WWE Benoit column

[Guest wildpegasus]

Benoit takes indefinite sabbatical

By Ed Williams III

May 27, 2006

 

 

Mark Henry’s vicious assault on Friday Night SmackDown was apparently the last straw for Chris Benoit. WWE.com has learned that because of injury after injury, mile after mile and event after event, Chris Benoit feels it’s time he should take a sabbatical. Sources close to Benoit state that he is exhausted both physically and emotionally, and that with time off Benoit will recharge and come back better than ever.

 

With Benoit on the shelf indefinitely, Mark Henry can officially add one more list of victims that he has brutally injured. The World’s Strongest Man made an immediate impact upon returning to WWE last January when he took out Batista. As a result of the injury, The Animal was forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship and hasn’t been able to compete ever since going down.

 

More recently, Henry temporarily knocked Kurt Angle out of commission with rib injuries. Angle managed to come back from the injuries to face Henry at Judgment Day, but the World’s Strongest Man came out on top. It’s no surprise that the won by incapacitating Angle long enough to win via count-out.

 

And now Benoit is out of action. Three 6 Mafia was in the house to perform Henry’s entrance song, Some Bodies Gonna Get it in front of a raucous crowd in Bakersfield, Calif., and it proved to be a bad omen for the Rabid Wolverine, as he did indeed “get it”. After the action spilled to the floor, Henry placed Benoit against the steel ring post and repeatedly avalanched him against the unforgiving structure. Benoit was left bloodied, and he had to be stretchered out of the arena. There’s no telling how long it will take him to recover from these injuries.

 

http://www.wwe.com

 

 

WP -- Remember, the WWE site is more kayfabe now. Hopefully, Benoit can recover fully. It sucks to see someone hurt. At least Benoit goes away for the time being with the memory of wrestling an incredible match against Finlay. Man, I miss Benoit already.

 

In other WWE Benoit news -- apparantly Benoit didn't sign a new contract and is working without one. Does anybody know the big question here -- "Why?"

[Just John]

How many guys are on the SD active roster now? Like 12?

 

Benoit's absence will probably take some serious wind out of their sails, though. He's been one of the biggest reasons for SD's midcard success recently.

[Hawk 34]

Benoit re-uped awhile ago according to Meltzer. He essentially signed for life.

[Guest wildpegasus]

Benoit re-uped awhile ago according to Meltzer. He essentially signed for life.

 

Yes, that's what I heard too so that's why I was puzzled when in a rescent interview he said he hadn't signed a new contract. Apparantly in another interview he said the same thing as well.

[Annabelle]

i wanted benoit/maleno at ons. dang.

[cabbageboy]

We'll never get any Deano goodness for an ECW PPV it appears. I guess there are other guys he can wrestle, like maybe Rey?

 

As an aside, storywise what kind of GM does this make Teddy Long? He fires Melina and Johnny Nitro for essentially back talking him, yet does nothing about Mark Henry injuring half his top stars? It's not like most of this is even in the course of a match, aside from the Batista thing. Angle was hurt in a postmatch attack through a table, now Benoit.

[Enigma]

I'd be down for Rey vs. Dean at One Night Stand, as long as Rey remembers not to bring WWE Rey to an ECW show like he stupidly did last year.

[Guest wildpegasus]

We'll never get any Deano goodness for an ECW PPV it appears. I guess there are other guys he can wrestle, like maybe Rey?

 

As an aside, storywise what kind of GM does this make Teddy Long? He fires Melina and Johnny Nitro for essentially back talking him, yet does nothing about Mark Henry injuring half his top stars? It's not like most of this is even in the course of a match, aside from the Batista thing. Angle was hurt in a postmatch attack through a table, now Benoit.

 

Word out on the street was that Vince had already cancelled the Malenko vs Benoit match awhile ago because he felt that Dean shouldn't be wrestling so I doubt we're going to see Dean wrestling.

 

 

Does anyone else think that there may be a possibility that some of this stuff has to do with Benoit entering ECW as the rumored top heel? Maybe that's why he said he didn't have a contract.

[Guest wildpegasus]

Just heard that Benoit's contract is still going on but it's almost run out. That would make the haven't signed a new contract bit more sensible.

[CBright7831]

Sabbatical?

 

*goes to dictionary.com*

2 entries found for Sabbatical.

sab·bat·i·cal ( P ) Pronunciation Key (s-bt-kl) also sab·bat·ic (-k)

adj.

Relating to a sabbatical year.

Sabbatical also Sabbatic Relating or appropriate to the Sabbath as the day of rest.

 

n.

A sabbatical year.

Well...

[Spaceman Spiff]

Sabbatical doesn't necessarily mean a year. Refers to any vacation/leave of any significant duration.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Sabbatical is a poor synonym to use in this situation.

 

As I was always taught that the Sabbath was only a rest day. Sunday for Catholics. Friday for Muslims. I don't know how it turned into any length. But, whatever.

[Bruce Blank]

none the less that is a term that's applied to taking some time off, to rest, relax and focus on other things than work/wrestling/whatever you got.

 

Vacation implies that he's taking off 3 weeks to go to Aruba or whatever.

[Guest hasbeen]

How many guys are on the SD active roster now? Like 12?

 

Benoit's absence will probably take some serious wind out of their sails, though. He's been one of the biggest reasons for SD's midcard success recently.

 

It's more than I thought. Here's something I had in another topic, I may be a little off on a couple of heel or face designations but I don't watch the net shows. There might be a few more squashes of local/development talent but at least it will get those guys some time in front of a larger crowd. You can add Kennedy to this list, Batista and Orton soon:

 

Here's what I could come up with, divided by available faces, heels, and tweeners or guys I don't know what's being done with right now.

 

Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Gunner Scott, Lashley, Matt Hardy, Paul Burchill, Psychosis, Super Crazy, Rey Mysterio, Scotty 2 Hotty, Tatanka, Undertaker

 

Booker T, Daivari (hopeful of ring time), Great Khali, Finley, Gymini, Gregory Helms, Jamie Knoble, Mercury, Kid Kash, Mark Henry, Orlando Jordan, Road Warrior, Steven Richards, Simon Dean, Sylvan

 

Doug Basham, William Regal, Nunzio, Big Vito, Chavo Guerrero (possible heel turn)

[haVoc]

I still find it suspicious Benoit is taking some time off for "wear and tear" at the same time Masters and Mercury are in trouble for drugs. Unlike the other two, Benoit is well respected so they could be trying to keep it quiet.

[Just John]

^Interesting theory^

[JustJoe2k5]

I still find it suspicious Benoit is taking some time off for "wear and tear" at the same time Masters and Mercury are in trouble for drugs. Unlike the other two, Benoit is well respected so they could be trying to keep it quiet.

 

I doubt Chris Benoit was ever on any drugs, but if he was I think Eddie Guerrero's death would've scared him off of them.

[Hawk 34]

How can you honestly say Benoit was never on drugs? He's clearly been roiding for years.

[JustJoe2k5]

How can you honestly say Benoit was never on drugs? He's clearly been roiding for years.

 

You could assume that every superstar on WWE's roster has used some type of drug throughout their career, except maybe Goldust, Max Mini, and Sable.

[Hawk 34]

How can you honestly say Benoit was never on drugs? He's clearly been roiding for years.

 

You could assume that every superstar on WWE's roster has used some type of drug throughout their career, except maybe Goldust, Max Mini, and Sable.

 

Goldust is one of the more obvious drug cases.

[Guest wildpegasus]

If it's a coverup than it's a good one because didn't even Meltzer say that it was Benoit's shoulder than put him out?

 

Has Meltzer said anything about the Benoit caught on steroids theory?

[JustJoe2k5]

If it's a coverup than it's a good one because didn't even Meltzer say that it was Benoit's shoulder than put him out?

 

Has Meltzer said anything about the Benoit caught on steroids theory?

 

Chris Benoit's shoulder injury is the reason for his time off. Fear Havoc simply made a statement that it seemed suspicious to him. As far as I know, no one else has raised any other type of doubts and there really isn't any reason to.

[Hawk 34]

The only reason for doubts is merely the timing with Mercury and Masters, aside from that I don't think there would be a hint of suggestion towards it being a cover.

[buffybeast]

I'm out of the loop. Mercury and Masters have failed a steroid/drug test recently?

 

Oh, and academics take sabbaticals from teaching all the time to conduct and publish research. The word has several meanings. WWE used it correctly.

[SuperJerk]

We'll fucking argue about anything, won't we?

[buffybeast]

LMAO, so true. That's what makes us smarks.

[Darthtiki]

I think it's more than likely a worked shoot. Shoot as in he is taking time off to heal the shoulder and catch his breath but will appear all of a sudden on the ECW brand ala his WWE debut in 2000

[Guest wildpegasus]

I think it's more than likely a worked shoot. Shoot as in he is taking time off to heal the shoulder and catch his breath but will appear all of a sudden on the ECW brand ala his WWE debut in 2000

 

 

 

When I first heard the term "sabbatical" used to describe Benoit's absence in the ring I immediatly thought that this makes Benoit look weak. I suppose it gives him a human side and they could possibly work something from that but this really goes against Benoit's charactor. Benoit's charactor doesn't stop wrestling unless he has a broken neck and of course can't wrestle. Now it sounds like he's almost taking a vacation to heal up his injuries. Injuries that are annoying but not career ending. Benoit "almost sounds like a wimp now" (well for Benoit anyway) as the poor baby now needs to take a break from the squared circle. Before, it was only fate forcing him to vacate the ring. Now, it's merely a banged up body. I think they've also made it sound like he's mentally tired.

 

This could also be a subtle burying kind of thing before Benoit leaves the Smackdown brand and goes to ECW if that indeed does happen. However, that doesn't really make too much sense. Yes, it makes the WWE vs ECW feud seem more real but why would the WWE hurt such a valuable member of their roster? Doesn't make sense but of course that never stopped the WWE before.