Guest wildpegasus Report post Posted April 16, 2004 You know it's a good day when you open up the paper and you see a Benoit article and picture in it! From The PWI site: CHRIS BENOIT SHOWS A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HIS PERSONALITY by Dion Morroy @ 1:05:00 PM on 4/16/2004 Chris Benoit was on The Big Breakfast on A-Channel here in Calgary today. Here is a recap. The hosts were Dave Kelly and Tara McKool. They talked to Benoit about Mania XX and showed clips of the match, including Benoit winning the World Title. Tara pointed out that he was crying when he won and Benoit said he was, and that the first thing he thought of when he won was Stu Hart. They talked about Stu and Dynamite Kid but it was stuff everyone knows (Dynamite was his hero and Stu taught him in the dungeon). Tara tried on the belt and said it was heavy and it scared her that Benoit and her had the same belt size. They asked how he felt about the Flames being in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Edmonton Oilers weren’t (for those that don’t know, Edmonton and Calgary have a HUGE rivalry in everything, sports mainly, the battle of alberta - the rivalry - is the biggest rivalry in all of Canada). They talked about the schedule and Benoit stated it was a hard one but when he enters a town, the first thing he does is call up a gym, to which Dave stated how frightening it would be to be working out and look over and see "the crippler" beside you. They showed a highlight from last night’s Flames vs. Canucks game, where a player on the Canucks named Rutuu tried putting a Flame player in an ankle lock, to which Benoit laughed and stated that he didn’t know how well that would work with a skate on. Tara noted that how she has met numerous WWE stars and they all seem nice and calm and cool but when you see them in the ring they go crazy. Benoit replied that it is something about hearing the bell ring that makes them snap and act like they do in the ring. Tara asked him to put Kelly in the Crippler Crossface. Dave backed away and said he didn’t want to and Tara asked if Benoit could even try a "wussy crossface" on Dave. Benoit looked at her and stated, "There is no wussy crossface". Overall it was a great interview, with Benoit coming off nice, funny and down to earth. It is said that his biggest issue against him was his "lack of charisma on the mic." Well, he seemed to prove that wrong today as he seemed very at home on TV and he seemed a lot different then on WWE programming in that he was joking around. From the WWE site: Home sweet home: Benoit returns to Edmonton by Anthony Cali When Chris Benoit stepped off his plane Tuesday afternoon and cleared the Canadian customs in his native Edmonton, Alberta, he was warmly greeted by over 100 glowing faces. Fans, friends and media were all gathered outside the terminal anxiously awaiting the newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion to make his triumphant return to the city where his dream began. “I’d been told that there was going to be some media there, but I was really surprised by the turnout,” said Benoit. “The airport here is 45 minutes to an hour from different parts of the city, and there’s no public transportation to get here, so to be here you really have to go out of your way. It’s not like people just leave their house and say ‘hey, let’s swing by the airport.’ So I was really surprised and touched to see so many people, and the amount of media attention I received.” Some people camped out in the airport for hours to meet their hometown hero, and a few of Chris’ faithful traveled from more than two hours away. Before they embarked on their return journeys, all of Chris’ welcoming committee had an opportunity to chat one on one with the World Heavyweight Champion. “It was really the best, and it was so emotional, because I’m coming back to my hometown the World Heavyweight Champion, and this is really where I started out with all my training and everything,” said Benoit, who defends the title here Sunday against Triple H and Shawn Michaels in the Final Encounter at Backlash. The seed from which everything blossomed started right here in Edmonton, in terms of both wrestling, who I am, and where I am today. So to see that kind of an assembly was truly amazing.” Benoit’s arrival was part of a week-long media tour celebrating his return to the City of Champions. After spending some quality time with his family and friends, Chris began a day-long journey on Wednesday that brought him back to both his junior high and high schools. Then on Thursday, Chris received the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an Edmontonian; he was honored by the mayor at City Hall. Over 300 people filled the futuristic-looking infrastructure, as they screamed Benoit’s name in unison. And once local Edmonton DJ, Yukon Jack, introduced Chris, the ovation he received while walking down the steps and to the stage was similar to that of a miniature WWE pay-per-view. President of WWE Canada, Carl DeMarco, and His Worship, Mayor Bill Smith said a few encouraging words about the Champ before he was summoned to the podium to present his favorite charity, Kids With Cancer, with a generous donation being given in his honor. After the touching presentation, Chris thanked all his loyal patrons for their love and support, and explained how much it means for him to bring home the gold. Mayor Smith soon returned to the podium to present Chris with gifts, including a hand-drawn map of the city, and a proclamation officially naming April 18, “Chris Benoit Day” in Edmonton. Then, in true Benoit fashion, Chris spent the next two hours stationed in the corner of City Hall, making sure that every one of his fans got an opportunity to shake his hand and get an autograph. And aside from just thanking his supporters, Chris was sure to let them know that “Chris Benoit Day” wasn’t just in honor of him, it was for all of his friends, family and fans located in the City of Champions. From the Slam Website: Fans give Benoit a day to remember By SCOTT ZERR -- Edmonton Sun Wrestler Chris Benoit, of Edmonton, holds his World Wrestling Entertainment World Heavyweight Championship Belt as he speaks during Chris Benoit Day at City Hall in Edmonton, Alta. (Edmonton Sun Photo by Darryl Dyck). With three thumps of his chest, Chris Benoit signalled his appreciation to a mob of his fans at City Hall yesterday. It was the most appropriate way the World Wrestling Entertainment heavyweight champion could acknowledge the raucous welcome he received. The Edmonton product didn't need to say much - all he had to do was raise the golden belt above his head to incite a huge response from the throng of jacked-up rowdies. Before the Crippler grabbed the mic, Mayor Bill Smith declared Sunday - when Benoit defends the title at Rexall Place - "Chris Benoit Day." "I've brought the championship to Edmonton, right where it belongs," said Benoit. "I can't begin to tell you what an honour, what a privilege, it is. I had a whole bunch of things I wanted to say, but to hear the reaction from the all the fans showing their support, it's really hit home.'' At that point, Benoit had to take a second to compose himself. "It was quite overwhelming," he said. The Rabid Wolverine wasn't the only one who was shedding a tear or two. His mother, Margaret, seated in the front row next to a makeshift ring in the City Hall atrium, couldn't hold back her emotions. "I always thought he would be an architect or a man of the cloth because he was so quiet," said mom. "It's such a rough business but he loved it, so we had to support him. When he went to Japan to train for six months I knew that was it. He'd made his choice." Benoit's mom didn't make the trip to New York to see her son claim the championship, but she's placed a special keepsake in her room of memorabilia. "I took the confetti off my husband's shoes and put it on the wall.'' But the 36-year-old champ wasn't always the toughest guy inside the Benoit home. His sister, Laurie, used to regularly get the better of him in no-holds-barred main events in the living room. "We used to roll around on the carpet and then as soon as we heard the car pull up and our parents come home, we'd separate," said Laurie. "We smashed a chair and had to glue it together in a panic. We'd fight but we'd work together when we'd break things because we didn't want to get caught." Although he can be a practical joker on rare occasions, Benoit is much the same quiet type he was when his interest in wrestling was first piqued more than 20 years ago. "He's a very private person," said Laurie. "He's very shy and likes to be in the background. He's stayed pretty normal. He's always loved being around his family." Benoit was thrilled the entire clan could be front and centre for the special event. "My family's made more sacrifices than I have in helping me get to where I am today," he said. Edmonton marks 'Chris Benoit Day' Canadian Press 4/16/2004 (CP) - Riddled with nicks, scars and misaligned bones, Chris Benoit's body tells the tale of a man bruised but far from beaten. For 18 years the 36-year-old Edmonton native nicknamed the Wolverine has scrapped all over the globe, losing teeth and shattering vertebrae along the way to becoming World Wrestling Entertainment's heavyweight champion. Another great moment in his career was added on Thursday, as Benoit - moved to tears - was honoured by his hometown for 'April 18 - Chris Benoit Day,' at Edmonton's City Hall. WWE fans were invited to attend the event, enter a draw to win a pair of tickets to WWE Backlash (April 18 at Rexall Place), and get autographs following the ceremony. Unlike many of his wrestling brethren, the five-foot-10, 230-pound Benoit is not known for his overwhelming size, magazine cover looks or motormouth mike skills. "I'm a very laid back, quiet person. I'm not a big talker," he said, his tone a notch less gravelly than that of his more familiar, onscreen persona. "I'm more of a person that will act as opposed to someone that will sit there and argue. My wrestling character and real character somewhat parallel themselves." Last month at WrestleMania XX, considered the Super Bowl of wrestling, Benoit's career hit its pinnacle when he defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a blood-spilling, three-way match. It was the first time Benoit won the coveted heavyweight title, and the third time a Canadian has done so in wrestling's modern era (Bret Hart and Chris Jericho have won it previously). "I saw Andre the Giant in a handicapped match at three years old," Benoit reminisces, pinpointing the moment when his love for headlocks and dropkicks was lit. Benoit would watch wrestling tapes religiously, studying the various holds and counterholds of his favourite stars. He trekked down the road to Calgary to train in the infamous Dungeon, wrestling's closest thing to a West Point training academy run from the basement of Bret Hart's father. "It's where I really got my feet wet. I wouldn't be who I was as a wrestler had I not accomplished that." There he made friendships with the Hart family and other grapplers who visited the Dungeon, including British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith. Contrary to his gruff demeanour, memories of Smith draw out Benoit's more solemn side. Benoit was driving to a non-televised wrestling event in Macon, Ga., in May 2002, when Bret Hart phoned him saying Smith had died of a heart attack in Invermere, B.C. "I pulled over and cried," Benoit recalls. "He was one of those guys on my superhero list growing up. It was very difficult." Another difficult moment in Benoit's life was when he shattered three vertebral discs after an ugly landing from a suplex at a live pay-per-view event in June 2001. He was out of wrestling for a year, recovering from neck fusion surgery. "It was one bad landing that made me realize that anything can happen to you," he says. "I never looked at it as a sign that I should quit ... (but) I was really afraid for the first time in my career." In a career where he could compare battle wounds with the toughest of other wrestlers, that injury was by far the worst. But of all the blows he's endured, it's his missing front tooth that WWE fans most appreciate. While in Japan in the early 1990s, he was kicked in the mouth, giving him his now widely recognized toothless grin. "There's so many different styles over there, guys that incorporate a lot of judo, submission fighting," he says, outlining the differences between North American and Asian wrestling. "Guys that kick an awful lot." For all the injuries and years of toiling in the ring, Benoit would be forgiven if he decided to give up wrestling entirely, especially now that he's achieved all he has ever set out to do. Of course, sticking true to form, that's not on Benoit's agenda. When he decides to hang up the wrestling boots, he would like to remain involved in some capacity, possibly training the next generation's superstars. "I truly hope I'm never finished." http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjou...d9-1b1b0a96d889 Superhero era over in wrestling, Benoit says Pretty boys of old wouldn't last too long in the ring today, says returning hometown star Christopher spencer Freelance Thursday, April 15, 2004 WRESTLING PREVIEW WWE Backlash When: Sunday at 5:45 p.m. Where: Rexall Place Tickets: $25-$200 at Ticketmaster (451-8000) - - - EDMONTON - Talking to Chris Benoit, you sometimes get the feeling he was born 100 years too late. He's a throwback to a time when professional wrestling was a substantial sport. Athletic skill mattered more than charisma or popularity, and fighters travelled across the continent taking on local heroes at agricultural fairs. That's not exactly what will happen at the World Wrestling Entertainment show this Sunday at Rexall Place, although the building is owned by Northlands, an agricultural society, and the local hero theme will be very much in play. He already knows the outcome of his main event title "fight" with Triple-H and Shawn Michaels. But the Canadian Crippler -- Benoit's nickname before WWE management decided to Americanize him last month -- insists he's more of an athlete than an entertainer. Wrestling these days, he says, is becoming just a bit more, well, real. "At one time, a lot of these guys looked great, they were behemoths of muscles, but after the ring entrance and the bell rang, that was it. But nowadays, if you threw someone like that into the ring, he wouldn't last long. People demand more. There's so much athleticism involved." A Grade 10 English teacher might tell Benoit, who attended Archbishop O'Leary high school, that the word he's searching for is verisimilitude: "The appearance or semblance of being true or real." The era of the superhero is over in WWE, and hardcore fans these days would never accept a magical character such as the Ultimate Warrior or even Hulk Hogan. In wrestling they call it "selling," the ability to take the audience on a trip by telling a story through realistic movement and emotion. Benoit has made it to the top by becoming the best salesman in the business. After stints with Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, where he idolized the Dynamite Kid, and in Japan, where he wrestled as the masked Pegasus Kid, Benoit moved to Atlanta in 1996 to work for World Championship Wrestling, then owned by Ted Turner. His main job was to help make washed-up former stars, many suffering from years of steroid abuse, look like they still had athletic ability, and he did that without complaint. He didn't get a chance to become a headliner until a rash of injuries left the company with no choice. By then he'd had enough, and the day after he finally won the world title he defected to the competition. It took Benoit several years to return to the summit of his profession by becoming the top dog in WWE. "It is a true art. I'm like a painter or an artist or a sculptor. I'm passionate. Every time I go in there I'm creating something. We manipulate emotion. We tell stories. I'm very proud. I take it to heart." His mentor, Bret Hart, was forced to retire after a concussion and a stroke. His friend and former Stampede Wrestling partner, Owen Hart, died in a WWE ring after a stunt went tragically wrong. His idol uses a wheelchair. Benoit knows he's in a very dangerous business. "Dynamite Kid, when I was very young and impressionable, he was my hero, he was my comic-book hero, he was my Spider-Man, my Batman. He was my superhero. To see him in the condition that he's in now, it's upsetting, but he did what he loved to do and made his own choices." On Sunday, Benoit, now 36, will wrestle one more time in Edmonton and risk serious injury to entertain his family, friends and 16,000 strangers. You bet he's looking forward to it. "To bring this (championship) home, you can't go any higher. My goals right now are to defend the title and, you know, make it a wrestling title, and bring notoriety to it. "I'm looking forward to coming home and thanking everyone and raising it high above my head and saying, 'Hey, we did it.' " - - - WP -- tsn.ca has a few videos of Benoit where they had the announcement of Benoiit day and the arrival of Benoit at the Edmonton airport. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes Report post Posted April 16, 2004 Well, now I'm going to be even more pissed he loses the title Sunday night. I hope though this reign won't end after 4 weeks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lightning Flik 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2004 (edited) Well, now I'm going to be even more pissed he loses the title Sunday night. I hope though this reign won't end after 4 weeks. I don't think the WWE is that stupid. Since my hometown (and Benoit's) did this, I'm quite certain the WWE wouldn't go out of its way to piss everyone off. Besides, you give the title to Triple H but he leaves for filming. You give it to Michaels? No. He'll probably turn heel on Benoit after the match. Edited April 16, 2004 by Lightning Flik Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tawren 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2004 Well, now I'm going to be even more pissed he loses the title Sunday night. I hope though this reign won't end after 4 weeks. I don't think the WWE is that stupid. Since my hometown (and Benoit's) did this, I'm quite certain the WWE wouldn't go out of its way to piss everyone off. Besides, you give the title to Triple H but he leaves for filming. You give it to Michaels? No. He'll probably turn heel on Benoit after the match. Eww...you're from Edmonton? Disgusting. Are you going to Backlash? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChick 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2004 Benoit looked at her and stated, "There is no wussy crossface". Now that's gold, Jerry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lightning Flik 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2004 (edited) Eww...you're from Edmonton? Disgusting. Are you going to Backlash? I was born in Edmonton. I was then raised for eleven and a half years in a place called Redwater, Alberta. Then I moved to St. Alberta, Alberta for six and a half years. Only now living in Edmonton for nearly seven months. Does the above tell you where I'm from? If not, the answer your question, no. However, for safety sake, I do say I just come from Edmonton. You know, to make it easier on you guys. [/of me playing off of the WWE stupidity of changing where you are from after announcing it that way for years] Am I going to Backlash? Fuck no. I'm broke. So I won't be seeing Backlash. Edit: To get my post back on track. Congrats to Benoit on getting a day named after himself. Probably when he retires, we can expect to see Jasper Ave renamed Benoit Ave. Edited April 16, 2004 by Lightning Flik Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest nWoCHRISnWo Report post Posted April 17, 2004 *Joins conversation* I'm from Edmonton... Anyways I was at the City Hall yesterday for the Benoit Day announcement thingy. Sat second row right behind Benoit's family. Funny thing, this girl at school always said she was Benoit's daughter and I never believed her, nobody did. We all called bullshit, but she was telling the truth all along I found out yesterday. Everytime he tried to talk, evreyone started "BENOIT! BENOIT!" chants, it was a pretty sweet time. He signed my giant Canadian flag and said he might take it from me from the crowd after Backlash if he wins, I'll be fourth row. And don't worry, if Benoit loses the belt, we'll start a riot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
