Could the "RABBID WOLVERINE" Chris Benoit survive in the new PG WWE ERA?

[jacdnwarrior]

Benoit was a good enough performer that he could adapt. No matter who he worked with and how the WWE changed from Attitude to PG era, he could deliver the best match of the night, no matter which show he was on.

 

[Optimist Prime]

I don't really understand this question. To be honest - while I'm not surprised that Chris Benoit's character survived as long as he did as he was a good tactical wrestler - I never understood why he was put on the pedestal that so many people had put him on. In my opinion, he was one of the most boring wrestlers of all time.

I don't see the difference that his character would take on if the "tv rating" were changed as the guy never had much of a personality to begin with. His wrestling moves would all still remain the same as they are cotinuously practiced today...so the only difference is he wouldn't be getting hit with so many steel chairs.

Chris Benoit was a great mid-card wrestler who would have gone down with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio Jr., Dean Malenko, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, etc. as technical/tactical wrestling legends (and Hall of Famers) who may not have won the World Heavyweight Title but still were legends in their own right. I strongly felt that pushing these very good mid-carders (who barely had any personality) to main event status was a mistake and entirely unnecessary and may have only taken place to feed certain egos.

So in my opinion, Chris Benoit's career would have been pretty much the same. WCW was PG and that's where Chris Benoit made a name for himself. But I still strongly feel that he was a very good mid-carding legend (like Hennig, Rude, Guerrero, Dibiase, J. Roberts, etc.) but I think he was a utterly terrible main eventer and World Heavyweight Champion. And in my opinion, I feel it ruined his reputation more than it helped it (not that his murder/suicide didn't take care of all of his reputation anyway).

 

[Born To Fly]

If he was still using painkillers and such, I don't think he would have survived longer than he did. If you're talking wrestling, there's no doubt he'd still be around and doing well.

 

[manstis1804]

Could you see RIC FLAIR in the PG era right now?I I don't think soo. He wouldn't water himself down like that.
If you ever really paid attention to BENOIT when he wrestled he was a mean looking son of a bitch. He was nasty, and very raw in his emotion's. I don't think you watched enough of BENOIT'S matches to know that he was seriously nasty when he wrestled.

Why do you think WWE probably got rid of UMAGA? He would really fit a PG...
same with MIKE KNOX.. don't think he could fit PG.
GENE SNITSKY...another they released.. not a good role model for PG.
These guy's were just a couple since PG began, and they were all apart of the attitude era, and ECW. They don't fit PG look. So now me have to look at the pathetic MIZ, and his side kick, and all these pretty boy's that totally suck, and couldn't have been anything in attitude ERA because they would have been at the very bottom of the barrell because people like HHH,BENOIT,EVIL KANE, ROCK, STONECOLD STEVE AUSTIN, MANKIND, UNDERTAKER, and even SHANE MCMAHON, and VINCE MCMAHON were all bad asses and kicking ass, and taking names. I would almost bet that is why SHANE left the company after the PG era because he felt it was going in the wrong direction.

What we have here is a severe misunderstanding of what 'PG' is responsible for. There's a lot more to WWE's recent philosophy and business decisions than an obsession with being 'PG'. Umaga had drug issues, wouldn't go to rehab, got released. Thats not PG, thats a company thats finally doing a better job of controlling substance abuse. Business has been soft, Knox and Snitsky were lower card jobbers, and got released. Thats not PG, thats a business cutting costs. Oh, and Shane McMahon is an imposing, bad-ass relic of the great ATTITUDE ERRAAAA apparently.

 

[OmegaWWE]

With all do respect WWE was not in full PG effect when HHH broke into Orton's house.

Actually, yes it was. WWE turned TV-PG on July 28, 2008. By the time Triple H broke into Orton's house in 2009, PG was in full effect.

Why the hell would Chris Benoit not fit in the PG era? Because he was aggressive in the ring? It's still professional wrestling. There was nothing about his character that was designed only for the attitude era. I am so damn sick of people misunderstanding PG. Just because the product is PG does not mean it's only intended for 5 year olds!!! This is not Barney or Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. It's ok for a wrestler to be aggressive. Benoit did not swear or have any kind of sexual gimmick. He would have done just fine in PG. In fact he probably would fit better in PG than in attitude.

I completely agree with this. Aside from being nicknamed "The Rabid Wolverine", there was never anything about him that could be remotely considered anything but PG. He was one of the most intense superstars in the WWE, sure. But, if that's what you're arguing wouldn't be PG, just look at Drew McIntyre during his feud with Matt Hardy. If Drew can things like "crush" Hardy's head into the steel steps with a boot, then Benoit could have easily fit in this period.

 

[H33LTurn]

I honestly think that yes, he would have survived in the PG era. Think about Chris towards the end of his career and you'll see that theres nothing really there that needs censoring when in comes to the PG era. He didnt curse or do anything specifically profane. His character from 2005-2007 was based mostly on his rugged in ring style, a style similar to the one we see from guys like Sheamus, Tyler Rekks, and even Daniel Bryan.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Why wouldn't he have? Chris Benoit could never really be described as an 'obscene' or 'politically incorrect' persona. He was a submission specialist who enjoyed applying one particular hold a little too ferociously, and took a few crazy risks now and then.

Even back in the days when Divas were getting bashed left, right and centre (you may recall Benoit himself headbutted Stephanie McMahon in 2000), Benoit was never really cursing or making sexual gestures etc. He was all about the intense beatdown. He was a Dungeon graduate, whose character screamed 'i've learned to survive by hurting people' and that was it.

Chris Benoit would have had to adjust very little, to survive in a PG WWE