Should Chris Benoit be inducted into the hall of fame?

[AngleRVD]

My favorite wrestler of all time is Chris Benoit. I watched him from the very first time in WCW. With that being said I think he does not belong in the HOF. The horrible things he did will always overshadow what he did in the ring. When his name comes up you'll always go back to this week not his great ring work.

 

[Hart>HBK]

Yes, I think that Benoit should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was one of the greatest wrestlers ever and even though it is being said he killed his family, it is not 100% and I don't think that it describes how he was his whole life. People make mistakes and this is just a huge one. People described Benoit as being caring, respectful and that he had love for his family. We don't know yet Benoit's state of mind but what we do know is that Benoit was an overall good person for his life and it is sad that this event overshadows everything that he has worked for and done for his entire life.

 

[Jae Trey]

Benoit should be inducted but not like how Eddie Guerrero (sp?) was, dying one year then inducted the next. Benoit's induction should come many years from now as an undercard induction to someone more popular or famous (like if they ever decide to induct the Rock or Stone Cold). They might not have a larger wrestling career highlight reel but would be big enough to garner all the attention and draw it away from thinking too much about Benoit.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Honestly, I really don't know if he should or shouldn't. Benoit was a great wrestler, no doubt about it, but because of the events this week, he will always be remembered as the guy who killed himself and his family. Whether you want to deny that or not, you know whenever you hear the name Chris Benoit, you will thinking of this time right now.

It's a terrible shame that he went out like this. I still can't believe what they say he did. A bad way to end a great career because instead of remembering him as a great wrestler, it will always be overshadowed by the events of this week.

IMO, WWE won't induct and maybe it's the right decision.

*This is if he is really guilty of what happened, hopefully this is not true.

 

[Tomm2x]

For the 40 years of his life Chris Benoit was a great, well kept, polite, respected man. It is believed that his son had Fragile X Syndrome which can cause mental ******ation. It is also believed that Benoit has recently been deeply depressed and saw "no light at the end of the tunnel". When parents kill their children they usually do it by smothering them because they believe that it is the least painful way for their child to go and because of his son's disorder it put Alot of stress on Benoit and his wife which probably didn't help his depression. Because of all these factors (some of them common in depressed parents and murder-suicides) it is believed that because of Benoits deeply saddened state of mind he believed life wasn't worth living for himself or his family and he killed his son so he could be with his mom and because he didn't want his son to be parent-less and live a sad depressed life with no parents whilst having a disorder that caused mental ******ation. Therefor, i believe that Benoit should be remembered for the great man he was during the 40 years of his life and the incredible athlete and performer he was not the potential mistake he made caused by depression.

Before people jump all over him for being this and that and no respect blah blah blah. You people should ALL educate yourselves. What he went through must have been very very tough depressed peoples minds think differently. Also for his whole life other then the last few days, he was a well-respected well kept, solid straight forward guy and that is something to respect. So please, please research and actually educate urselves before u go all ape shit.

Having said all that, i think based on his talent alone he should be in the HOF some-day.

First of all, under any other circumstances, I would whole-heartedly support this post. Whomever wrote it is obviously a compassionate and educated person. From family, as well as personal experience, I have a unique perspective on depression and stress induced anxiety. I will not go into details, but I will say I've numerous sources on depression, mental illness, etc.

In my opinion, just because an action might have a excuse or catalyst does not excuse it. Chris Benoit was a grown man who, according to the accounts of his friends who have spoken recently, spent a majority of his life being well-adjusted. If there was something, he should have sought help. He was seeing his doctor regularly, even the morning after killing his family. He had plenty of opportunities to seek help, especially when he knew the consequences of his actions from Nancy's past restraining order and history of abuse. There's a difference between depression and derangement, and considering the way Benoit conducted most of his life, he certainly wasn't completely deranged. Besides, there are thousands, if not millions, of Americans who suffer from numerous mental disorders, and you don't see all of them killing their families, do you? Do the research, and you'll find it to be a ridiculously small percentage. While a mental disorder may explain his actions, that doesn't excuse Benoit from the consequences. If he was cognizant enough to perform on a nightly basis and appear on television, he could've asked someone, be it a friend, doctor, or family member to help him through his "illness" (which could've been treated and medicated). There is no shade of gray in this situation. There is no justifiable or dismissive explanation for these actions.

As for those of you who have mentioned O.J. Simpson's inclusion in the NFL Hall of Fame, he was inducted years before the double murder. Whether or not he would've been inducted afterwards, I can't say. A lot of you have made an excellent point in saying that while we as wrestling enthusiasts will remember Benoit for his athleticism, the children who watch wrestling now, as well as future generations, will remember Chris Benoit as the wrestler who killed himself and his family. The Hall of Fame will be there longer than us, folks, so ultimately, it's out of our hands how he is remembered. He will never wrestle again, so it's up to future generations to determine how they will remember the man. I know in my eyes, he has gone from the greatest pure wrestler in the world to a cold blooded, calculating murderer. I can never respect a man who kills his family, no matter his rational or reasons.

 

[tna23]

Wow.. what a question. I think that he should be put in the HOF. The wwe HOF isn't a HOF on what kind of person one was, it was the HOF for wrestling. It would be a shame to not put Benoit in the hof. Just ignoring 22 years of heart, soul and dedication to the wrestling industry. Benoit was one of my favourite wrestlers of all time and it would be a shame for all of his phenominal matches to go forgotten. On the other hand, putting benoit in the hof could be a huge mistake, given putting him in the hall too soon.. such as this upcoming one would make most ppl think that wwe is inducting a heartless murderer in the Hof and he would be remembered, not for his wrestling skill, craft of art, but for being the wrestler who killed himself, his wife and his son. It would be a tough thing to do, considering killing his child and his wife. I for one do think that they should put Benoit in the Hall of Fame someday. I respect benoit, The Wrestler. But as for Benoit the person. It's just down right horrible. I mean how could someone kill a seven year old child. That's just plain wrong. And for killing your own wife, that's just not right either.

R.I.P. Benoit Family.. you will be greatly missed by many.

 

[TheShiznetNo2]

I always would get mad at the NFL hall of fame for not inducting guy b/c of what they may have done in their personal lives.

But I feel this is different, and feel a little different about other hall of fames also.

Benoit was a great wrestler, probably the best I saw watching wrestling, based off that alone, yes he deserves to go into the HOF.

But WWE has to ask themselves a question, do they want to be associated w/ the actions that he took part in? Do they want that type of hit from the media and fans?

All in all, I have to say yes, he should be in the hall of fame, based strictly off wrestling.

 

[Satan's Hockey]

I didn't read this whole thread but I voted no because unless he is proven innocent than he doesn't deserve to be in the hall of fame. The hall of fame is an HONOR not a right.

 

[Highway Boots]

Most Definately. HoF is for the career and what you acomplished in the profession it is not about how you lived outside in your personal world if that were the case I can think of 3 HoFamers that should NEVER been allowed in. One has a history of wife beating, One is a convicted rapist. and the other was a well known drug user and served time for it. Granted none of these people killed anyone but they still hurt real people(non wrestlers).And in all of those instances the victims thought they were gonna die. There's a very thin line here but Benoit no matter how he died deserves to be acknowledged for his in ring contributions.

 

[mabuza]

I agree that there's no way he'll be inducted any time soon,and I understand.We also have to understand taht guys have been excluded from the H.O.F over trivial matters.Savage,Luger,Angle,Warrior etc contributed incredibly to the business,and were sidelined due to backstage hostilities.Chris can't be inducted for as long as there is a live crowd attending H.O.F ceremoinies.The chants against J.R& Austin this year would be nothing compared to the riot that would breakout at Beniot's induction.

 

[ZCDarrah]

It's really a tough call to make. I voted yes, quietly in a few years. A few years by my standards would be around 10-15 years. But it should not be released to the public, everyone would cry out against it. And NEVER in front of a large crowd.

I really want to remember Benoit as a great talent in the ring, but the tragic event is still fresh in our minds. Most people would feel more open to the idea is say 10 years from now.

 

[LadyFranchise]

It's really a tough call to make. I voted yes, quietly in a few years. A few years by my standards would be around 10-15 years. But it should not be released to the public, everyone would cry out against it. And NEVER in front of a large crowd.

I really want to remember Benoit as a great talent in the ring, but the tragic event is still fresh in our minds. Most people would feel more open to the idea is say 10 years from now.

I agrees. 10 years from now he could be but right now no. We are all aware of Chris' in ring attributes but right now that's going to be overshadowed by what he did. With the details of how his wife and son were killed, It will be extremely difficult to ignore what he did so he can get inducted.

 

[Skullz Crack'Em]

I said no, what he did was inexcusable and his punishment should be the fact that he does not get into the HOF and his legacy to be tarnished. When WWE does the traditional induction ceremony before WM, who would actually agree to induct a MURDERER?! Malenko is the only guy I can see inducting Benoit into the HOF, but after finding out that he murdered his family, I am very doubtful Dean would agree to do that. And I have never heard of anybody else getting "secretly" inducted into the HOF before either. What's the point of "secretly" inducting him anyways, the whole reason behind the HOF is for people to KNOW who did a great job in their wrestling career and created many wonderful memories for the fans. The only memory people will see in Benoit is sadly the fact that he killed his family, all his great matches will not mean anything when that is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Chris Benoit.

 

[Colamania]

Yes, in a few years, but only for the backlash that wwe would suffer. If it was completly up to me and there would be no backlash at all, Benoit would be in the hall of fame tomorrow. Hell, if it WERE up to me, he'd be in there yesterday. The fact is, Benoit was one of the single best technical superstars ever to grace the squared circle, and he should definetly be recognised for that. According to early reports, he was clinically depressed. I have first-hand knowledge of clinical depression (not me, my mother) and she did try to kill herself, and she did at one point threaten to kill me. What people fail to realise is that, in clinical depression, the brain becomes a switch. On and Off. No middle ground. It only takes one little thing to flip that switch. The fact is, the man should not be hated, the man should not be told to, and i quote from one post, the poster of which i will not mention, "rot in hell". He should be in our thoughts, and we should feel sorrow that the man did not get the vital help which may have stopped this from occuring, and may have meant that 3 people who are no longer with us may still be alive today. Rest In Peace, Chris, Nancy and Daniel Benoit.

 

[shalliin]

Yes, in a few years, but only for the backlash that wwe would suffer. If it was completly up to me and there would be no backlash at all, Benoit would be in the hall of fame tomorrow. Hell, if it WERE up to me, he'd be in there yesterday. The fact is, Benoit was one of the single best technical superstars ever to grace the squared circle, and he should definetly be recognised for that. According to early reports, he was clinically depressed. I have first-hand knowledge of clinical depression (not me, my mother) and she did try to kill herself, and she did at one point threaten to kill me. What people fail to realise is that, in clinical depression, the brain becomes a switch. On and Off. No middle ground. It only takes one little thing to flip that switch. The fact is, the man should not be hated, the man should not be told to, and i quote from one post, the poster of which i will not mention, "rot in hell". He should be in our thoughts, and we should feel sorrow that the man did not get the vital help which may have stopped this from occuring, and may have meant that 3 people who are no longer with us may still be alive today. Rest In Peace, Chris, Nancy and Daniel Benoit.

FInally another person with sense. I too have seen the results of this condition. My aunt suffers from a similar condition where if she doesn't take her medication, she becomes irrational. She once threatened to kill herself and my cousins, and it developed so seriously, that the police became involved. She and my uncle divorced and she was put in a short term care facility for nearly a year before she was released. She is doing better now that she is taking her pills, but that's mostly because she lives in a group care facility and they monitor the residents to insure that they do take the needed medication. Her children have never blamed her for her condition, as they are aware of the facts of what was wrong with her. The condition she has is potentially inherited, and they make sure to have regular checks to stay ahead of any potential issues with it.

You can Hate Benoit for the end, but you have to remember to honor him for what he gave us. We are all somewhat responsible with our selfish demands for more and more extreme forms of entertainment and our lack of appreciation for what these people do to themselves for our enjoyment. They don't take drugs and kill themselves because they thought as a kid 'Oh, when I grow up, I'm gonne take tons of illegal drugs to make my body bulge like in those Mr. Universe competitions and practically kill myself doing insane stunts 300+ times a year, then one day loose it and finish the job'.

they do this because we as fans and people have moved past the point where simple headlock held for 3 minutes was enough to keep us watching. we forced them to constantly push the envelop and put ever increasing amounts of pressure on them. It''s why so many of them do turn to drugs/alcohol/ etc..

 

[shalliin]

yea guys imagine IF he did go in the HoF, what kind of example he would set for children, how would they induct him, would they mention his death and theories on what he did to his family.? (yes, theories). Would the fans boo Benoit, if they did, what an awkward posistion for WWE. I for one think he should go in the HoF, but my question is how would they do it?

They could get the surviving members of the family to accept the induction. As for the situation, they could simply state that he spent 20 years of his life performing for us, and it lead to one of the most tragic endings for any person or family. He was ill, and thought it lead to horrible actions on his part, that doesn't diminish what he did during his life prior to the events that led to his horrific actions.

 

[hbk&triple h]

Before all of this happened I knew Benoit would go to the hall of Fame.He was already a legend.He is absolutely phenominal in the ring.And he gave us many memories and matches to hold onto for time to come.But after he did what he did it just burned his legacy to the ground.What should people think of that?It showed he was a bad guy.WWE is already pulling his merchandise and throwing out his signs so thats where their decision is on him.I don't think he will be put in there.Although he does deserve it.

 

[EPN17]

Yes, obviously Benoit will probably be remembered now as the wrestler that murdered his family instead of a great champion, but what he did doesn't erase the legacy he left in the ring. If he is inducted, I think he'll be the most controversial inductee of all time. I doubt it will be this year either, but say 5 - 10 years from now they might be able to get away with it (obviously it won't be a glorified induction either)

 

[ACTAFOOL]

man its a really hard questions, it wouldnt be the first time it would be moraly incorrect to induct someone to the HoF...

i really thought he should have been, but the more i think about it, i just cant say it would be right, i mean for me he is a HoF, i do seperate the wrestler and the person, even if he didnt have a gimmick and was pretty much himself

his wrestling side is something to admire, his skills, dedication and respect he had for the biz is amazing, in my list of top wrestler of all time he will porbably be in top 5...

but there are 2 major problems with inducting him

1: WWEs image would go down the drain, would pretty much lose all the fans, so even if he should be inducted, he wont, ever, WWE is not crazy to do that

2: the examples for future fans we would set, like one of the users here said, he would be rememberd as a murderer, not one of the best wreslters, also it would say that its ok to do something like that

but i think all of us who got to see him wrestle, should always remember, chirs benoit, the wrestler, as a HoF... he did SO much for this biz, 22 years of his life, sacrificed his body so many times, just for out entertainment, and him losing his mind in the las 72 hours will not erase all of the things he gave me...

chris benoit, Hall of Famer in my heart!

 

[Achilles07]

What a hard question...but though many people may feel it isn't deserved now, he should be inducted. It won't happen, don't kid yourself. But for 15+ years this man has worked his life. We have no idea the amount of stress someone on the road can take for such a long time until they break down, or the true effect of all the drugs they take for the benefit of supporting their families. I'm not justifying his actions, but it is not all Benoit's fault. WWE is partly responsible, due to a bit of poor monitoring. For all we know, there maybe were odd signs, I believe there had to have been. I could go on and on about this, but I won't. Benoit deserves such an honor for dedicating his entire life to wrestling, and being what RVD called a "role model's role model". This act could never have been committed by a reasonable/unintoxicated mind, and based on Benoit's closest friends, he was a loving person. He deserves his spot, but will never get it in reality, because he couldn't take the pressure, which probably none of us could either.

 

[crippler6707]

I think he should based on all of his contributions as a wrestler. Outside of what happened with his family, he should be honored for his in-ring worl. If OJ Simpson can go in the hall of fame, so can Benoit.

 

[Dillon]

Watch the movie Gangs of New York.After he kills Priest.From this day on no one will mention the dead rabbits.The WWE will not talk about Benoit on TV.He will always be a bad thing to the WWE.Does anyone have WWE 24/7.I bet all his matches will no longer be show on there too.

 

[rkorandyorton]

The WWE hall of fame is based on how great of a wrestler and entertainer you are. Benoit was the best wrester in the wwe and he was a great entertainer. being selected for the hall of fame should not be based on your personal life.

 

[RVDgurl]

This is a tough question and it depends on what the criteria is for induction. If a HOF induction is based solely on wrestling performance, then there is no question that he should be a HOF member somethime in the future. He was one of the best wrestlers this sport has ever seen. Benoit dedicated more than 20 years to the business and was admired and respected for his work ethic.
On the other hand, if a HOF induction includes any aspect of one's personal life then there is no way he should be included. Pete Rose is one of the greatest baseball players of all time and is not a HOF member because he bet on a few games. It only makes sense that Chris Benoit forego his HOF eligibility since his crimes are a little more serious then placing a few bets.
Whatever the WWE decides, I don't think the HOF will even be considered for Chris Benoit anytime in the next couple of years.

 

[theflash219]

Putting Benoit in the HOF would be PR suicide. This isn't going to go away. And, honestly, I can't condone putting a child killer in the HOF, no matter what he did in the ring.