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Chris Benoit
Real Name: Chris Benoit Nickname: The Crippler Birthdate: 5/21/67 Height: 5' 10" Weight: 229 lbs Signature Moves: Crossface Crippler, Diving Headbutt
Biography:
Chris Benoit, born in Montreal moved to Edmonton at the age of 12 and almost immediately begun training with the Hart family at this young age. It was here he begun his reputation for being a technical genius in the ring, which has earned him his reputation of being the best technical wrestler still wrestling today.
After graduating, at the age of 17 Benoit took his first real steps towards wrestling as a career by joining Stu Hart’s circuit, Canadian Stampede Wrestling. He was victorious in his debut match in 1985 (not a particularly common occurrence) with his tag partner Rich Patterson. Continuing to succeed in tag team competition, Benoit won his first tag titles in Stampede with Ben Bassarab. After losing & re-gaining the tag titles, Benoit decided to move to wrestle and train in Japan in 1987 with New Japan promotion. Benoit spent a year here, known as “the Pegasus Kid” and even at this early stage of his career people found him a marvel to watch. However mid 1988 saw him returning full time to stampede wrestling to wrestle with some of the future greats such as Bret and Owen Hart. Again Benoit had to move to New Japan as in 1989 Stampede folded partly thanks to Vince McMahon and co, much like many other wrestling circuits at that time. However Benoit stayed only two years full time with New Japan before moving on to Mexico to wrestle with UWA (United Wrestling Alliance) in March 1991. He was an instant success with this company, gaining the Light Heavyweight title on March 31st of that year. This belt had the name of the WWF attached to it but was not recognised by Vince or the WWF. After also winning the CWA tag titles in Mexico, Benoit was hired by WCW in 1993, but due to his still strong connections with New Japan, only as a jobber. After losing a mask vs mask match, Benoit changed his wrestling name from the Masked Pegasus to Wild Pegasus. Keeping with wrestling in Japan, Benoit was victorious in claiming the Super J cup in Tokyo, 1994. Shortly after this victory, Benoit began to do a lot of work with ECW, his most significant move yet. Within the ECW, he teamed up with Dean Malenko and was successful in capturing the ECW tag titles. It was also here that he was “christened” with his long lasting nickname the Crippler. After much popularity in ECW, winning the tag titles for a second time and forming the “triple threat” Benoit was given a tryout dark match with the WWF in August 1995 against Owen Hart. Things did though, did not work out as planned Benoit had contractual difficulties with ECW, and still even New Japan so the WWF did not think he was good enough for all the trouble of dealing with this legalistic side of things. Benoit rather than going back to ECW and Japan, decided instead to return to the WCW, he was thrown in right at the deep end as it were, becoming one of the Four Horsemen with veterans Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, and fellow Canadian Brian Pillman. This also marked the beginning Benoit’s most prolific feud to date with Kevin Sullivan. This feud unfortunately had real rivalry behind it due to the fact that Benoit’s wife Nancy was Sullivan’s ex-wife. Benoit despite beating Sullivan in one (of many) memorable match at Bash at the Beach 1997, (a retirement match) still felt un-ease and became increasingly anxious and unhappy in the WCW. Into 1998 saw Benoit have some equally impressive matches with Booker T, although he beat him for the TV title on two occasions these were never acknowledged, as they were un-aired matches. Also later that year the Four Horsemen were reformed seeing the return of Flair and Benoit’s long time partner Malenko replacing Brian Pillman (who had departed for the WWF). It was with Malenko that Benoit won his first WCW tag titles at Uncensored 1999. After having a very technical and outstanding match with Bret Hart on October 4th that year, it was again with Bret a month later that Benoit competed in possibly (in my opinion at least) his greatest singles match ever. In the final of a tournament to declare the world champion, Benoit faced Bret at Mayhem on 21st November. In a long lasting match with interference from the Outsiders (Hall and Nash) and the use of just about every wrestling manoeuvre in the book, Bret eventually came out on top. At Starrcade 1999 Benoit had another great match with Jeff Jarret for the US title in a ladder match, this time coming out on top. His biggest title victory yet came the next year at Souled Out, beating Sid for the world title. Regrettably with all that had gone on in the past with Sullivan and his increased general unhappiness Benoit was given permission to leave the WCW and forfeit his title the next day on Nitro, his last day with WCW.
This led to his biggest move, onto the WWF on January 31st 2000, with three other of his WCW teammates to form the group "The Radicalz". For two years Benoit stayed with this group in his heel role and at Wrestlemania 2000 defeated Kurt Angle for the Intercontinental title in an extremely entertaining match with these two wrestlers extremely similar in style and ability. Benoit lost and regained the title after defeating Jericho on Raw, May 8th, which was the start of another drawn out feud. Several matches more with Jericho and the reformation of the Radicalz saw Benoit in another epic encounter with Angle, this time in a 30 minute ultimate submission fight with Angle that Benoit won in overtime. Also at Judgement day 2001 Benoit and his oddly matched partner, ex rival Jericho captured the tag titles for the first time. Next month saw Benoit take his worst injury yet as June 18th saw Benoit having to leave the WWE for almost year to undergo neck surgery. He returned to be drafted on to the new Smackdown roster, and turn heel, after missing out on Wrestlemania 18 due to his injury. Things did pick up though, as on July 29th he picked up his 3rd Intercontinental title by defeating RVD. He then later on that year teamed up again with an old rival, this time Kurt Angle to capture the newly formed Smackdown tag titles at No Mercy. 2003 saw Benoit return to Wrestlemania to team up with Rhyno, despite losing put up a great display and hopefully there is much more of such wrestling to come from the best technician today.
WWE Title History:
3 time WWE IC Champion
2 time WWE Tag Team Champion
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