, Shinjiro Ohtani, Black Tiger (Eddie Guerrero), and El Samurai. In 1991, he won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, his first major championship. He would go on to win the Super J Cup tournament in 1994, which, to this day, is considered one of the best wrestling cards of all time, solidifying his status as one of the foremost light heavyweights in the world.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Upon his permanent return to the U.S. in 1995, he signed with Extreme Championship Wrestling. In his brief time with ECW Chris dropped his Pegasus gimmick for "The Crippler" which was a reference to a match he had with Sabu in which he broke Sabu's neck. Later, he and Dean Malenko won the ECW World Tag Team titles and created enough excitement to attract the attention of the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. After being unable to obtain a proper work visa to compete for ECW and being told flat out that as a WWF competitor he would not be able to work in Japan, Benoit decided that he would return to Japan instead of in the US until learning about the New Japan/WCW talent exchange, leading to his signing with WCW in late 1995.
World Championship Wrestling
His time in WCW was defined by highs and lows. He quickly was made a member of the reformed Four Horsemen in 1996 alongside Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Brian Pillman. A strikingly real feud with Kevin Sullivan and several matches on the hunt for the US Title highlighted much of 1996, but with the rise of the New World Order storylines in the middle of that year, Benoit struggled to keep himself in the public eye. Many of his fans began to perceive a lack of respect for his abilities from the higher-ups, and indeed for a short time he was promoted as "the best wrestler to never win a WCW title." Throughout, he continued to put on outstanding matches, as the issue with Diamond Dallas Page and Raven in early 1998 and the WCW World Television title series with Booker T in mid-year proved. However, he remained firmly kept in the midcard, without a very visible chance to elevate himself.
In 1999, he began teaming with new Horseman Dean Malenko, and a series of World Tag Team title matches with Raven and Perry Saturn were among the best of the year. This gave Chris his first WCW World title, and later in 1999 he would win the United States title as well. He formed the "Revolution" team with Malenko, Saturn, and Shane Douglas around this time, highlighting his disgruntledness with WCW management. From here, a last-ditch effort to raise his stakes was made, and by late 1999, he was facing Bret Hart on several occasions. One was their tribute match to Owen Hart in October of 1999, in Kansas City where Owen had died. In November, he wrestled Bret in Toronto in the finals of a World Heavyweight title tournament. He lost that match, though by January of 2000, WCW had made their last try at keeping him, giving him the World title in a victory over Sid Vicious. However, he was stipped of the title the next day when he decided to depart for the World Wrestling Federation.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
Chris signed with the WWF alongside Malenko, Saturn, and Guerrero, and they were introduced as "The Radicals." He was quickly put into a feud with Chris Jericho, and in April of 2000 he won his first champioship in the WWF , the Intercontinental title. He would later team with Jericho to win the World Tag Team titles in 2001. A neck injury meant spinal fusion surgery and sidelined Benoit for almost all of 2002, but he returned late in that year.
On January 25, 2004, Benoit won the 2004 Royal Rumble and put himself in line for a title shot at Wrestlemania XX. Using what the WWE called a "loophole" in the Royal Rumble rules, Benoit moved to WWE RAW to challenge the then-current RAW champion, Triple H.
On Sunday, March 14, 2004, Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship, by causing Triple H to tap out using his signature move, the Crippler Crossface. The match was a triple threat match that also included Shawn Michaels. It took place at Wrestlemania XX. Besides the single day reign as WCW World Heavyweight Champion, this is Benoit's first real World Heavyweight Title reign in any promotion.
On August 15, 2004, Benoit was defeated by Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Title, at the Summerslam Pay-Per-View. His reign lasted almost 5 months and was a major part of his 7 straight pay-per-view victories.
Title History and More
1. In a triangle tag team match against Public Enemy and Taz & Rick Steiner.
2. In a three way match against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho.
3. In a three way match against Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
Event and non-belt Titles
- 1993 Top of the Super Junior tournament
- 1994 Super J Cup tournament
- 1995 Best of the Super Junior tournament
- 2004 Royal Rumble winner
Miscellaneous Information
- Nicknames: The Canadian Crippler, The Rabid Wolverine, The Pegasus Kid
Trademark Moves and Sayings
- The Crippler Crossface: Starting with a armlock drag down, he locks an arm in between his legs and locks his hands around the chin (or lower face) and pulls back. Submission hold.
- Triple Rolling German Suplexes: Grabs the opponent from behind and bends backwards, causing the man to land back on his shoulders. Then, holds on as he gets himself and his opponent to their feet and repeats two more times. He normally releases after the third suplex.
- Swandive Headbutt: Jumps off the turnbuckle headfirst and lands on the opponent with his head.
- Throat Slash: The throat slash gesture is Benoit's traditional "heat" tactic, designed to promote his intensity and get reaction from the crowd.
- Snot Rockets: The gesture where Benoit would stand over his fallen opponent and hold one nostril shut, breathe out hard, then repeat with the other nostril was used more in Japan and his earlier days in ECW and WCW as The Crippler where he was more of a heel wrestler. He still uses it today though against opponents he particularly doesn't like, most notably against Kane at Bad Blood 2004.
Trivia
- Had first child with Nancy Daus-Sullivan together on Febuary 25, 2000, a son named Daniel Christopher Benoit.
- When he was in WCW, he had a real-life affair with Nancy Sullivan, who was the wife of Kevin Sullivan then. A legitimate feud with Kevin Sullivan started when the latter found out about the affair. Since Sullivan was also one of WCW's bookers at the time, as revenge he made sure Benoit did not win any titles.
- Because of how often he defended his WWF Intercontinental Title, Chris Benoit has been called the "fightingest" Interconinental Champion in WWF history.
- Underwent major neck surgery in July 2001 after a wrestling match with X-Pac where he suffered a botched "X-Factor."
- Has a son, David, from a previous relationship and a daughter, Megan, from his ex-wife.
- Idolized the Dynamite Kid, Tommy Billington growing up.
- When he began wrestling, he wrestled as "Dynamite" Chris Benoit, as a tribute to the Kid. He also began using the Diving Headbutt, one of the Kid's trademark moves.
- He 'won' the WWF Title on two occasions, once at Fully Loaded and once at Unforgiven 2000. However, both times the decision was over-ruled, and he had yet to win the WWE title officially until WrestleMania XX
- The second man to enter #1 and win the Royal Rumble (Shawn Michaels was the first), but now holds the record for being in a Rumble match the longest (over 61 minutes, former record holder was Ric Flair with almost one hour, while Shawn Michaels Rumble win was 48:37)