Can you watch his matches now?
 

Benoit. I've been NOT skipping his matches lately when they come up, and it's quite obvious to me he's probably the best ever. Which really fucking sucks. Can you watch him?

Tried to watch the Triple Threat match at Mania but couldn't.

Have not watched any since..... though to be fair I don't go back and watch anybody's old matches......

See above.

I tried that about two years ago, that's actually one of the two Mania's I've never seen, along with the latest NYC show. I was busy into my work, and embarrassed that WM was finally in my backyard and I didn't even make it acrosss the GW to see it. But yeah, I have a harder time watching his WWE work, not so much NJPW or WCW.

Recently watching him and Angle at the Rumble, doesn't hold up because everyone does those spots now.

But his work, so legit, his attitude, ferocious... I do think he was probably the most belivable worker ever.

Also Benoit while being a good wrestler didn't have any "OMG amazing matches", IMO.

This and I always found him boring. Has nothing to do with him killing people.

I voted Yes. I don't specifically seek out his stuff but if I'm doing my 2002 re-watch or a WCW re-watch or whatever and he shows up, I'm not gonna skip it.

There was never a time when I couldnt

What

I separate the artist from the art.

Unlike Big Vic's claims, the guy had some fucking classics. This forum's ideas on great wrestling often clashes with mine lol

-edit- lol Destor and I are on the same page

Never was a big fan of his but can still watch old matches of his.

I usually watch him while masterbating. I've added Jimmy Snuka to mix things up recently.

In all honesty, who gives a shit. So what, he killed someone. It happens.

As he is/was one of my favourites, I have no problems watching him.

Also Benoit while being a good wrestler didn't have any "OMG amazing matches", IMO.

I didn't watch wrestling pre-1998

:?:

What are his Top 5 matches?

His WMXX was pretty good. I can't remember any others.

nah no way, too fucked up

No I can't. Think WWE did the right thing tbh.

I enjoy watching older matches in the context of highlight packages or storying someones career. Like retrospectives of their key matches in their career. HBK first singles match, IC title win, feud with Bret etc, for example. It's a great story. I enjoy them as part of their legacy and the story that was their career.

For me, Benoit had a great story too, but his legacy is forever tainted. He changed his story's ending and it is not one I enjoy going back to.

Benoit vs Kurt Angle (any of them really but Royal Rumble 2003 is the best I believe?)

Numerous Benoit vs Eddie matches

Benoit vs HHH from 2000 I think at Unforgiven (may be another one but it was around then)

Benoit vs Rock at Fully Loaded

Benoit vs Jericho, almost any of them but particularly their ladder match from Rumble 2001

Benoit vs Kevin Sullivan when they brawled in the bathroom

Benoit and Kurt as a tag team had about a thousand amazing matches usually against Los Guerreros or Edge and Misterio

Benoit vs Regal from Pillman Memorial show or from any of their Velocity or Pay-per-view matches

Benoit vs Steve Austin from Raw and Smackdown in Alberta in I believe May/June 2000.

Tons of shit from Japan/ECW/WCW/WWE the list pretty much never ends

I had a huge list put together but the browser timed out

basically thats just silly


vs Angle RR03 is my fav match of all time

If I put my top 200 matches of all time together Benoit would be in half of them

Benoit vs Shawn Michaels had a couple of barn burners as well

It's not very often Benoit had a crap match, but maybe that's just me.....

I will say as a "character" he never entertained me the way that Rock, Austin, Y2J, Taker, Kane, HBK or Angle did, but he also never had to be a "character" to entertain me. Benoit could just straight up go. His intensity and ability to sell and tell a story in the ring were enough. I have no problem going back and watching his matches.

I mean I don't think he was a bad wrestler or anything. I would say above average but I wouldn't put him in my top 5.

I physically can watch them. They don't make me sick or anything stupid like that, and in fact I have watched a few since the murders. However, I refuse to do so most of the time simply because I personally feel everything Benoit is best left in the past. As good as many of his matches were I just can't see any of them being good enough to justify remembering something like that.

This.

I don't have a problem watching his matches. I treat it the same way as I treat OJ Simpson's role in The Naked Gun films.

Yes since some of his matches are still great even if his image itself is tarnished forever because of the family murders.

Not going to actively seek his stuff but if I'm watching old WCW or WWE shows with Benoit in it, not going to just fast forward the moment he shows up.

I could never not watch Benoit, and I always had this "art from the artist" separation thing, but I don't think anyone can truly do that. People take their emotions with them into matches; and they take emotions out of them. The guys who suck as wrestlers are more likely to be perceived as backstage bullies and pricks, while the guys who deliver ****1/2 regularly must be outstanding guys. It's impossible to completely subconsciously wash the disappointment and tragedy of the Benoit story away from the great stories he told in the ring. I say this because even people who say that "Benoit was a great wrestler, but" tend to underrate just how fucking amazing the man was in the ring.

His in-ring charisma was so fantastic. This is coming from an era where outside the ring charisma was being equated to star power. Guys who could weld the two would find the most success, of course, but Chris Benoit -- that robot from Edmonton -- would not only carve out a niche in the wrestling industry as its top technician, but thrived as a true wrestling Superstar without ever delivering a good promo. That is the man's charisma. He earned the respect of the fans by working hard and living for wrestling. That he died for wrestling and lost them is a tragic irony that is often lost when reflecting on the work of the journeyman of professional wrestling.

One day I will go back and binge a lot of the stuff that made him the icon of smark style for the longest time. Angle/Benoit from the 2003 Royal Rumble stands out as one of my favorite matches of all-time. I don't watch it all the time, but I remember being amazing. This is where my smark engines kicked in and I realized what everybody was talking about when they said Benoit was the best wrestler in the world. It changed me as a wrestling fan. I remember Angle wearing a blue singlet and Benoit wearing the red pants, as silly as that sounds. I remember the crowd giving Benoit a standing ovation despite losing. This kicked off one of the greatest climbs to the top I can ever remember. There was no better babyface journey to the World Heavyweight Championship than Benoit failing to win it from Angle in 2003, but then winning the Royal Rumble despite Heyman's obstacles, jumping over to RAW and then winning the title from Triple H by making him tap out in Madison Square Garden. Holy fuck.

It's a shame he was booked pretty poorly as champion and was not the draw he'd ideally have been once his climb was completed. It's tempting to blame bad booking and a brand split that stopped any one man from being the man, but maybe Benoit was always a better challenger than champion? Whatever. Going back to SummerSlam 2004 -- the show where Randy Orton won the World Title from Benoit for the first time -- I always go back and fantasy book how they should have handled Orton after the World Title win. Truth be told, they probably should have put Benoit over in a great match -- maybe Benoit gets him in the Crippler Crossface and Orton doesn't tap? Maybe Orton doesn't tap so Benoit turns it into a roll-up for the pin? But Benoit walking out World Heavyweight Champion after actually working a main event might have been the best thing for everybody long term.

I never couldn't, though I was never like a huge market for him anyways.

Lol, a huge market. The Theo Dious territory.

I could watch his WCW stuff

It's impossible to separate the artist/art. It's not like he was a painter and then offed his family. What he did in the ring destroyed his mind.

Wasn't really much of a fan of his. The "angry short man" gig just didn't do anything for me.

But, no issue watching his matches... don't go out of my way to watch them, either.