On Benoit

[Markme123 0]

I feel the need to express something.

 

I just got back from the HOF. And while the Rock was awesome, what will probably linger in my mind about tonight was during Flairs speech, he mentioned all of the Horsemen that he enjoyed being with and dropped Benoits name. After a second of uncomfortable silence in the room, only about one or two people booed and then the whole crowd pretty much marked out huge and Id say it was probably the number 3 pop of the night. I was in shock. Extremely surreal.

Dames

 

I have a feeling that I'll be in the minority here and that's okay. I won't put down anyone who feels different than I, but a smile came to my face after reading that surpising note.

I was as confused, angry, disappointment, and as sick as everyone else was over everything that happened last year. However, with the information that has come out regarding Chris' brain injuries and mental degeneration, I've had a hard time discounting a career of a person who, before 2005- before all craziness, was as upstanding a person this industry had ever had. The news of Chris' brain changed my opinion of him from that of an 'O.J.', an asshole who was of sound capacity when he murderered his wife- and someone whose accomplishments shouldn't be celebrated- to a more sympathetic person. Chris should never be absolved of what he did last June, because mentally deficient or not, he still committed the crimes, but from what I've read and heard the pre-November 2005 Chris Benoit was a different person. I think it's destined that one day Chris' accomplishments inside the ring will once again be recognized. Maybe not soon, but someday.

 

But maybe my opinion just shows my own moral faults.

[MrRant 0]

I think you got the wrong year in there buddy.

[The Dames 0]

It was very telling that there were zero reaction shots from the wrestlers, the crowd, no one after benoits name was mentioned. Normally, WWE cuts every few seconds.

 

Right after that, he put up the 4 fingers and said that malenko and benoit were the reasons he came back to wcw and then he quickly changed the subject. I wish I could have seen the looks on the wrestlers faces. I honestly don't know if this will make it to DVD.

 

Dames

[Markme123 0]

Do you mean the '2005'?

[Enigma 0]

Why isn't this being discussed in, oh I don't know, the thread the comment was made in? Why make another thread for this?

[Markme123 0]

I didn't want to derail the conversation away from Hall of Fame talk?

[Guest Bullshiterica]

Why isn't this being discussed in, oh I don't know, the thread the comment was made in? Why make another thread for this?

I can't really see any good coming out of a Chris Benoit thread, but I'm not going to pull rank on Cheech and mess with his folder in his absence. Just don't let this get too out of hand, if that's possible.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Both sides have merit. It seems odd to not discuss it in the thread it came from, but there's a big "STFU about Benoit, no one cares anymore" movement too, so perhaps NOT de-railing the HOF thread was the way to go?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I guess I could see the day where WWE at least acknowledges Benoit on TV again.

[bob_barron 0]

I've had a hard time discounting a career of a person who, before 2005- before all craziness, was as upstanding a person this industry had ever had.

 

But he really wasn't, that's the point. Remember in 2003 when he was accused of beating Nancy? Or how he left his family in the first place to marry her?

 

Or how he would haze WWE wrestlers? Just because he was a good wrestler, doesn't mean he was a good person.

 

I can't really see any good coming out of a Chris Benoit thread, but I'm not going to pull rank on Cheech and mess with his folder in his absence. Just don't let this get too out of hand, if that's possible.

 

I think this thread should remain open, despite some of the mods hatred for anymore Benoit talk.

 

I think it's destined that one day Chris' accomplishments inside the ring will once again be recognized. Maybe not soon, but someday.

 

I think once you murder your 7-year old in cold blood, the accomplishments go out the window.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I guess I could see the day where WWE at least acknowledges Benoit on TV again.

 

I think we will. They've kinda eased him back into history on the website.

[The Robfather 0]

I'm in the camp that Benoit should be completely erased from the history.

 

Flair wants to honor him, that's his business. Not sure I get the emotion behind it when Chris, you know, murdered his wife and kid.

 

If you want to honor someone, honor Nancy and Daniel.

[Bix 0]

I don't think Flair even meant to honor him, it's been reported in the WON that he's on the more anti-Chris side of the wrestlers since he was close with Nancy.

 

At any rate, it's really, really terrible to cheer for him and those who did make me terribly embarrassed to be a wrestling fan. At least it didn't have the weird "fight the power" sentiment of the standing ovation for brutal rapist Roman Polanski's absentee Oscar win.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I've had a hard time discounting a career of a person who, before 2005- before all craziness, was as upstanding a person this industry had ever had.

 

But he really wasn't, that's the point. Remember in 2003 when he was accused of beating Nancy? Or how he left his family in the first place to marry her?

 

Or how he would haze WWE wrestlers? Just because he was a good wrestler, doesn't mean he was a good person.

 

I can't really see any good coming out of a Chris Benoit thread, but I'm not going to pull rank on Cheech and mess with his folder in his absence. Just don't let this get too out of hand, if that's possible.

 

I think this thread should remain open, despite some of the mods hatred for anymore Benoit talk.

 

I think it's destined that one day Chris' accomplishments inside the ring will once again be recognized. Maybe not soon, but someday.

 

I think once you murder your 7-year old in cold blood, the accomplishments go out the window.

 

Agreed up until the last point which is simply retarded. While it may change how YOU FEEL about his accomplishments to say that they have no merit based on what he did is just ignorant.

[bob_barron 0]

I disagree. While he will always have his accomplishments, they're forever tainted by what he did. I don't think many people will remember Benoit, the guy who won the title at Mania XX, but as the guy who killed his kid

[Cowboy Battlenuts 0]

It's such a touchy issue, there's no way the WWE would ever want to go near it.

 

I will say this, the man was the most loved and respected wrestler on any forum I've been too and I personally don't think it's fair to let what happened completely over-shadow what he's done. The man was great at what he did, he was known as a loving caring person, I have a feeling that's more than likely the real Benoit, and not the man who did what he did to his family.

 

I mean really it comes down to what you'd rather focus on, the good or the bad, and I can't see a reason why someone would choose bad.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

I have to wonder how Nancy's family would feel about this. The man who killed their daughter and grandson getting praised and cheered by thousands of people? I know I'd be unhappy.

 

 

And, really, when faced with a dead mother and child, what does the fact he was a great wrestler matter? He gave up any right to be honoured the weekend he killed them.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I disagree. While he will always have his accomplishments, they're forever tainted by what he did. I don't think many people will remember Benoit, the guy who won the title at Mania XX, but as the guy who killed his kid

 

Again, this is something YOU think. Say what you want about "I don't think many people....." but the fact of the matter is that you don't know what everybody else thinks on this matter. It's fine to have your opinions on the subject and I'm not saying they're wrong but to speak for all the wrestling fans out there is a bit off.

[Bix 0]

I will say this, the man was the most loved and respected wrestler on any forum I've been too and I personally don't think it's fair to let what happened completely over-shadow what he's done.

Why?

 

The man was great at what he did, he was known as a loving caring person, I have a feeling that's more than likely the real Benoit, and not the man who did what he did to his family.

He beat his wife for years and brutally hazed younger wrestlers even longer.

 

I mean really it comes down to what you'd rather focus on, the good or the bad, and I can't see a reason why someone would choose bad.

He killed his family.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

What's with all the hazing stories? I never heard him refered to him similar terms as JBL or Holly. I dodn't know he had a reputation as bully in wwe.

[Mike wanna be 0]

What he did in the ring and what he did at his home are totally separate. Why not revoke Flair's induction because of how his first two wives fared? Why not revoke Guerrero's induction because it's his own fault his heart gave out on him thanks to the drugs and steroids?

 

There's a difference between Chris Benoit the man and Chris Benoit the wrestler; I'll cheer the wrestler, not the man. If you want to tie the two together then I feel really bad for you being a wrestling fan, because news flash: most of them aren't nice guys.

[snuffbox 0]

Ted Bundy scored 17 straight baskets in a high school game but nobody gives a shit.

[Bix 0]

As far as better-known stuff, he made a wrestler, believed to be either Hassan or Striker, do Hindu Squats until he was peeing Dr. Pepper colored fluid that included broken down muscle fibers from his legs. There are others that I'm not at liberty to discuss but will be in Matthew Randazzo's book about Benoit that comes out in a month. He was never the nice guy that people say he is, at least after the Stampede crew and NJPW dojo were through with him.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

I think that was Daivari that he made do all the squats.

[skullman80 0]

He's scum, and should be remembered as such.

 

When you kill your family, you don't get any benefit of the doubt for past accomplishments.

 

He was a coward too.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

What he did in the ring and what he did at his home are totally separate. Why not revoke Flair's induction because of how his first two wives fared? Why not revoke Guerrero's induction because it's his own fault his heart gave out on him thanks to the drugs and steroids?

 

 

There's a big difference between messing up your marraige or becomg a drug addict, and killing people.

 

There's a difference between Chris Benoit the man and Chris Benoit the wrestler; I'll cheer the wrestler, not the man. If you want to tie the two together then I feel really bad for you being a wrestling fan, because news flash: most of them aren't nice guys

 

There was little difference, in character terms, between Benoit the man, and Benoit who we saw on tv every week. Part of the appeal of him on screen is that it so heavily drawn from who he was in real life.

[Bix 0]

What he did in the ring and what he did at his home are totally separate. Why not revoke Flair's induction because of how his first two wives fared? Why not revoke Guerrero's induction because it's his own fault his heart gave out on him thanks to the drugs and steroids?

 

There's a difference between Chris Benoit the man and Chris Benoit the wrestler; I'll cheer the wrestler, not the man. If you want to tie the two together then I feel really bad for you being a wrestling fan, because news flash: most of them aren't nice guys.

Other wrestlers who are bad people didn't kill their children with their pro wrestling finishing hold. It makes his wrestling matches are ridiculously ghoulish to watch, much more so than alleged murderers Jimmy Snuka and Jerry Estrada.

[Bix 0]

I think that was Daivari that he made do all the squats.

Different story, as Daivari did them willingly.

[Cowboy Battlenuts 0]

Comparing him to Ted Bundy? Come on now....

 

Yeah Bix, I realized he killed his family. I didn't know the second he did that every thing else in his life he accomplished suddenly never happened. There's good, and there's bad. Whatever a person chooses to focus on is there's perogative. Regardless, it's way too sensitive for the WWE to ever touch with a ten foot pole.

[skullman80 0]

Comparing him to Ted Bundy? Come on now....

 

Yeah Bix, I realized he killed his family. I didn't know the second he did that every thing else in his life he accomplished suddenly never happened. There's good, and there's bad. Whatever a person chooses to focus on is there's perogative. Regardless, it's way too sensitive for the WWE to ever touch with a ten foot pole.

 

Ted Bundy brutally murdered people, Chris Benoit did the same thing...

 

Don't see the big stretch.