My Kingdom of Honor co-host and I are doing a new series exclusively for our Patreon subscribers called Wrecked with Rasslers. We are going to be choosing one wrestler and picking four matches or moments that we would want with us if we were stranded on a desert island. This series will focus on wrestling and wrestling only as the real-life stuff you can find else where. To listen to the series please check out our Patreon site here.
Before I announce my four matches and give a little description of why I would include them, I want to explain what it is about Chris Benoit that I enjoyed so much. From the first time I saw Benoit in WCW I was hooked. He had such a unique style and he was so technically gifted that I was just mesmerized by him. He was silent but stoic and an absolute beast inside the ring. Everything he did in the ring had such precision and aggression behind it that he almost seemed to jerk and twitch with every move he made. Watching him hit the three German suplexes was a thing of beauty. He had such a quick snap suplex and diving headbutt that he would bring people to their feet. As a member of the Four Horsemen he excelled at the utility spot that was previously held by Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham. And he was even better as the leader of the Radicalz.
Chris Benoit was one of those wrestlers that when you asked people, he was never their favorite. The reason being quite simply because he wasn't flashy and he didn't captivate people with his promos. However, he was that guy that would go out every night and put on such a wrestling clinic that people had to take notice. He was the performer who could keep people's eyes glued to that ring because every time he was in one he had a chance to steal the show and put on an instant masterpiece. He was the kind of guy that could have a great match with a broken broom and he elevated everyone's performance when he was in the ring against them.
I have chosen four matches from his career that meant the most to me. Not all of them are 5 star classics but everyone of them have stood the test of time.
The first match and probably my favorite one took place at Wrestlemania 16 when he competed in a two out of three falls triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. This match was not only for both the Intercontinental title and the European Championship, that were held at the time by Angle. But it was also the first Wrestlemania for all three men. The first fall was for the Intercontinental Championship which was won by Benoit and the second fall for the European title which was won by Jericho. This was a great match between three amazing performers that at the time were all heels with Jericho being the closest to a face this match had. Benoit tried to out heel the other two by jumping Angle outside the ring before the bell and was the aggressor for the majority of the match. All three guys were also able to hit their signature moves throughout it. I think my favorite part of this match was knowing that if I were to take four matches to a desert island for any of these three guys, this match would be among each of their sets. I absolutely loved the performance of all three men and loved watching Benoit show why he was the original mayor of suplex city.
My second match happened on the October 4th episode of Nitro in 1999. The significance of the match was that this was a tribute to Owen Hart as both his brother Bret and one of his best friends in Chris Benoit put on an instant classic. My favorite part of this match was how old school Hart dungeon it was. There were very few high spot in fact there were really only two. Benoit hit a dive through the second rope and a flying headbutt off the top rope. The rest of the match was just a series of perfect mat wrestling that told a fun story that wasn't about disdain or overcoming anything. It was just two technically perfect wrestlers trying to see who was better.
My Third match was Chris's final match in WCW at the Souled Out pay per view in 2000. There was a lot of strangeness in this match as Sid Vicious played a goofy face on the way to the ring. Benoit was vicious as he attacked the leg and the match had a very odd ending. Sid hit a chokeslam and the pinfall was waived off because Benoit's foot was under the rope. Benoit immediately puts Sid in the Crippler Crossface and Sid taps. However, Sid's foot was also under the rope which Tony Shiavoni tried to explain away stating that Sid tapped first. This was not even close to an epic classic but the match meant so much to me personally because it was a moment for Benoit that I had wanted to see since the first day I saw him in wrestle.
My fourth and final match that I would need to have with me on any desert island happened on May 24th in 2001 on an episode of Smackdown. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho faced of against three of the greatest tag teams in history when they participated in a tables ladders and chairs match against Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. Anytime Benoit was involved in a falls count anywhere or ladder match he seemed to be out of his element and this was no different. The match was a complete train wreck with some sick spots. Benoit went for a diving headbutt from the top rope on to Matt Hardy who was laying on a table outside the ring. Hardy moved and Benoit went through the table only to be wheeled to the back on a stretcher. After a few more insane spots including Christian being dumped off the top of a ladder all the way to the floor without hitting the ropes first. Benoit came limping out holding his ribs. He then took a con-chair-to to the ribs for his trouble. These eight guys created so much carnage and violence it was honestly hard to watch at times. Everyone took some insane bumps and the match ended with Benoit taking the titles down to retain the belts.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
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