David Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 It's almost four years since Benoit killed his family & himself, and he's still persona non grata with WWE. Â As far as I know his matches still get pulled from DVD releases and WWE television shows, and his name isn't ever mentioned in connection with the company or pro wrestling. Â My question is, will there ever come a time when he'll be recognised for his stellar in-ring career again? Or is his reputation always going to be so badly tarnished that he'll never regain the credit for it? Â There is an argument to be had that Benoit was suffering some sort of mental illness when he killed his family, which could have been brought on by years of wrestling, so should we really hold him 100% responsible? Was he really a nasty fucker who managed to hide that side of his personality from everyone who knew him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Will Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I remember that night reading what was going on as it unfolded and I dont think for me I could ever truly remember him for his in ring matches without thinking about that night  Newer fans who may check him out online it may be a different story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Seven Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I think wrestling fans quietly do recognise him for his work. Despite what happened, you can't remove his work from his life, it's just that his final actions completely (and deservedly) are what he'll be primarily remembered for. I'd guess that your average wrestling fan can still watch his matches from an objective and entertainment point of view, especially if you do what WWE want you to generally do with their product and view wrestlers as characters rather than human beings, Â Put it this way; I watched the two Kill Bill films the other night (back to back, a fine double bill) and I enjoyed David Carradine's excellent performance in the films without ever really thinking about his rather undignified end. Granted he didn't murder a woman and a child on his way out, but you get my meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninevisions Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 well the pro wrestling hall of fame had a debate about keeping him in following the incident, and they kepy him in, so there ARE people out there who looking past the double murder suicide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhenom Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I already do, when I'm re-watching his old matches I think there are two different men. Chris Benoit the wrestler, and Chris Benoit the silent madman who ended up coming out on that weekend in June of 2007. I wonder if WWE will ever bring out a DVD on the whole thing, like a documentary sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kostan Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I think he should be praised for his wrestling skills. What he has done doesnt make him a lesser wrestler than he really was. I dispise Chris the person, but think he is an amazing wrestler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostface1982 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I still think Benoit was an awesome wrestler regardless of what he did. WWE are achieving nothing but sweeping it under the carpet. Makes them look like they are trying to hide something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenhill Promotions Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I still remember him for his talent. My misses asked about him the other day, and my reply was "Best wrestler ever, bit of a nutcase, but best wrestler ever" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDallas Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Murdering Bastard as far as I'm concerned. Ive got a young son called Daniel too, Benoit makes me sick, he doesn't deserve to be remembered for anything, injuries or whatever dont count, he killed a wee boy, so fuck him. Â However he probably will be remembered for his talents in like 10-15 years time by your more hardcore wrestling enthusiasts. He was the dogs bollocks ill grant you but i personally dont feel like I'm missing anything if i never watch another Benoit match again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted March 28, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2011 No, he'll always be tainted. It's like Phil Spector, as great as some of his production is, whenever you ponder about Phil Spector you think of the nutter that killed a women, then the mad producer. I imagine record companies will decide to sweep his involvement under the carpet as much as they can, with re-issues etc. Â It doesn't mean I don't still enjoy 'Death Of A Ladies Man' or 'All Things Must Pass' though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDallas Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 No, he'll always be tainted. It's like Phil Spector, as great as some of his production is, whenever you ponder about Phil Spector you think of the nutter that killed a women, then the mad producer. I imagine record companies will decide to sweep his involvement under the carpet as much as they can, with re-issues etc. It doesn't mean I don't still enjoy 'Death Of A Ladies Man' or 'All Things Must Pass' though.  Thats why i think with time people will be OK watching his stuff but for those that where fans at the time of the incident it might be a little harder, i couldn't watch and enjoy one of his matches cause the whole time id just be thinking about what he had done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicsGuy Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 No, because he's a murderer who killed his wife and child, before he killed himself. Â At the end of the day, wrestling is just an entertainment form, and him being a double murderer massively dwarfs any attributes he had as an entertainer. Benoit wasn't a doctor or a brain surgeon. He didn't save lives. He didn't leave some wonderful legacy. He was a good friend to many within the business, but his attributes as a good guy were wiped out by the atrocities he committed in the final days of his life. Â I have no desire to see any Benoit matches on DVD ever again, as I can't watch his stuff without being reminded of what he did. Â It's pretty sad all round, but if people are sensible and rational about this, that's just the way it has to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 By the wrestling establishment, not a chance. Â By fans, it really depends on the individual. The arguments on both sides have been laid out many, many times before, so it really comes down to how you feel personally about it. While it was a horrible, tragic event that I've taken a huge interest in since it happened, as time goes on (particularly as I've been watching a lot of stuff from 99/2001 recently) my main observation is how little I care about it when I watch his work. What I mean by that is that it's something that will always flash through my mind when I see Benoit, but after that initial flash of recognition, I'll forget about it and enjoy the match/skit. I can also discuss him and his matches in stuff like the '30 Days' thread without feeling the need to add the coda 'not that I'm condoning murder, or anything'. Â That might sound callous to some people, but at the end of the day he's a person I didn't know who killed another two people I knew even less - it's only going to affect my enjoyment of an entertainment form so much and for so long, and all the hand-wringing in the world from people who didn't know them isn't go to do anything to bring those people back. Similarly, I can laugh my tits off at the Naked Gun films without really worrying too much that my laughter might be partly responsible for two people getting stabbed to death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinc Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 The evidence seems to be that his brain had turned to mush by the end. I think its safe to say he wasn't in his right mind when the double-murder suicide occurred. There's an argument that such actions are definitionally suggestive of a mental illness. I'm not very comfortable saying something akin to 'he was just as much a victim as Daniel and Nancy,' but I don't attribute very much agency to Benoit when considering the motivations of his crime. Â I still don't feel good about watching his matches though, particularly ones where he's cast in the role of a babyface, so his disappearance from old DVDs etc doesn't bother me. Honestly I find the WWE's ongoing juggling act amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Your Fight Site Posted March 28, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2011 We all know how it ended, yes. But I'll always remember him as a wrestler, then remember why he isn't around any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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