[Official] Chris Benoit Memorial Thread

[Shadowmancer]

The AWA does exist but in a different format than what it did back a while ago, Steve Corino was the first holder of the revived title. It is an Indy fed.
This Is the Website And surprisingly enough there still is a Benoit Tribute, but it is to the Benoit family.

 

[Luther_Hull]

Just thought I'd post a blog on here that I made on MySpace, it's a bit simplistic though because it was aimed at non-wrestling fans.

Well, a week ago, just like most wrestling fans, ex-wrestling fans and a few other people I was saddened to hear about the death of Chris Benoit, it was pretty shocking stuff seeing as though RAW was due to go on air 90 minutes after his death was was announced.

When I got up the next morning I flicked Sky Sports News on, they were reporting his death, not surprising really, he was one of the best. What was surprising was the fact the police were investigating a murder-suicide. It ad become apparent that Benoit killed is family before killing himself. I didn't watch RAW that day, it was a tribute in Benoit's honour and there was many of his closest friends paying tribute to him. Little did they know he was a murderer, imagine how betrayed they felt, they had poured their hearts out o telly to a murderer, that must be one of the most sickening feelings in the world.

It was weird being a fan of Benoit at that time, a performer you looked up to and respected, someone who was one of the best in the business, was a murderer. Imagine if your favourite footballer or a member of your fave band did this, what the hell would you feel? One of the greatest performers ever has died, but he took his family with him, and that's unforgivable isn't it? Surely.

I don't agree with the people who say should go into the hall of fame, he doesn't deserve it, as far as I'm concerned Chris Benoit, one of the greatest of all time, can be forgotten.

 

[The Bad Guy]

I loved Benoit, and still do. He was easily one of the greatest of all-time.
He never had a bad match, and gave it 200% in the ring every single night regardless if there were 50,000 or 500 people in the seats.
I will always remember him as one of my idols.
I don't know what happened that weekend, but he has already paid the ulitmate price, weather he did it or not.
I won't get into my opinions, because everybody and thier dog has one.

R.I.P Chris Benoit, I will always remember and love you for making my life so much better on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday nights.

 

[matt_hud]

Chris, Bret Hart was known as The Best There Is, The Best There Was... However you will truly be The Best There Ever Will Be...

I met you on Jan 10, in Evansville Indiana and I will always remember you as a class act...

I love you and will miss you

 

[Shocky]

It appears the WWE SummerSlam Anthology DVD set, which was already in production, appears to be on hold for the time being. According to reports, WWE is currently trying to decide how older footage of Chris Benoit will be utilized, if at all, on future WWE DVD releases from the company including this big SummerSlam DVD release. We hope to have more on this situation soon.

So I want to hear some opinions from the Hardliners taking a hard stand against Chris Benoit.

How in the fuck can anybody justify this decision by the WWE, if they go ahead with it. It's not worth buying the thing. What happens when you get to Summerslam 2004 and Randy Orton's first world title reign?

Not only is this revisionist thinking at it's facist best, but it also screws the talent that worked with the man. You're not only destroying Benoit's legacy, but your taking away some of the best matches from his opponents library.

I honestly want to hear from just one person that thinks that this is the right decision by the WWE.

 

[Memory Horizon]

So I want to hear some opinions from the Hardliners taking a hard stand against Chris Benoit.

I understand where the WWE is coming from. I understand that they wish to forget Benoit had ever existed. But I do NOT agree on that they are pulling the matches or clips from SS' past.

As you said, the Randy Orton match is a problem. It is bullshit if they would even consider pulling it, as that was THE defining moment in the man's career. If they pull it Orton won't even have a defining moment anymore, cause it's been erased from the archives. It's a stupid idea.

It was a great match, and other matches he was involved in SS' were also great. They can't just pull the plug on them because of what happened. They are cemented in WWE History, as is Benoit. You can't erase the past - this is no different. It would destroy a lot of things.

First WWE TV, now DVDs...who knows what's next.

 

[Mad Metal]

I understand where the WWE is coming from. I understand that they wish to forget Benoit had ever existed. But I do NOT agree on that they are pulling the matches or clips from SS' past.

As you said, the Randy Orton match is a problem. It is bullshit if they would even consider pulling it, as that was THE defining moment in the man's career. If they pull it Orton won't even have a defining moment anymore, cause it's been erased from the archives. It's a stupid idea.

It was a great match, and other matches he was involved in SS' were also great. They can't just pull the plug on them because of what happened. They are cemented in WWE History, as is Benoit. You can't erase the past - this is no different. It would destroy a lot of things.

First WWE TV, now DVDs...who knows what's next.

As a wrestling fan, I understand where you are coming from. However, some of us need to look farther than that.. how about from a business stand point? The WWE got good criticism from many (including past wrestlers, fans, media, etc) for airing the Benoit tribute show (even though the truth wasn't released until later that evening). Hell, even Italy pulled wrestling from television due to the entire Benoit situation. What I'm trying to say is... it's NOT good business to be advertising someone who committed a double murder suicide. Despite the fact some of his past loyal fans don't like the move/s WWE is making or burying his legacy, I don't think it's really that hard at all to understand the WWE's reputation could be worse if continuing to advertise a murderer. It would do nothing but turn off some buyers as well as advertisers and businesses that works with the WWE.

Even though knowing I wouldn't buy a DVD box set that's incomplete with matches withdrawn and rather see some of the historic matches that were performed by Chris Benoit, business is business. It sucks a lot, but that's how things work in the world, not just the WWE.

 

[Shocky]

The only thing I would disagree with madmetal, is they aren't advertising Chris Benoit as a selling point. Chris Benoit just happens to be one of the probably at least hundreds, if not close to a thousand wrestlers to compete at Summerslam.

The Point is Summerslam should sell itself. There isn't a need to erase his legacy. If the WWE went out and released a 3 disc, Best of Chris Benoit DVD, I agree, that's dumb on their part.

How anyone could hold the WWE accountable for putting Chris Benoit on a DVD he already contributed to, and is merely apart of, is beyond me.

It would be like the NFL going back and erasing OJ Simpson from the record book. People would be pissed off. You have to separate the man in the ring and the man off the field. (Before anyone says he wasn't guilty, he was found to be responsible for their deaths in civil court.)

 

[Dj Martyn]

If they continue down this path deleting benoit matches from DVD's i will get really annoyed, because that will make me have to scower Ebay for hours, to find real DVD's, because essentially it means we will never realive alot of the defining moments in alot of wrestlers careers.

It was mentioned above, they are not advertising Benoit and murder, he just happens to be one of the many wrestlers that is on these dvd's.

If they do this shouldnt they delete all Austin matches...he is after all a Wifebeater.

and shouldnt they delete all RVD and Sabu matches, because there convicted with Drugs charges.

Delete all Jake Roberts matches he has had well publiscised problems with drugs and has been charged with Battery at least twice.

Booker T, has been charged with armed robbery 3 times.

Scott Steiner was charged with threatening State of Transportation Worker, then hitting him with a Ford F-250 pickup.

Ahmed Johnson was charged with Pimping 3 young girls out and has had several drugs charges.

I could go on and on, there is that much drink driving, drug possesion, assault charges scattered about...i mean i know that non of these are quite as brutal and unfrogiving as the benoit case but....fucking hell...deleting one of the best wrestlers EVER from your archives completely is going to piss more people off than its going to protect.

 

[Prax]

If they continue down this path deleting benoit matches from DVD's i will get really annoyed, because that will make me have to scower Ebay for hours, to find real DVD's, because essentially it means we will never realive alot of the defining moments in alot of wrestlers careers.

It was mentioned above, they are not advertising Benoit and murder, he just happens to be one of the many wrestlers that is on these dvd's.

If they do this shouldnt they delete all Austin matches...he is after all a Wifebeater.

and shouldnt they delete all RVD and Sabu matches, because there convicted with Drugs charges.

Delete all Jake Roberts matches he has had well publiscised problems with drugs and has been charged with Battery at least twice.

Booker T, has been charged with armed robbery 3 times.

Scott Steiner was charged with threatening State of Transportation Worker, then hitting him with a Ford F-250 pickup.

Ahmed Johnson was charged with Pimping 3 young girls out and has had several drugs charges.

I could go on and on, there is that much drink driving, drug possesion, assault charges scattered about...i mean i know that non of these are quite as brutal and unfrogiving as the benoit case but....fucking hell...deleting one of the best wrestlers EVER from your archives completely is going to piss more people off than its going to protect.

I think most of this is baseless. Most of those wrestlers committed those acts when they WEREN'T on WWE's payroll.

Benoit murdered his family the weekend he was supposed to win a major title, and Vince and co. have been indirectly getting blamed for the deaths (not only those deaths but pretty much every death in wrestling in the last 20 years). There's media pressure, and pressure from other groups from every side. People and organizations certainly threatening lawsuits. Reporters hounding WWE headquarters and Vince and the talent at every show trying to dig up more and more dirt.

I'm sure they wouldn't consider editing old Benoit matches unless there was a legitimate threat of a lawsuit of some sort or some other pressure being exerted from one side or another.

I don't agree with it, but they wouldn't go to the trouble of editing every match out of every pay-per-view Benoit's been in, and editing the commentary and promos surrounding it. It just isn't practical unless it would cost them more to leave it in.

As for all the example you provided, as I said, they have no bearing. Those people didn't murder their wife and daughter and then kill themselves, and have the media blame everything on Vince and the WWE.

What people don't realize is that if those test results came back with Benoit's testosterone levels being much higher, or there being some proof that he was actually on elevated levels of steroids since before his latest drug test, or that the WWE was aware of his steroid use or mental issues, or whatever, anything, the WWE would be in SERIOUS trouble. People aren't looking at this seriously. This is a major issue and it needs to be dealt with carefully.

If Vince has to piss off a couple of smarks from the IWC, so be it, there are bigger things at stake than a smark missing out on an old Benoit match.

 

[Shocky]

But Prax, aren't the giant 20 disc Anthologies catered to the smark? Your average fan isn't going to dish out 250 dollars for 20 years worth of Summerslams. Basic fans don't care for that, hell, the don't order the pay per views, the smarks do. Why bother with releasing them at all if you're just pissing off the core group of people that are going to buy them? The same goes with WWE 24/7, average fans don't get that, because they don't want to spend 10 dollars a month for it.

What I'm saying is, the main stream fans don't want this shit, so they have little say in it. Hell, most people won't even know Benoit was on those matches. If the main stream media is that ignorant, then they should be ignored, plain and simple. The WWE hasn't lost any big sponsors yet, they aren't advertising Chris Benoit as a selling point. Again, this and 24/7 are catered to smarks. The Smarks for the most part have learned to separate Benoit the Wrestler, from Benoit the Human Being. Why design something catered to the smarks, made for the smarks, but remove a main selling point for the smarks. Argue all you want, but anyone that is willing to be okay with Benoit being erased from memory is insane, and in my opinion, extremely immature.

 

[X]

Perfectly said Shocky. It has become official, that Chris Benoit is being edited out of every single match/show he was involved in. Every single one of them. It makes no fucking sense, because only smarks are buying WWE 24/7 like myself (who the hell else would pay for Tuesday Night Titans and old Coliseum Home Videos?) and not showing Benoit is just a spit in the face to those of us that spend our hard earned money on this. Seriously, I've had to sit through the last two 1997 Nitro's without any Four Horsemen! What the fuck is that?! While I'll still pay for the service because of all the old RAWs and PPVs and shows, this is still ludicrous. Benoit isn't in Backlash either. What I really want to know though, is what happens when they get to the main event? They already deleted the main event of a Nitro that Benoit was involved in, but what happens when we get to Benoit's main event title push and his title matches? What happens when they want to show anything from the year 2004? It's just ridiculious.

Honestly, I'm really hoping they'll stop editing him out once this whole thing dies down.

 

[Prax]

Shock, I wasn't saying I agree with Benoit being erased from history, in fact I'm personally against it, since, as you said before, it would mean erasing the history of a lot of other wrestlers as well... Randy Orton's title win comes to mind right away as you mentioned as well. That's just one reason obviously but it's the one that resonates the most in my mind.

I do think it's immature to erase him from history, I was mostly responding to Martyn's bobo comment about all the other wrestlers.

That and that I can understand where WWE would come from in their intention to do so. They wouldn't go to the trouble of doing so if there wasn't legitimate pressure steering them towards that. I'm just trying to play devil's advocate here and try to figure out why they would do so.

It's not like it costs them pennies to edit out full matches and edit commentary etc etc. They wouldn't do it if the benefit outweighed the cost, IMO.

 

[Shocky]

I understand where your coming from Prax, don't get me wrong.

The big thing is, the sponsors that have stuck with them are probably going to stick with them no matter what. It's a big thing I read in the Death of WCW book, as hot as Wrestling can be, they never get any major sponsors. It doesn't matter if they are drawing in 6 million viewers a week. Most major companies see the WWE fans as unintelligent pimpley faced teenagers that do nothing but watch, and then disapear in two years. I get it, I understand it, but I think it's a stupid stereotype.

The point of that rant, Fortune 500 companies aren't signing onto WWE advertising anyway. They get the typical Jakk's, Skittles, Playstation, stuff that is meant to, in simple terms, sell to the smarks. Their advertisers cater to the smarks already. That's why, despite all of teh Cena little kid and girly teenager fans, you don't see Bratz advertised on WWE, it won't sell.

The WWE can sell shit to its fan, no not the shit it has been selling this year, but literal fecal matter, and still get away with it. The sponsors that are with the company have been with it through thick and thin already, and I doubt that Playstation will pull advertising when they are competing with microsoft over that 3.5 millions young male viewers watching raw each week. Too much money is too be made with the WWE fans for them to mindlessly pull commercials.

As long as the WWE brings in ratings, someone somewhere is going to pay money to advertise. It won't be Ford or Toyota or any big companies, but there will always be some company trying to cater to the already very cynical teenage male demographic.

But I do see your point, don't get me wrong.