LivingDead
12-04-2005, 07:20 AM
A few weeks ago, a rumor was circulated that Chris Benoit's WWE contract was going to be expiring the day before Survivor Series. While that rumor was later proved false (with some saying friends of Benoit actually put the rumor out there to see what kind of reaction it would get), it still had fans talking about the future for the former World Heavyweight Champion. While Benoit will still be a contracted performer for WWE for the rest of 2005, his deal will expire in 2006, and his staying with WWE isn't as certain as some might believe. After seeing Chris Jericho, Christian and The Dudleys depart from WWE after being unable to come to terms on a new deal (or not wanting to come to terms), it is not out of the realm of possibility that Benoit might exit WWE as well.
Obviously, the number one concern for Chris Benoit when it comes to contract negotiations with WWE will be money. Benoit has a family to support, and if WWE makes it financially worth his time to stay in WWE, then he would be foolish not to sign a new deal with the company. You certainly don't need to worry about WWE going out of business, and if they are going to provide Benoit and his family with monetary security, his decision will be an easy one. But what if Benoit gets a lowball offer? What if it isn't worth working the WWE schedule for the amount WWE is willing to pay him? If that is the case, then there are other things that Benoit will be able to factor into his decision.
From a "legacy" standpoint, is there really anything left for Chris Benoit to accomplish in WWE? He has headlined major Pay-per-view events, stolen shows with fantastic performances, created memorable moments, and proven that he is one of the most gifted wrestlers of his time. He was World Champion for five months, and scored wins over Triple H and Shawn Michaels. He's earned a permanent place in wrestling history by virtue of his Wrestlemania 20 World Title victory. Only twelve other men have ever stood triumphant at the end of the biggest event of the year on the wrestling calendar. It was a career peak for Chris Benoit, one that will never be repeated, which brings us to the next issue for him to consider, his future on Smackdown.
WWE's Friday night brand has had a rough period to deal with as of late, to say the least. Eddie Guerrero, easily one of the top three or four babyfaces on the brand, and arguably the best all-around performer in the company, passed away. Christian, one of the best (if often misused) heels on the brand left for TNA. The World Champion, Batista, suffered a torn lat muscle, severely limiting what he can do in the ring as he tries to rehab the injury (since he decided not to have surgery). In light of all this, what did WWE do with Chris Benoit? They put him in a feud with Booker T ... again. Not to discredit their matches, because Benoit and Booker can always be counted on for a good bout, but is that where Benoit should be involved with at this point, a mid-card feud? WWE certainly could have forced Batista to have surgery, and instead created a World Title program with Benoit and Randy Orton to headline the brand until he was ready to return. WWE didn't do that, which says something about how they see Chris Benoit at this point in time. Reliable mid-carder who has great matches, not World Championship main eventer.
If Chris Benoit is not being fulfilled professionally by his status on Smackdown, if he isn't going to be allowed to climb to the top of the ladder again in WWE, and if the dollars and cents of the situation don't match up to what he will be putting his body through working the WWE schedule, then what are Benoit's options? Let's take a look:
TNA - From a North American perspective, this would be the obvious place for someone to go once they depart WWE. Christian and Team 3D have been welcomed with open arms, and it can be argued that Benoit is a bigger star in the eyes of wrestling fans than anyone else on the TNA roster at this point. Should TNA make him an offer (and if he is available, TNA would be insane not to), one big plus is the schedule. Three shows a month (two TV tapings and a PPV) would allow Benoit to pursue other options, or just stay home and have more time with his family, which at 38 years of age, might be very attractive to him. There is also the "dream matches" with Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles, as well as the chance to work with Christian, Raven, Jeff Hardy, and other former rivals. The negative would be TNA's sometimes questionable booking when it comes to new stars. We've seen wrestlers come in with a lot of momentum, only to become another bit player in a main event picture that revolves around Jeff Jarrett. Christian, whose arrival TNA pushed as being the "biggest jump ever", is working matches with Bobby Roode and Monty Brown while "sort of" feuding with Jarrett at this point. There's no guarantee Benoit won't end up in the same position.
Ring Of Honor and the Independent scene - Chris Benoit vs. Bryan Danielson could possibly surpass Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi on the Ring Of Honor "dream match" scale, and for promotions that pride themselves on strong matches and workrate, having Benoit on their shows is a no-brainer. Obviously, Benoit will be able to command a high price on the Independent scene, at least for a few months. Independent promotions all over the U.S. will want to have Benoit in for at least one show, and European promoters will want him on their events as well. Making a living on the Indy scene is not an easy task, since it will involve a lot of travel, but it is a possible option to be considered. If nothing else, Benoit could pick up some big paydays while working for TNA or Japan, and dictate his own schedule.
New Japan Pro Wrestling - Long before WCW or WWE saw potential in Chris Benoit, he was Wild Pegasus, a junior heavyweight star in New Japan, winning the first Super J Cup in 1994 by defeating Black Tiger (Eddie Guerrero), Gedo and Great Sasuke. He had a fantastic feud with Jushin Liger, and his transition to heavyweight star in the U.S. has not gone unnoticed by those in Japan. New Japan would love to have Benoit back in the fold, and if their plans (which need to be taken with a huge grain of salt) to run a U.S. Pay-per-view are true, it would make sense to supplement their roster (which includes IWGP Champion Brock Lesnar) with Chris Benoit. A Benoit-Lesnar match would certainly draw some interest. Newspapers in Japan have already speculated that Benoit will be heading "back home" to New Japan when his WWE deal expires, but at this point, it is just speculation (and probably some wishful thinking).
All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah - All Japan has become a haven for former WWE stars, including Team 3D, D'Lo Brown, Giant Bernard (A-Train), Bull Buchanan, TAKA Michonoku, and others. Benoit can work the hard hitting Noah style, but that promotion doesn't use a lot of foreign talent, and rarely in the main event positions. Benoit could probably pick up work in either company, but New Japan seems a much more likely option. Obviously, the Japanese style of running shows (touring a week or two, then taking several weeks off), is also something that might be attractive to Benoit at this point in his life.
Chris Benoit, more so than probably any other wrestler, has options when his WWE contract expires in 2006. As mentioned above, WWE can make his decision for him with the right offer, but if the dollars aren't there, we could see the Crippler in another ring for a different company, continuing to show the world why he is one of the best in the business.
Source: pwinsider.com
Obviously, the number one concern for Chris Benoit when it comes to contract negotiations with WWE will be money. Benoit has a family to support, and if WWE makes it financially worth his time to stay in WWE, then he would be foolish not to sign a new deal with the company. You certainly don't need to worry about WWE going out of business, and if they are going to provide Benoit and his family with monetary security, his decision will be an easy one. But what if Benoit gets a lowball offer? What if it isn't worth working the WWE schedule for the amount WWE is willing to pay him? If that is the case, then there are other things that Benoit will be able to factor into his decision.
From a "legacy" standpoint, is there really anything left for Chris Benoit to accomplish in WWE? He has headlined major Pay-per-view events, stolen shows with fantastic performances, created memorable moments, and proven that he is one of the most gifted wrestlers of his time. He was World Champion for five months, and scored wins over Triple H and Shawn Michaels. He's earned a permanent place in wrestling history by virtue of his Wrestlemania 20 World Title victory. Only twelve other men have ever stood triumphant at the end of the biggest event of the year on the wrestling calendar. It was a career peak for Chris Benoit, one that will never be repeated, which brings us to the next issue for him to consider, his future on Smackdown.
WWE's Friday night brand has had a rough period to deal with as of late, to say the least. Eddie Guerrero, easily one of the top three or four babyfaces on the brand, and arguably the best all-around performer in the company, passed away. Christian, one of the best (if often misused) heels on the brand left for TNA. The World Champion, Batista, suffered a torn lat muscle, severely limiting what he can do in the ring as he tries to rehab the injury (since he decided not to have surgery). In light of all this, what did WWE do with Chris Benoit? They put him in a feud with Booker T ... again. Not to discredit their matches, because Benoit and Booker can always be counted on for a good bout, but is that where Benoit should be involved with at this point, a mid-card feud? WWE certainly could have forced Batista to have surgery, and instead created a World Title program with Benoit and Randy Orton to headline the brand until he was ready to return. WWE didn't do that, which says something about how they see Chris Benoit at this point in time. Reliable mid-carder who has great matches, not World Championship main eventer.
If Chris Benoit is not being fulfilled professionally by his status on Smackdown, if he isn't going to be allowed to climb to the top of the ladder again in WWE, and if the dollars and cents of the situation don't match up to what he will be putting his body through working the WWE schedule, then what are Benoit's options? Let's take a look:
TNA - From a North American perspective, this would be the obvious place for someone to go once they depart WWE. Christian and Team 3D have been welcomed with open arms, and it can be argued that Benoit is a bigger star in the eyes of wrestling fans than anyone else on the TNA roster at this point. Should TNA make him an offer (and if he is available, TNA would be insane not to), one big plus is the schedule. Three shows a month (two TV tapings and a PPV) would allow Benoit to pursue other options, or just stay home and have more time with his family, which at 38 years of age, might be very attractive to him. There is also the "dream matches" with Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles, as well as the chance to work with Christian, Raven, Jeff Hardy, and other former rivals. The negative would be TNA's sometimes questionable booking when it comes to new stars. We've seen wrestlers come in with a lot of momentum, only to become another bit player in a main event picture that revolves around Jeff Jarrett. Christian, whose arrival TNA pushed as being the "biggest jump ever", is working matches with Bobby Roode and Monty Brown while "sort of" feuding with Jarrett at this point. There's no guarantee Benoit won't end up in the same position.
Ring Of Honor and the Independent scene - Chris Benoit vs. Bryan Danielson could possibly surpass Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi on the Ring Of Honor "dream match" scale, and for promotions that pride themselves on strong matches and workrate, having Benoit on their shows is a no-brainer. Obviously, Benoit will be able to command a high price on the Independent scene, at least for a few months. Independent promotions all over the U.S. will want to have Benoit in for at least one show, and European promoters will want him on their events as well. Making a living on the Indy scene is not an easy task, since it will involve a lot of travel, but it is a possible option to be considered. If nothing else, Benoit could pick up some big paydays while working for TNA or Japan, and dictate his own schedule.
New Japan Pro Wrestling - Long before WCW or WWE saw potential in Chris Benoit, he was Wild Pegasus, a junior heavyweight star in New Japan, winning the first Super J Cup in 1994 by defeating Black Tiger (Eddie Guerrero), Gedo and Great Sasuke. He had a fantastic feud with Jushin Liger, and his transition to heavyweight star in the U.S. has not gone unnoticed by those in Japan. New Japan would love to have Benoit back in the fold, and if their plans (which need to be taken with a huge grain of salt) to run a U.S. Pay-per-view are true, it would make sense to supplement their roster (which includes IWGP Champion Brock Lesnar) with Chris Benoit. A Benoit-Lesnar match would certainly draw some interest. Newspapers in Japan have already speculated that Benoit will be heading "back home" to New Japan when his WWE deal expires, but at this point, it is just speculation (and probably some wishful thinking).
All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah - All Japan has become a haven for former WWE stars, including Team 3D, D'Lo Brown, Giant Bernard (A-Train), Bull Buchanan, TAKA Michonoku, and others. Benoit can work the hard hitting Noah style, but that promotion doesn't use a lot of foreign talent, and rarely in the main event positions. Benoit could probably pick up work in either company, but New Japan seems a much more likely option. Obviously, the Japanese style of running shows (touring a week or two, then taking several weeks off), is also something that might be attractive to Benoit at this point in his life.
Chris Benoit, more so than probably any other wrestler, has options when his WWE contract expires in 2006. As mentioned above, WWE can make his decision for him with the right offer, but if the dollars aren't there, we could see the Crippler in another ring for a different company, continuing to show the world why he is one of the best in the business.
Source: pwinsider.com