What if Benoit hadn't killed his wife and kid?

[Swiss Ultimate]

What would have been the logical course for his career? Would he be retired now? Would he have been shit-canned and wrestling in ROH like Jerry Lynn and the WGTT?

GO.

[Gertner]

Probably wrestling in TNA. Kinda the same career path as Kurt Angle, although Angle has 1000x more personality and charisma than Benoit.

[Swiss Ultimate]

I could see him in a sort of Rey Mysterio sort of role where he still does the underdog thing every once in a while and grabs the Smackdown Championship.

TNA does seem pretty likely, for a while at least, though I could so see him ending up in ROH once Hogan came over.

[Innovator]

Probably an agent backstage.

[edyhdrawde]

He'd be retired. Eventually his mental issues would have come to light and he'd end up being like Scott Hall, A sad shadow of the man he used to be.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

Probably be working in a part time role similar to the likes of Mysterio, Big Show, Kane. Mostly being used to put over upper midcarders but capable of stepping into a main event role if needed.

[Nicky Fives]

Retired and operating a Training School like Lance Storm.....

[Hanso Amore]

The question is flawed. You didnt mention him not killing himself.

SO...>Dead with a widow and Young Son

[KaosDarksol]

He would be putting over younger talent in wwe probably would have had a good feud with d-Bryan and cm punk

[dhellova guy]

Semi-retired, gone through WWE rehab, probably doing what Goldust is doing now, agent, a pro on NXT, and jobbing to mid to upper mid carders.

[jskinnyg]

He'd be retired. Eventually his mental issues would have come to light and he'd end up being like Scott Hall, A sad shadow of the man he used to be.

This for sho...

[Kane Knight]

Very likely dead. This is not something that was a one-time issue.

Do we mean, "if he didn't have a crippling problem that would one day destroy him?"

Probably midcarding WWE and making others look good.

[Gertner]

Thing is, how many vets are in the WWE still from Benoits era and does the "putting over" role? None really, so I fail to see how Benoit would. He'd be in TNA where WRESTLING MATTERS!

[Sixx]

Killing his wife and kid wasn't precisely what killed him, so my bet is that he'd be dead anyway.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Then the thread entitled "What if Chris Benoit had killed his wife and kid?" would have been closed after being started by Shisen Kopf for being a troll thread.

[Sixx]

He'd suplex his way out of jail.

[Rammsteinmad]

I think he would probably still be going full-time. Probably would have had a bit of time off here and there for injuries or to just general heal-up, and I'd like to think he'd have had at least one more title run on Smackdown.

Certainly would have had some excellent fueds with the likes of Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Randy Orton and Christian, and would probably now just be there helping make new stars. His place in the hall of fame would be guaranteed.

[DLVH84]

He'd be retired. Eventually his mental issues would have come to light and he'd end up being like Scott Hall, A sad shadow of the man he used to be.

Either that or he'd end up like Dynamite Kid.

After the deaths of Brian Pillman, Owen Hart, Helen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Stu Hart, and Eddie Guerrero, Chris just stopped caring about his own well-being, which Vince McMahon forced him to take some time off sometime in 2006, not knowing how bad it really was, until it was too late and the tragedy took place.

If the WWE had smartened up earlier and actually realizing how bad Benoit was hurting physically and mentally, the tragedy would've been prevented completely.

[Droford]

Robert Roode vs Chris Benoit Bound for Glory 2012 somewhere in Canada.

coulda booked it

[Mr. JL]

If Benoit did not have degenerative brain disease I think he'd still be in the WWE. He'd either still be going full time full bore or he'd be on the Kane/Rey Mysterio route of wrestling a limited schedule throughout the year. Definitely be in the mid-card to upper mid-card slot but he would have gotten a 2nd World title run before this. In 2011 he would probably be slowly easing himself away from wrestling and transitioning to an agent role.

If he had degenerative brain disease he would probably be dead, his life cut short by a different tragic event, or he would be in an old age home with althiemers (sp) and a shell of himself.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Assuming that the question is intended to ask us "What if Chris Benoit were still alive today and was not insane?" then I'd say he'd either be in the WWE as a trainer/producer, occasionally stepping into the ring for special occasions or he'd have wanted to stay full-time, and the WWE would have made the decision to let him go, because he was pushing himself too hard. Cue Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit in TNA for the World Heavyweight Championship.

But starting from where he left off, I'm pretty sure the plan would have been for Benoit to win the ECW Championship in the finals of that tournament with CM Punk, and then wrestle a series with the man to put him over as "the next guy." We may not have jumped right into John Morrison, and Johnny Nitro might have really benefited from having some great matches with Benoit. Fuck, ECW as a brand might have been looked at as something still watching if Benoit was constantly having great matches with CM Punk, Elijah Burke and Johnny Nitro.

Now, I'm sure they wouldn't have kept Benoit there for too long, but once he put over CM Punk and the ECW Championship as something still resembling a World Title, I think Benoit could have ended up back on RAW. I think it was about due that Benoit got some more time on that show, and I think an eventual heel turn would have been appropriate (to be honest, Benoit could have turned heel against CM Punk quite nicely, too). A heel Benoit tearing up people on RAW would have been pretty enjoyable. A feud with John Cena over the WWE Championship? A feud with Shawn Michaels?

Assuming that Benoit perhaps dropped the ECW Title to CM Punk at WrestleMania XXIV in 2008 (instead of Kane squashing Chavo Guerrero), then you wouldn't have had Punk in Money in the Bank. Now, assuming that in this new universe, nothing was different, Jeff Hardy would have still gotten suspended when he did. That would have left guys like Johnny Nitro, Chris Jericho, MVP and perhaps someone who had really shone in matches in ECW with Chris Benoit, as possible MITB winners. That really could have created a new star right there. If MVP had won, say, then he'd have cashed in at some point and become a legit main eventer in the WWE, perhaps. He'd probably still be there today.

John Hennigan allegedly came up with "John Morrison" himself, so he would have still had that idea, and could have used Money in the Bank to completely re-invent himself and possibly feud with Benoit and Punk heading into the post-Mania section of 2008. Plus, Jericho's steam would have been dwindling as a babyface, and the heel turn re-invention of Jericho was probably going on in Jericho's head.

So, basically, this is a roundabout way of saying that I think Benoit would have made some main event stars in ECW in Punk and Morrison, and then he could have been drafted to RAW, where he and Chris Jericho could have formed a super-heel team. Instead of being drafted to SmackDown!, Triple H could have stayed on RAW, and we might have gotten a program between DX and Benoit & Jericho (which you know would have been fucking amazing).

[Nicky Fives]

Noid has too much time on his hands.... excellent analysis though.....

[Shisen Kopf]

If Benoit hadn't killed his family he would have been given a super push as Chris Benoit the non family killer and in his promos he would talk about how he didn't kill his family. And we would all cheer him bc not killing your family is pretty cool!

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>Definitely think he would be on a reduced schedule - but not somebody who would ever get released or who would want to leave on his own ala Angle. I think he would have spent a year being a very valuable part of the ECW roster, getting a decent title run and helping to establish some of the younger guys. By 2008, Raw was even more promo/comedy-focused than it had been in the past...so rather than going to Raw I think Benoit would have been shipped back to SmackDown where he'd remain until his semi-retirement. Could see him getting a quick run with SmackDown's title belt as well.

I think it would be a similar case with Eddie Guerrero if he were still around and healthy. Both Benoit and Eddie would be 44 by this point and nagging injuries would be piling up at a quicker pace. They'd be more than capable of stepping in the ring, but as for full-time schedules it's doubtful.</font>

[weather vane]

I think he would still be wrestling pretty much full time. Guy was a work horse... a killing machine workhorse

[Rock Bottom]

Think he'd have been epic against ADR.

[Kane Knight]

Thing is, how many vets are in the WWE still from Benoits era and does the "putting over" role? None really, so I fail to see how Benoit would. He'd be in TNA where WRESTLING MATTERS!


Nigger, please.

[RiX1024]

He would either be retired and become an agent/producer, or he'll be wrestling in the indies.

[Shadow]

He'd be in the Hall of Fame. After being inducted by Lance "if I could be serious for a moment" Storm in Atlanta of course.

[Aguakate]

If Chris Benoit hadn't killed his wife and kid, they'd all be alive.

[Rammsteinmad]

He'd be in the Hall of Fame. After being inducted by Lance "if I could be serious for a moment" Storm in Atlanta of course.

Inducted by Lance Storm? That's a bit of a random choice...

[Aguakate]

Inducted by Lance Storm?

If anything, it'd probably be Bret Hart or Malenko.

[Hadouken]

If Benoit's wife knew how to do the HADOUKEN she would still be alive today.

[Kane Knight]

If Benoit's wife knew how to do the HADOUKEN she would still be alive today.

She would have had to defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance.

[FourFifty]

I'd have the new Benoit DVD, and the WWE film library wouldn't have Noob Saibot winning at WMXX.

[Rock Bottom]

Benoit's German suplex vs. Ezekiel Jackson's body slam.

[Rammsteinmad]

I'd have the new Benoit DVD, and the WWE film library wouldn't have Noob Saibot winning at WMXX.

Wait, was that clip legit? I assumed it was just a gif someone made to be funny.

[Kane Knight]

It's 450. Assume it's a shitty joke pulled from 4Chan.

[Theo Dious]

I'd have the new Benoit DVD, and the WWE film library wouldn't have Noob Saibot winning at WMXX.

Well that's how I remember it. Fuck Vince McMahon and his talent raids on Mortal Kombat, the only REAL fighting sport we have.

[Emperor Smeat]

Seeing as he was meant to be the ECW champion before his death and the WWE wanted to somewhat reboot the brand with him as champion, probably would have wrestled for a few more years and then either retire or become a trainer/agent for younger wrestlers.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Prolly woulda died anyways, on his own.

[FourFifty]

It's 450. Assume it's a shitty joke pulled from 4Chan.

Nah, it's a shitty joke I got from another thread on tpww.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Probs a KK joke.

[weather vane]

He didn't kill them you idiots.

[St. Jimmy]

He didn't kill them you idiots.

Clearly it was Dave Sullivan?

[weather vane]

It was Perry Saturn.

[DLVH84]

Clearly it was Dave Sullivan?

Of course. Besides, he is the Equalizer...

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g87nDBIyqeU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[weather vane]

St. Jimmy clearly meant Kevin Sullivan. Not his dyslexic brother Evad...

[Kane Knight]

Probs a KK joke.

When you ditch the autism and learn to discern humour, we'll talk. :)

[Mr. Nerfect]

Why ditch my autism when my "thing" is to recognise a KK joke from a mile away? It's a handy trait to have.

[Mr. Nerfect]

St. Jimmy clearly meant Kevin Sullivan. Not his dyslexic brother Evad...

Someone in the WWE is reading that and is getting the idea to to bring in Mike Sydal as Evad Bourne -- the dyslexic brother of Evan. Until Vince McMahon gets wind it's going on, scraps the angle, and Evad gets something much more tasteful to do. Like get hit on the head and thinks he's from Mexico. Sorry, I saw Perry Saturn's name mentioned in this thread.