| Chris Benoit | |
|---|---|
 Benoit in February 2006 | |
| Birth name | Christopher Michael Benoit |
| Born | (1967-05-21)May 21, 1967 Montreal,Quebec, Canada |
| Died | June 24, 2007(2007-06-24) (aged 40) Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 (2 living; 1died 2007) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Chris Benoit The Pegasus Kid Wild Pegasus |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 229 lb (104 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Atlanta,Georgia Edmonton,Alberta, Canada |
| Trained by | Bruce Hart[2][3][4] Stu Hart Mike Hammer Tokyo Joe Tatsumi Fujinami New Japan Pro-Wrestling[5] |
| Debut | November 22, 1985[6] |
Christopher Michael Benoit (/bəˈnwɑː/bə-NWAH; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadianprofessional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious forkilling his wife and youngest son.
Bearing the nicknamesThe (Canadian) Crippler alongsideThe Rabid Wolverine throughout his career, Benoit held 30championships betweenWorld Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE),World Championship Wrestling (WCW),Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW – all United States),New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW – Japan), andStampede Wrestling (Canada). He was a two-timeworld champion, Benoit having reigned as a one-timeWCW World Heavyweight Champion and a one-timeWorld Heavyweight Champion in WWE;[7][8] he wasbooked to win athird world championship at a WWE event on thenight of his death.[9] Benoit was the twelfthWWE Triple Crown Champion and the seventhWCW Triple Crown Champion, and the second of four men in history to achieve both the WWE and the WCW Triple Crown Championships. He was also the2004 Royal Rumble winner, joiningShawn Michaels and precedingEdge as one of the three men to win aRoyal Rumble as the number one entrant.[10] Benoit headlined multiplepay-per-views for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) including a victory in the World Heavyweight Championshipmain eventtriple threat match ofWrestleMania XX in March 2004.[11]
In athree-day double-murder and suicide, Benoit murderedhis wife in their residence on June 22, 2007, and his 7-year-old son the next day, before killing himself on June 24.[12][13] The incident profoundly shocked and changed the professional wrestling industry and drew intense mainstream media criticism regarding brain injuries, substance abuse, and the long-term health of athletes in contact sports. Subsequent research undertaken by the Sports Legacy Institute (now theConcussion Legacy Foundation) suggested thatdepression andchronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition ofbrain damage, from multipleconcussions that Benoit had sustained throughout his pro-wrestling career were likely contributing factors of the crimes.[14]
Due to his murders, Benoit's legacy in the professional wrestling industry is heavily debated.[15][16] Benoit has been renowned by many for his exceptionaltechnical wrestling ability. Prominent combat sports journalistDave Meltzer considers Benoit "one of the top 10, maybe even [in] the top five, all-time greats" in professional wrestling history.[17] Benoit was inducted into theStampede Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 and theWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2003.[18] His WON induction was put to a re-vote in 2008 to determine if Benoit should remain a member of their Hall of Fame. The threshold percentage of votes required to remove Benoit was not met.[19]
Benoit was born inMontreal, Quebec, the son of Michael and Margaret Benoit. He grew up inEdmonton, Alberta, from where he was billed throughout the bulk of his career.[14] He had a sister who lived near Edmonton.[20]
During his childhood and early adolescence in Edmonton, Benoit idolizedTom "Dynamite Kid" Billington[21][22] andBret Hart;[22][23] at twelve years old, he attended a local wrestling event at which the two performers "stood out above everyone else".[21] Benoit trained to become a professional wrestler in theHart family "Dungeon", receiving education from family patriarchStu Hart. In-ring, Benoit emulated both Billington and Bret Hart,[21][23] cultivating a high-risk style and physical appearance more reminiscent of the former[21] (years later, he adopted Hart's own "Sharpshooter" hold as a finishing move).[citation needed]
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Benoit began his career in 1985, in Stu Hart'sStampede Wrestlingpromotion. From the beginning, similarities between Benoit and Billington were apparent, as Benoit adopted many of his moves such as thediving headbutt and thesnap suplex; the homage was complete with his initial billing as "Dynamite" Chris Benoit. According to Benoit, in his first match, he attempted the diving headbutt before learning how to land correctly, and had the wind knocked out of him; he said he would never do the move again at that point. His debut match was a tag team match on November 22, 1985, inCalgary, Alberta, where he teamed with "The Remarkable" Rick Patterson against Butch Moffat and Mike Hammer, which Benoit's team won the match after Benoit pinned Moffat with asunset flip.[6] The first title Benoit ever won was theStampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship on March 18, 1988, againstGama Singh.[24] During his tenure in Stampede, he won four International Tag Team and three more British Commonwealth titles,[25] and had a lengthyfeud withJohnny Smith that lasted for over a year, which both men traded back-and-forth the British Commonwealth title. In 1989, Stampede closed its doors, and with a recommendation fromBad News Allen, Benoit departed forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Upon arriving toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Benoit spent about a year training in their "New Japan Dojo" with the younger wrestlers to improve his abilities. While in the dojo, he spent months doing strenuous activities like push-ups and floor sweeping before stepping into the ring. He made his Japanese debut in 1986 under his real name. In 1989, he started wearing a mask and assuming thename The Pegasus Kid. Benoit said numerous times that he originally hated the mask, but it eventually became a part of him. While with NJPW, he came into his own as a performer in critically acclaimed matches with luminaries likeJushin Thunder Liger,Shinjiro Otani,Black Tiger, andEl Samurai in their junior heavyweight division.[citation needed]
In August 1990, he won his first major championship, theIWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, from Jushin Thunder Liger. He eventually lost the title in November 1990 (and in July 1991 in Japan and in November 1991 in Mexico, hismask) back to Liger,[25] forcing him to reinvent himself as Wild Pegasus. Benoit spent the next couple years in Japan, winning theBest of the Super Juniors tournament twice in1993 and1995. He went on to win theinauguralSuper J-Cup tournament in 1994, defeating Black Tiger,Gedo, andThe Great Sasuke in the finals. He wrestled outside New Japan occasionally to compete in Mexico and Europe, where he won a few regional championships, including theUWA Light Heavyweight Championship. He held that title for over a year, having many forty-plus minute matches withVillano III.[citation needed]
Benoit first came toWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in June 1992, teaming up with fellow Canadian wrestlerBiff Wellington for theNWA World Tag Team Championship tournament; they were defeated byBrian Pillman and Jushin Thunder Liger in the first round atClash of the Champions XIX.
He did not return to WCW until January 1993 atClash of the Champions XXII, defeatingBrad Armstrong. A month later, atSuperBrawl III, he lost to2 Cold Scorpio, getting pinned with only three seconds left in the 20-minute time limit. At the same time, he formed a tag team withBobby Eaton. After he and Eaton lost to Scorpio andMarcus Bagwell atSlamboree, Benoit headed back to Japan.
After WCW, Benoit worked inAustralia, andCMLL inMexico. In early 1994, he worked for NWA New Jersey where he defeatedJerry Lawler. A month later he foughtTerry Funk to a double count out.
In August 1994, Benoit began working withExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in between tours of Japan. He was booked as a dominant wrestler there, gaining notoriety as the "Crippler" after he putRocco Rock out. In his first appearance, Benoit competed in aone-night eight-man tournament for the vacantNWA World Heavyweight Championship, losing to2 Cold Scorpio in the quarter-finals match.[26][27]
AtNovember to Remember, Benoit accidentally brokeSabu's neck within the opening seconds of the match. The injury came when Benoit threw Sabu with the intention that he take a face-first "pancake"bump, but Sabu attempted to turn mid-air and take a backdrop bump instead. He did not achieve full rotation and landed almost directly on his neck.[28]
After this match Benoit returned to the locker room and broke down over the possibility that he might have paralysed someone.[28]Paul Heyman, the head booker of ECW at the time, came up with the idea of continuing the "Crippler" moniker for Benoit. From that point until his departure from ECW, he was known as "Crippler Benoit". When he returned to WCW in October 1995, WCW modified his ring name to "Canadian Crippler Chris Benoit". InThe Rise and Fall of ECW book, Heyman commented that he planned on using Benoit as a dominant heel for quite some time, before putting the company's main title, theECW World Heavyweight Championship, on him to be the long-term champion of the company.
Benoit andDean Malenko won theECW World Tag Team Championship – Benoit's first American title – from Sabu andThe Tazmaniac in February 1995 atReturn of the Funker.[25] After winning, they were initiated into theTriple Threatstable, led by ECW World Heavyweight Champion,Shane Douglas, as Douglas's attempt to recreate theFour Horsemen, as the three-man contingency held all three of the ECW championships at the time (Malenko also held theECW World Television Championship at the time). The team lost the championship toThe Public Enemy that April atThree Way Dance. Benoit spent some time in ECW feuding withThe Steiner Brothers and rekindling the feud with 2 Cold Scorpio. He was forced to leave ECW after his work visa expired; Heyman was supposed to renew it, but he failed to make it on time, so Benoit left ECW in August 1995 as a matter of job security and the ability to enter the United States. He toured Japan until WCW called.[25]
In June 1995, while under contract with ECW, Benoit worked in threedark matches losing toBob Holly,Adam Bomb andOwen Hart.[29]
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) had a working relationship, and because of their "talent exchange" program, Benoit signed with WCW in late 1995 along with a number of talent working in New Japan to be a part of theangle. Like the majority of those who came to WCW in the exchange, he started out in as a member of thecruiserweight division, having lengthy matches against many of his former rivals in Japan on almost every single broadcast. At the end of 1995, Benoit went back to Japan as a part of the "talent exchange" to wrestle as a representative for New Japan in theSuper J-Cup: 2nd Stage, defeatingLionheart in the quarterfinals (he received a bye to the quarterfinals for his work in 1995, similar to the way he advanced in the 1994 edition) and losing toGedo in the semifinals.
After impressing higher-ups with his work, he was approached byRic Flair and the WCW booking staff to become a member of the reformedFour Horsemen in 1995, alongside Flair,Arn Anderson, andBrian Pillman; he was introduced by Pillman as a gruff, no-nonsense heel similar to his ECW persona, "The Crippler". He was brought in to add a new dynamic for Anderson and Flair's tormenting ofHulk Hogan andRandy Savage in their "Alliance to End Hulkamania", which saw the Horsemen team up withThe Dungeon of Doom, but that alliance ended with Dungeon leader and WCWbooker,Kevin Sullivan feuding with Pillman. When Pillman abruptly left the company for the WWF, Benoit was placed into his ongoing feud with Sullivan. This came to fruition through a dissension between the two in a tag team match with the two reluctantly teaming with each other againstThe Public Enemy, and Benoit being attacked by Sullivan atSlamboree. This led to the two having violent confrontations atpay-per-views, which led to Sullivan booking a feud in which Benoit was having anaffair with Sullivan's real-life wife andonscreenvalet,Nancy (also known as Woman). Benoit and Nancy were forced to spend time together to make the affair look real, (hold hands in public, share hotel rooms, etc.).[30]
This onscreen relationship developed into a real-life affair offscreen. As a result, Sullivan and Benoit had a contentious backstage relationship at best, and an undying hatred for each other at worst. Benoit did, however, admit having a certain amount of respect for Sullivan, saying on the DVDHard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story that Sullivan never took undue liberties in the ring during their feud, even though he blamed Benoit for breaking up his marriage. This continued for over the course of a year with Sullivan having hisenforcers apprehend Benoit in a multitude of matches. This culminated in aretirement match at theBash at the Beach, where Benoit defeated Sullivan; this was used to explain Sullivan going to a behind-the-scenes role, where he could focus on his initial job of booking.
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In 1998, Benoit had a long feud withBooker T. They fought over theWCW World Television Championship until Booker lost the title toFit Finlay.[25] Booker won a "Best-of-Seven" series which was held between the two to determine a number one contender. Benoit went up 3 to 1 before Booker caught up, forcing the 7th and final match onMonday Nitro. During the match,Bret Hart interjected himself, interfering on behalf of Benoit in an attempt to get him to join theNew World Order. Benoit refused to win that way and told the referee what happened, getting himself disqualified. Booker refused that victory, instead opting for an eighth match at theGreat American Bash to see who would fight Finlay later that night. Booker won the final match and went on to beat Finlay for the title.[25] This feud significantly elevated both men's careers as singles competitors, and both remained at the top of the midcard afterward.
In 1999, Benoit teamed with Dean Malenko once again and defeatedCurt Hennig andBarry Windham to win theWCW World Tag Team Championship.[25] This led to a reformation of the Four Horsemen with the tag team champions, Anderson, andSteve "Mongo" McMichael. The two hunted after the tag team championship for several months, feuding with teams likeRaven andPerry Saturn orBilly Kidman andRey Mysterio Jr.
After a falling out with Anderson and McMichael, Benoit and Malenko left the Horsemen; he won theWCW United States Heavyweight Championship[25] before bringing together Malenko, Perry Saturn, andShane Douglas to form "the Revolution".
The Revolution was a heel stable of younger wrestlers who felt slighted (both kayfabe and legitimate) by WCW management, believing they never gave them the chance to be stars,pushing older, more established wrestlers instead, despite their then-current questionable worthiness of their pushes. This led to the Revolution seceding from WCW, and forming their own nation, complete with a flag. This led to some friction being created between Benoit and leader, Douglas, who called into question Benoit's heart in the group, causing Benoit to quit the group, thus turning face, and having his own crusade against the top stars, winning the Television title one more time and the United States title fromJeff Jarrett in aladder match. In October 1999 onNitro inKansas City, Missouri, Benoit wrestled Bret Hart as a tribute to Bret's brotherOwen Hart, who had recently died due to anequipment malfunction. Hart defeated Benoit by submission, and the two received a standing ovation, and an embrace from guest ring announcer,Harley Race.
Benoit was unhappy working for WCW.[31] One last attempt in January 2000 was made to try to keep him with WCW, by putting the vacantWCW World Heavyweight Championship on him by defeatingSid Vicious atSouled Out.[25][32] However, due to disagreements with management and to protest the promotion of Kevin Sullivan to head booker,[33] Benoit left WCW the next day alongside his friendsEddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn, forfeiting his title in the process.[31] WCW then refused to acknowledge Benoit's victory as an official title reign, and Benoit's title reign was not listed in the title lineage at WCW.com.[34] However, the WWF recognized Benoit's title win, and Benoit's title reign is still listed in the title lineage at WWE.com.[35] Benoit spent the next few weeks in Japan before heading to the WWF, who acknowledged his WCW World Heavyweight Championship win and presented him as a former world champion.[36]
Benoit joined theWorld Wrestling Federation near the end of itsAttitude Era. Along with Guerrero, Saturn and Malenko, he debuted in the WWF as a stable that became known asthe Radicalz. After losing their "tryout matches" upon entry, The Radicalz aligned themselves with WWF ChampionTriple H and became aheelfaction. Benoit quickly won his first title in the WWF just over a month later atWrestleMania 2000 on April 2, pinningChris Jericho in a triple threat match to winKurt Angle'sIntercontinental Championship. It was also in this time period that Benoit wrestled in his first WWF pay-per-view main events, challengingThe Rock for theWWF Championship atFully Loaded on July 23 and as part of a fatal four-way title match atUnforgiven on September 24. On both occasions Benoit appeared to have won the title, only to have the decision reversed by then-WWFcommissionerMick Foley due to cheating on Benoit's part. Benoit simultaneously entered into a long-running feud with Jericho for the Intercontinental title, with the two meeting atBacklash on April 30,Judgment Day on May 21 andSummerSlam on August 27; Benoit winning all three matches. The feud finally culminated in Jericho defeating Benoit in aladder match at theRoyal Rumble on January 21, 2001. Benoit won the Intercontinental title three times between April 2000 and January 2001.[37]
In early 2001, Benoit broke away from The Radicalz (who had recently reformed three months earlier) and turned face, feuding first with his former stablemates and then with Kurt Angle, whom he wrestled and lost to atWrestleMania X-Seven on April 1.[38] He gained some amount of revenge after beating Angle in an "Ultimate Submission" match atBacklash on April 29. The feud continued after Benoit stole Angle's cherishedOlympic Gold Medal. This culminated in a match atJudgment Day on May 20 where Angle won atwo out of three falls match with the help ofEdge and Christian. In response, Benoit teamed up with his former rival Jericho to defeat Edge and Christian in that night'sTag Team Turmoil match to become the number one contenders to theWWF Tag Team Championship.
The next night onRaw Is War, Benoit and Jericho defeatedStone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. On the May 24 episode ofSmackDown!, Benoit suffered a legitimate neck injury in a four-wayTLC match. Benoit challenged Austin for the WWF Championship on two occasions, first losing in a manner similar to theMontreal Screwjob in Calgary on the May 28 episode ofRaw is War and then losing in a close match in Benoit's hometown of Edmonton on the May 31 episode ofSmackDown!. Despite the neck injury, he continued to wrestle until theKing of the Ring on June 24, where he was pinned by Austin in a triple threat match for the WWF Championship also involving Jericho. Benoit missed the next year due to his neck injury, missing the entireInvasion storyline.
During the firstWWF draft, he was the third wrestler picked by Vince McMahon to be part of the newSmackDown! roster,[39] although still on the injured list. However, when he returned, he did so as a member of theRaw roster. On his first night back, he turned heel by aligning himself with Eddie Guerrero, and he feuded with Stone Cold Steve Austin briefly.[40] Benoit defeatedRob Van Dam on the July 29, 2002, edition ofRaw to become Intercontinental Champion for the fourth and final time. He and Guerrero were then moved to SmackDown! during a storyline "open season" on wrestler contracts,[41] with Benoit taking the Intercontinental Championship toSmackDown!.[42] Van Dam defeated Benoit atSummerSlam on August 25 and returned the title toRaw.[43][44]
After returning toSmackDown!, he embarked on a feud with Kurt Angle in which he defeated him atUnforgiven on September 22. On October 20, 2002, atNo Mercy, he teamed with Angle to win atournament to crown the first-everWWE Tag Team Champions.[43][45] They becametweeners after betrayingLos Guerreros. AtRebellion, Benoit and Angle made their successful title defence, defeatingLos Guerreros. They lost the championships toEdge andRey Mysterio on the November 7 episode ofSmackDown! in atwo-out-of-three falls match. They received a rematch atSurvivor Series on November 17 in atriple threat elimination match against Edge and Mysterio and Los Guerreros, but failed to win the titles after being the first team eliminated.[46] The team split up shortly afterward and Benoit became a face.[citation needed]
Angle won his third WWE Championship fromBig Show atArmageddon on December 15,[47] and Benoit faced him for the title at theRoyal Rumble on January 19, 2003. The match was highly praised from fans and critics. Although Benoit lost the match, he received a standing ovation for his efforts.[48] Benoit returned to the tag team ranks, teaming with the returningRhyno.[49]
AtWrestleMania XIX on March 30, the WWE Tag Team Champions,Team Angle (Charlie Haas andShelton Benjamin), put their titles on the line against Benoit and his partner Rhyno and Los Guerreros in a triple threat tag team match. Team Angle retained when Benjamin pinnedChavo.[50]
In April 2003, following WrestleMania, Benoit then feuded withJohn Cena (wearing a shirt saying "Toothless Aggression") andThe Full Blooded Italians,[51][52] teaming with Rhyno occasionally.[53]
In June 2003, theWCW United States Championship was reactivated and renamed the WWE United States Championship, and Benoit participated in the tournament for the title. He lost in the final match to Eddie Guerrero atVengeance on July 27.[53] The two feuded over the title for the next month,[54] and Benoit went on to defeat the likes ofA-Train atNo Mercy on October 19,[55] Big Show, and eliminatingBrock Lesnar by submission atSurvivor Series on November 16 as part of aSurvivor Series elimination tag team match between Team Angle against Team Lesnar. As a result, Benoit challenged Lesnar for theWWE Championship on the December 4 episode ofSmackDown!, but lost after passing out to Lesnar's debutingBrock Locksubmission hold.[55] SmackDown! General ManagerPaul Heyman had a vendetta against Benoit along with Lesnar, preventing him from gaining a shot at Lesnar's WWE Championship.[56]
When Benoit won a qualifying match for the2004 Royal Rumble against the Full Blooded Italians in a handicap match with John Cena, Heyman named him as the number one entry.[57] On January 25, 2004, he won theRoyal Rumble by last eliminating Big Show, and thus earned a world title shot atWrestleMania XX on March 14.[55] He became only the second WWE performer to win the Royal Rumble as the number one entrant along with Shawn Michaels. With Benoit being on the SmackDown! brand at the time, it was assumed that he was going to compete for his brand's championship, the WWE Championship. However, Benoit exploited a "loophole" in the rules and moved to the Raw brand the following night to announce he would instead challengeWorld Heavyweight ChampionTriple H at WrestleMania.[58] Though the match was originally intended to be a one-on-one match, Shawn Michaels, whoseLast Man Standing match against Triple H at the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight Championship ended in a draw,[55] thought that he deserved to be in the main event. When it was time for Benoit to sign the contract putting himself in the main event, Michaelssuperkicked him and signed his name on the contract,[55] which eventually resulted in a Triple Threat match between Michaels, Benoit, and the champion, Triple H.[59]
At WrestleMania, Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship by forcing Triple H to tap out to his signature submission move, the Crippler Crossface, in a highly acclaimed match.[60] The match marked the first time the main event of a WrestleMania ended in submission.[61][62] After the match, Benoit celebrated his win with then-reigningWWE Champion Eddie Guerrero. The rematch was held atBacklash on April 18 in Benoit's hometown of Edmonton. It was Michaels who ended up submitting to Benoit's Sharpshooter, allowing Benoit to retain his title.[60] The next night in Calgary on the April 19 episode ofRaw, he and Edge won the World Tag Team Championship fromBatista andRic Flair, making Benoit a double champion.[63]
Following his victories, Benoit and Edge engaged in a rivalry withLa Résistance for the World Tag Team Championship, which saw a series of matches (including losing the titles to La Résistance on the May 31 episode ofRaw), while simultaneously having confrontations withKane over the World Heavyweight Championship. Benoit wrestled in two matches atBad Blood on June 13 in his respective rivalries; he and Edge failed to regain the World Tag Team Championship (winning by disqualification when Kane interfered) while he successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane. A month later atVengeance on July 11, Benoit retained the title against Triple H.[64]
AtSummerSlam on August 15, Benoit lost the World Heavyweight Championship toRandy Orton.[65] Benoit then teamed withWilliam Regal atUnforgiven on September 12 againstRic Flair and Batista in a winning effort. Benoit then feuded with Edge (who had turned into an arrogant and conceited heel), leading toTaboo Tuesday on October 19 where Benoit, Edge, and Shawn Michaels were all put into a poll to see who would face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship that night.[66] Michaels received the most votes and as a result, Edge and Benoit were forced to team up to face the World Tag Team Champions, La Résistance, in the same night. However, Edge deserted Benoit during the match and Benoit was forced to take on both members of La Résistance by himself. He and Edge still managed to regain the World Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles back to La Résistance on the November 1 episode ofRaw.[65] AtSurvivor Series on November 14, Benoit sided with Randy Orton's team while Edge teamed with Triple H's team, and while Edge was able to pin Benoit after a Pedigree from Triple H, Orton's team won.[67]
The Benoit-Edge feud ended atNew Year's Revolution on January 9, 2005 in anElimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which both men lost.[68] The feud stopped abruptly, as Edge feuded with Shawn Michaels, and Benoit entered theRoyal Rumble as the second entrant on January 30, lasting longer than any competitor before being eliminated by Ric Flair.[69] The two then continued to have matches in the following weeks until the two of them, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, and Christian were placed in theMoney in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania 21 on April 3. Edge won the match by knocking Benoit off of the ladder by smashing his arm with a chair.[69] The feud finally culminated in a Last Man Standing match atBacklash on May 1, which Edge won with a brick shot to the back of Benoit's head.[70]
On June 9, Benoit was drafted to the SmackDown! brand after being the first man selected bySmackDown! in the2005 Draft Lottery and participated in an ECW-style revolution against theSmackDown! heels.[71][72] Benoit appeared atECW One Night Stand on June 12, defeating Eddie Guerrero.[73]
On July 24 atThe Great American Bash, Benoit failed to win the WWE United States Championship fromOrlando Jordan,[74] but won a rematch atSummerSlam on August 21 in 25 seconds.[74] Benoit then won three consecutive matches against Jordan in less than a minute.[75][76][77] Benoit later wrestled Booker T in friendly competitions,[74] until Booker T and his wife,Sharmell, cheated Benoit out of the United States title on the October 21 episode ofSmackDown!.[78]
On November 13, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room. The following night,Raw held a Guerrero tribute show hosted by both Raw and SmackDown! wrestlers. Benoit was devastated at Guerrero's death and was very emotional during a series of video testimonials, eventually breaking down on camera.[79] The same week onSmackDown! (taped on the same night asRaw), Benoit defeated Triple H in a tribute match to Guerrero. Following the contest, Benoit, Triple H, and Dean Malenko all assembled in the ring and pointed to the sky in salute of Guerrero.[80]
After controversy surrounding a United States Championship match against Booker T on the November 25 episode ofSmackDown!,Theodore Long set up a "Best of Seven" series between the two. Booker T won three times in a row (atSurvivor Series on November 27, the November 29SmackDown! Special, and the December 9 episode ofSmackDown!), due largely to Sharmell's interference, and Benoit faced elimination in the series.[81][82][83] Benoit won the fourth match to stay alive atArmageddon on December 18,[81] but after the match, Booker T suffered a legitimate groin injury, and Randy Orton was chosen as a stand-in. Benoit defeated Orton twice by disqualification on the December 30 and January 6, 2006, episodes ofSmackDown!.[84][85] However, in the seventh and final match, Orton defeated Benoit with the help of Booker T, Sharmell, and Orlando Jordan, and Booker T captured the United States Championship.[86] Benoit feuded with Orton for a short time, before defeating Orton in aNo Holds Barred match on the January 27 episode ofSmackDown! via the Crippler Crossface.[87] Benoit was given one last chance at the United States Championship atNo Way Out on February 19 and won it by making Booker T submit to the Crippler Crossface, ending the feud.[81]
The next week onSmackDown!, Benoit (kayfabe) brokeJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL)'s hand (JBL actually needed surgery to remove a cyst).[88] A match was set up for the two atWrestleMania 22 on April 2 for Benoit's title, and for the next several weeks, they attacked each other. At WrestleMania, JBL won the match with an illegal cradle to win the title.[61] Benoit used his rematch clause two weeks later in a steel cage match onSmackDown!, but JBL again won with illegal tactics.[89] Benoit entered theKing of the Ring tournament, only to be defeated byFinlay in the opening round on the May 5 episode ofSmackDown!, after Finlay struck Benoit's neck with a chair and delivered a Celtic Cross.[90] AtJudgment Day on May 21, Benoit gained some revenge by defeating Finlay with the Crippler Crossface in a grudge match.[91][92] On the following episode ofSmackDown!,Mark Henry brutalized Benoit during their match, giving him (kayfabe) back and rib injuries and causing him to bleed from his mouth.[93] Benoit then took a sabbatical to heal nagging shoulder injuries.
On October 8, Benoit made his return atNo Mercy, defeatingWilliam Regal in a surprise match.[94] Later that week, he won his fifth and final United States Championship fromMr. Kennedy.[95] Benoit then engaged in a feud withChavo andVickie Guerrero. He wanted answers from the Guerreros for their rash behaviour towardsRey Mysterio, but was avoided by the two and was eventually assaulted. This led to the two embarking on a feud with title matches atSurvivor Series on November 26 andArmageddon on December 17; Benoit won both matches.[94] The feud culminated with one last title match as aNo disqualification match on the January 19, 2007 episode ofSmackDown!, which was also won by Benoit.[96] Later,Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), who claimed that he was the best man to hold the United States title, challenged Benoit for the title atWrestleMania 23 on April 1, where Benoit retained.[62] Their rivalry continued with Benoit defeating MVP again atBacklash on April 29.[97] AtJudgment Day on May 20, however, MVP gained the upper hand and defeated Benoit to win the title in a two out of three falls match, thus ending the feud.[98] Benoit would wrestle MVP one last time on the June 2 episodeSaturday Night's Main Event, in a winning effort in a tag-team match where Benoit partnered withBatista and MVP partnered with then-World Heavyweight ChampionEdge.[99]
On the June 11 episode ofRaw, Benoit was drafted fromSmackDown! toECW as part of the2007 WWE draft after losing toECW World ChampionBobby Lashley.[100] In his debut on the ECW brand, Benoit teamed up withCM Punk in atag team match againstElijah Burke andMarcus Cor Von, in which Benoit and Punk won.[101] On the June 19 episode ofECW, Benoit wrestled his final match, defeatingElijah Burke in a match to determine who would compete for the vacatedECW World Championship atVengeance on June 24. Since Lashley was drafted to Raw, he had vacated the title.[102]
Benoit missed the weekendhouse shows, informing close colleagues that his wife and son were vomiting blood due tofood poisoning. When he failed to show up for Vengeance, viewers were informed that he was unable to compete due to a "family emergency" and he was replaced in the title match byJohnny Nitro, who defeated Punk to become ECW World Champion. The crowd spent the majority of the match chanting for Benoit.[103] It would be revealed in the following days that Benoithad murdered his wife Nancy and son Daniel before committing suicide.
WWE executiveStephanie McMahon later indicated that Benoit would have defeatedCM Punk for the ECW World Championship had he been present for Vengeance.[9] Professional wrestler and MMA fighterBob Sapp, whom WWE had tried to sign up before a contract dispute withK-1 rendered it impossible, reported he would have been put into an oncomingangle with Benoit in case he would have been able to debut.[104]
Benoit included a wide array of submission holds in his move-set and used acrossface, dubbed theCrippler Crossface, and asharpshooter as finishers.[105][106] He also used adiving headbutt to finish off opponents.[107] The diving headbutt, which saw the deliverer leap off the top rope and land head first on the opponent, was partially blamed for the head trauma that caused Benoit to commit his crimes.[108][109] Another of Benoit's trademark moves was three rollingGerman suplexes.[110] This move would later be mimicked by multiple other wrestlers, includingBrock Lesnar who uses it asSuplex City.[111]
Benoit was renowned for his high-impact technical style. Former WWE rivalKurt Angle said in a 2017 interview that "he has to got to be in the top three of all time."[112]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | WCW vs. the World | First American video game appearance |
| 1997 | WCW vs. nWo: World Tour | |
| 1997 | Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 | Only released in Japan |
| 1998 | Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 3 | Only released in Japan |
| 1998 | WCW Nitro | |
| 1998 | WCW/nWo Revenge | |
| 1999 | WCW/nWo Thunder | |
| 1999 | WCW Mayhem | Last WCW video game appearance |
| 2000 | WWF No Mercy | First WWF/E video game appearance |
| 2000 | WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role | |
| 2001 | With Authority! | Cover athlete; Online game |
| 2001 | WWF Road to WrestleMania | |
| 2001 | WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It | |
| 2002 | WWF Raw | |
| 2002 | WWE WrestleMania X8 | |
| 2002 | WWE Road to WrestleMania X8 | |
| 2002 | WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth | |
| 2003 | WWE Crush Hour | |
| 2003 | WWE WrestleMania XIX | |
| 2003 | WWE Raw 2 | |
| 2003 | WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |
| 2004 | WWE Day of Reckoning | |
| 2004 | WWE Survivor Series | Cover athlete |
| 2004 | WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw | |
| 2005 | WWE WrestleMania 21 | Cover athlete (PAL version) |
| 2005 | WWE Aftershock | Cover athlete (PAL version) |
| 2005 | WWE Day of Reckoning 2 | |
| 2005 | WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 | |
| 2006 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 | Last video game appearance |
Benoit spoke both English and French fluently.[144] He married twice, and had two children (David and Megan) with his first wife, Martina.[145] By 1997, that marriage had broken down, and Benoit was living withNancy Sullivan, the wife of the WCW booker and frequent opponentKevin Sullivan. On February 25, 2000, Chris and Nancy's son Daniel was born; on November 23, 2000, Chris and Nancy married. It was Nancy's third marriage. In 2003, Nancy filed for divorce from Benoit, citing the marriage as "irrevocably broken" and alleging "cruel treatment". She claimed that he would break and throw furniture around.[146][147] She later dropped the suit as well as therestraining order she had filed.[146]
Benoit was good friends with fellow pro-wrestlersEddie Guerrero andDean Malenko; the trio travelled from promotion to promotion together putting on matches, eventually being dubbed the "Three Amigos" by commentators.[148] According to Benoit, theCrippler Crossface was borrowed from Malenko and eventually caught on as Benoit's finishing hold.[148][149] AfterGuerrero died in November 2005, Benoit acquired adiary in which he wrotegrief-stricken personal entries to a deceased Guerrero as acoping mechanism.[150]
Benoit's lost tooth, his top-right lateral incisor, was commonly misattributed to training or an accident early on in his wrestling career. It actually resulted from an accident involving his petrottweiler: one day while playing with the dog, the animal's skull struck Benoit's chin, and his tooth "popped out".[151]
On June 25, 2007, police entered Benoit's home inFayetteville, Georgia,[152] when WWE, Benoit's employers, requested a "welfare check" after Benoit missed weekend events without notice, leading to concerns.[153] The officers discovered the bodies of Benoit, his wifeNancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel at around 2:30 p.m.EDT.[154] Upon investigating, no additional suspects were sought by authorities.[155] It was determined that Benoit had committed the murders.[156] Over a three-day period, Benoit had killed his wife and son before committingsuicide.[12][13] His wife was bound before the killing. Benoit's son was drugged withXanax and likely unconscious before Benoit strangled him.[157] Benoit then committed suicide by hanging himself on his lat pulldown machine.[156][158]
WWE cancelled the scheduled three-hour-long liveRaw show on June 25 and replaced the broadcast version with a three-hour tribute to Benoit's life and career, featuring his past matches, segments from theHard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story DVD, and comments from wrestlers and announcers.[159]
Toxicology reports released on July 17, 2007, revealed that at their time of death, Nancy had three different drugs in her system: Xanax,hydrocodone, andhydromorphone, all of which were found at the therapeutic rather than toxic levels. Daniel was found to have Xanax in his system, which led the chief medical examiner to believe that he was sedated before he was murdered. Benoit was found to have Xanax, hydrocodone, and an elevated level oftestosterone, caused by a synthetic form of the hormone, in his system. The chief medical examiner attributed the testosterone level to Benoit possibly being treated for a deficiency caused by previoussteroid abuse or testicular insufficiency. There was no indication that anything in Benoit's body contributed to his violent behaviour that led to the murder-suicide, concluding that there was no "roid-rage" involved.[160] Prior to the murder-suicide, Benoit had illegally been given medications not in compliance withWWE's Talent Wellness Program in February 2006, includingnandrolone, ananabolic steroid, andanastrozole, abreast cancer medication which is used bybodybuilders for its powerfulantiestrogenic effects. During the investigation intosteroid abuse, it was revealed that other wrestlers had also been given steroids.[161][162]
After the double-murder suicide, neuroscientist and retired professional wrestlerChristopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit, Chris's father, suggesting that years oftrauma to his son's brain may have led to his actions. Tests were conducted on Benoit's brain by Julian Bailes, the head of neurosurgery atWest Virginia University, and results showed that "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-oldAlzheimer's patient."[163] He was reported to have had an advanced form of dementia, similar to the brains of four retired NFL players who had multiple concussions, sank into depression, and harmed themselves or others. Bailes and his colleagues concluded that repeated concussions can lead todementia, which can contribute to severe behavioural problems.[163] Benoit's father suggests that brain damage may have been the leading cause.[164]
Once the details of Benoit's actions became apparent, WWE made the decision to remove nearly all mentions of Chris Benoit from their website,[165] future broadcasts, and all publications.[166]
Benoit began training at the legendary New Japan Dojo, and began wrestling for NJPW
Ironically, Mr. Benoit was supposed to becomeECW champion that night, and he didn't show up at the[Vengeance: Night of Champions] pay‐per‐view because he was dead.
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