Who did you like more? Eddie Guerrero or Chris Benoit?

[HurriKane]

Okay random thread, but I was watching Vengeance 2003 when Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero wrestled each other in a truly great match. I know there history are very similar both got started in ECW where they put on classic techincal matches (along with Dean Malenko and 2 Cold Scorpio) and how they both went to WCW. Though Benoit would see more success there winning The WCW United States Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. But then both finally went to WWE and became two of the best pure wrestlers in the WWE. Both winning major titles, with Eddie Guerrero winning the WWE title, and Benoit winning the World Title. Both put on classic matches, and gave us great moments. But my question is (putting aside Benoit's despicable murder) what wrestler do you think was the best of the two overall. Which wrestler did you enjoy seeing more, week and an week out.

To me I enjoyed seeing Benoit more I thought his matches where better, and I lived the ruthless aggression he showed, and I always look forward to seeing how he would slap on the crossface. And his match at Wrestlemania with HHH and HBK will always be my favorite Wrestlemania match of all time. So yea Benoit gets my vote.

If I can add try answering this question as if it was around 2003-2004 when they both were arguably at their peak. And to take an account everything they both had done in their career.
Note: I know there is a sticky thread to include all Benoit post in, but I really wanted to make a poll, and this thread is not just about him, but also Eddie Guerrero, so I hope this thread will be ok.

 

[I Heart Cena]

Eddie for sure. A deserving Hall of Famer and he should have had a longer run with the WWE title. Great skills in ring and on mic. One of the GOATs.

 

[relentless1]

Eddie was the more complete package but Benoit was a better wrestler I think

 

[MC_Live]

Benoit may have been a better pure technical wrestler, but not by much. I agree that the WrestleMania XX Triple Threat match is one of my favorite Mania matches ever. But the Eddie Angle match from the night is right up there with it. And while I loved Benoit's work, Eddie was just so damn entertaining. Benoit was fantastic to watch wrestle. But who didn't love to see Eddie lie, cheat, and steal? Personally, Although they both had something special from the first time I saw them, I was always more of a fan of Eddie. Viva la raza!

 

[peter_midnight]

In WCW Chris Benoit was miles ahead of Eddie Guerrero that it wasn't even close.
Everyone back then in the sheets kept pushing for Benoit to get a title. Also, was there ever a more intense personal rivalry than Benoit vs Sullivan? Yeah, I know Bret & Shawn was pretty intense, but Benoit actually took Sullivan's wife in real life and on tv.
I felt that WWF/E watered down Benoit so much due to his hard hitting style.
Benoit got a good match out of Sid Vicious in WCW. That's pretty talented.


WWF/E career wise, Eddie definitely had a better run, but only because he didn't need to be watered down. He also didn't have to play as much politics like in WCW.

I felt Benoit wrestling Austin was the beginning of being toned down. He couldn't give him that many german suplexes w/out injuring Austin, so it did the most gentle suplexes of his career. Then they became a staple, which made it hard for me to watch as a fan.

Most of my friends in Japan that watch or watched wrestling know who Wild Pegasus is. Only WWE fans know who Eddie Guerrero is. I'd say that pound for pound Benoit had the better quality career. Although, I suppose from a WWE standpoint, Eddie was easily the bigger draw and had better matches.

 

[Vader]

I have to go with Benoit. The parallels of their careers are very interesting, especially given their untimely deaths.

I really thought the WCW had a chance to develop Benoit early on back when the Horsemen were feuding against Sting, Savage, Luger and then later on with the NWO.

Benoit was my favorite wrestler as a kid and you sat on the edge every week watching him wrestle, but being screwed out of titles.

 

[OYDK]

Benoit was always the better technician in my opinion, but I was much more entertained watching Eddie do his thing in the ring. The way he worked the crowd and his ability to do almost anything in the ring amazed me. He always added an extra element of entertainment into his matches; whether it be tossing his opponent a chair and "playing dead" or begging his opponent for a time out, Eddie always got the crowd invested.

Benoit was great, but Eddie had a little something more when it came to all around ring ability imo.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Benoit was always the better technician in my opinion, but I was much more entertained watching Eddie do his thing in the ring.

Leading to the assertion that Benoit was the better ring wrestler but Eddie was the better overall entertainer, with which I agree.

I didn't follow Eddie in WCW that much, yet I've been told he concentrated a lot less on the comedy aspects than he did in WWE. Honestly, by the end of his tenure in Stamford I was getting a bit tired of him......and yes, I realize that's a thought I'm not supposed to express, given his untimely death. But it was true; the whole "lie, cheat & steal" stuff was funny at first but stale after awhile.

Benoit was a guy I thought of as an anti-entertainer; it would have looked weird if he tried any of Eddie's stuff. But man, did Chris ever work hard. He was a wrestler from the bottom up....and I never saw anyone put so much of himself into his matches.

I preferred Benoit, and given the posts previous to mine, so did a few others. To that, I'm glad we're finally at the point where we are allowed to admit it.

 

[FlairFan2003]

In WCW Chris Benoit was miles ahead of Eddie Guerrero that it wasn't even close.
.

I disagree....Guerrero was major heat magnet as a heel in late 97, so much so there were rumors the NWO (aka Hogan & Nash) wanted to kill his heel push because they had to be positioned as the most over heels on the roster, no else could approach them.

Guerrero was always a way better promo guy than Benoit, more so in WCW where they never had any idea how to compensate for how bland Benoit was, they simply teamed him with people like Flair & Arn who could do all the talking. In WWE they did a better job of getting the most out of Benoit's lackluster skill set. Guerrero was a natural born talent who never needed that kind of help.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Definitely preferred Benoit in the ring. He was one of a very limited amount of guys who understood that above all else, wrestling is supposed to look real. Bret Hart understood that. Lesnar understands that. Virtually everyone else on the roster these days doesn't seem to get it. Athleticism ≠ Good wrestling.

Eddie was definitely better at cutting promos and whatnot and was probably a better guy for weekly TV, but Benoit's PPV matches blew Eddie's out of the water.

 

[peter_midnight]

I disagree....Guerrero was major heat magnet as a heel in late 97, so much so there were rumors the NWO (aka Hogan & Nash) wanted to kill his heel push because they had to be positioned as the most over heels on the roster, no else could approach them.

Guerrero was always a way better promo guy than Benoit, more so in WCW where they never had any idea how to compensate for how bland Benoit was, they simply teamed him with people like Flair & Arn who could do all the talking. In WWE they did a better job of getting the most out of Benoit's lackluster skill set. Guerrero was a natural born talent who never needed that kind of help.

Eddie never got over in WCW until he won and then lost the US title and turned heel. I remember late '97 and Eddie was no where close to Benoit in terms of who was more over. Benoit was involved in the feud of the year w/Kevin Sullivan that stole the show on numerous occasions. The matches at the Great American Bash and even Bash at the Beach were way more intense than anything else on the roster. Shawn vs Bret in the WWF had nothing on Benoit vs Sullivan and I'm a Bret Hart fan!

Moreover, Chris Benoit is essentially the successor to Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart in terms of style. He combined both of their styles into one package. His whole situation is a shame, but as far as the wrestling business goes the real shame in Benoit's death is that he'll never pass on his style to someone else to continue the evolution of one of the best styles of wrestling ever performed.

 

[Creepy Old Man]

Benoit was the superior of the two. His raw intensity was utterly compelling to watch, though unfortunately it spilled over into his personal life. I also bought him as a legitimate world champion, while I felt Eddie was just too small to be believable in that role. Another problem I had with Eddie was what I found to be meaningless spot moves. He showed great personality, sure, and you can argue that makes him more charismatic than Benoit, but I found Benoit the more fun of the two to watch, personally. Just an awesome presence in the ring.

I think it's safe to say you can shift a few of the Eddie votes over to Benoit, because people who preferred him will likely now be voting against him because of his final acts.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I voted for Benoit, but it was a hard decision. Both guys were among the best of their generation for actual wrestling ability, albeit with differing styles. Benoit was more intense, hard hitting and realistic while Eddie was flashier and quicker, although still excellent technically too.

I've been rewatching WWE PPVs on the Network from 2000 onwards (I'm up to late 2001 at the moment) and I'm realising just how talented Benoit was. He didn't need charisma and mic skills to get over, he did it by being excellent in the ring. I always rated him but rewatching his work against the likes of Angle, Rock and Jericho is just re-emphasising his talent- he deserved the WWE or World Title well before he finally won it.

Eddie hadn't reached his peak in WWE by this point, that came after he rejoined the company after his release for drug issues. He was always a great wrestler, but adding the extra layers to his character made him a superstar before he tragically passed. However, looking back over his body of work in WWE, I have to give the nod to Benoit. I think he's one rung above Eddie on the ladder of greatness.

 

[Goldie]

Eddie undoubtedly the much better human being.... but now that's out of the way as an in ring performer I would give Benoit the nod.

When the Radicalz jumped over the WWE in 2000, it was Benoit who was touted as the prize asset of the 4, he was signed to the highest contract and had the most name value. (Though Eddie would likely become more valuable due to his personality).

Eddie was a very talented wrestler- but as this post is about in ring performance- and not about character, Benoit was a wrestling machine.
Benoit may not have won the world title straight away.... but the likes of Rock, Triple H and Kurt Angle were queuing up to work with him from the get go, as they knew they'd have a great match.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Eddie undoubtedly the much better human being.... but now that's out of the way as an in ring performer I would give Benoit the nod.

When the Radicalz jumped over the WWE in 2000, it was Benoit who was touted as the prize asset of the 4, he was signed to the highest contract and had the most name value. (Though Eddie would likely become more valuable due to his personality).

Eddie was a very talented wrestler- but as this post is about in ring performance- and not about character, Benoit was a wrestling machine.
Benoit may not have won the world title straight away.... but the likes of Rock, Triple H and Kurt Angle were queuing up to work with him from the get go, as they knew they'd have a great match.

Yet another STUPID statement... Chris Benoit as a human being was not better or worse than anyone else until the last 3 days of his life and there is enough medical evidence now to show that he was not in posession of his full faculties. At worst that makes him a sick human being in the medical sense, not a nutjob, not evil, not psychopathic or he'd have exhibited it elsewhere. So please stop "judging" where there is no judgement to make. Had the man lived he would have been given insanity/locked away rather than a trial... but until that weekend he was as normal as anyone else in the crazy world of pro-wrestling so give him that courtesy.

As to the topic... a lot will say Benoit was the better wrestler but arguably he had to work harder for his push than Eddie did and not for the reasons you'd expect. A lot of clues were in Y2J's podcast with Vickie last week.

Eddie was going to WWE regardless, even if the other guys didn't go too. While many would say Eddie was an "unlikely" World Champ he had a far better chance in WWE than in WCW cos he clearly had that personality and ability that he'd first shown with Los Gringos Locos back with Art Barr. Once WWE got hold of him with that talent, even with mishaps he was always a "likely to succeed", if not to the World title than to one step below it.

In many ways the best thing that happened to Eddie was the injury right after his debut. It took him out of the Radicalz but he had already excited the fans. So when he came back with "Latino Heat" he was "his own man" rather than part of the group.

Benoit was a tougher proposition, he didn't have those charisma skills but in WCW was given "the push" and rejected it. While some in WWE would respect that, others would view that with disdain. Remember too Benoit had rejected WWE in 1995 for WCW to begin with, so that too would have made it harder for him to get to the title in WWE and indeed he did have to pay a lot of dues to get there. His injury was perhaps the most untimely and hindered his career, when he and Jericho were facing Austin and Trips, you knew one was getting the push and at the time it seemed to be Benoit first. Then his neck was screwed and it fell into place with Jericho.

When Benoit finally got that Rumble push, it was still dubious that they would actually go all the way. It seemed more a response to "the same guys always winning" the Rumble than actually designed to get the belt on him. It's arguable that the fans reaction to Eddie winning made their mind up rather than Benoit's own efforts. When he did win and the two were "the guys" in the business, it was an emotional moment for sure, but just a moment... both guys lost their belts relatively quickly and Benoit the most cheaply. Orton was un-proven, didn't hold onto the belt and Benoits career never recovered. Eddie losing to a veteran, albiet one with their first push in JBL made sense, while he never got the belt again, Eddie was able to grow from it via the Rey feud.

To be honest they're the same coin... taking the last 3 days out of the equation, I always liked Benoit more cos he really HAD to fight for it, where as Eddie had more natural gifts for the WWE style and a family name that Vince would always respect. But stop making it about their deaths, especially Chris... just do as all his friends had to... the guy they knew, the wrestler died 3 days earlier...

 

[Goldie]

Yet another STUPID statement... ...

Look I don't want to go off topic but that was not a stupid statement.
Everyone has an opinion. Live with it.
Just because someone else's opinion differs from yours does not entitle you to call them stupid.
If it was an entire post demonising Benoit I would understand. It was merely one sentence.
I even picked Benoit anyway over Eddie on merit of his wresting ability.
Lets leave it there.

When Benoit finally got that Rumble push, it was still dubious that they would actually go all the way. It seemed more a response to "the same guys always winning" the Rumble than actually designed to get the belt on him. It's arguable that the fans reaction to Eddie winning made their mind up rather than Benoit's own efforts. When he did win and the two were "the guys" in the business, it was an emotional moment for sure, but just a moment... both guys lost their belts relatively quickly and Benoit the most cheaply. Orton was un-proven, didn't hold onto the belt and Benoits career never recovered. Eddie losing to a veteran, albiet one with their first push in JBL made sense, while he never got the belt again, Eddie was able to grow from it via the Rey feud.
...

Benoits Rumble push and consequent title win at WM20 was likely a token thankyou for all his years of excellent matches- he was never going to hold the title for a long period.
When Benoit won the Rumble the fans weren't going crazy (like an Austin Rumble win) it was more respectful applause. Had Eddie been in Benoits place the fans would have been more vocal because he could connect with an audience.
Shawn Michaels was even thrown into the main event at WM20 to add some spice to the initial solo Triple H vs Benoit match.

Had Eddie not died in 2005- he would have likely won another world title.
Benoit wouldn't have... being relegated back to the mid card after his brief reward.
Regardless of who he would have lost the belt to, Benoit lacked the main event credentials that shone through Eddies later career. Whether it was Orton or Triple H he dropped the belt to... Benoits brief run in the sunshine was a thankyou reward for his in ring ability... and once it was over, he wasn't going to get back there.

 

[lowandmighty]

Eddie Guerrero was way better. Better in the ring, better on the microphone, more charismatic, less weird looking, less of a megalomaniac, less of an actual psychopath and a laugh with kind of guy rather than a laugh at kind of guy which is what Chris Benoit was.
(Assume every time you read Chris Benoit I mean it to be pronounced Chris Benoitt)

 

[TDFG]

Chris Benoit, I like technical wrestlers, but Benoit could also brawl and put on many a great match regardless if it was for TV Title or World Title.

 

[Waylon Mercy]

Breaking down the two as follows:

Benoit was pound for pound one of the toughest, yet most agile and technically gifted wrestlers ever. He came from the dungeon, and put in years of blood, sweat and tears around the world. He was the embodiment of "Ruthless Agression", and he was both admired and respected in the locker room. He was a lot like the Dynamite Kid, in terms of physique and in-ring ability. The one key difference was that he was not an asshole backstage. By all accounts, he was quiet, but very well-liked. The fans, and his peers bought into Benoit because he was legit. There was no bullshit about him. He was all about the wrestling and laying it all out in the ring. He loved it, and it showed.
Guerrero was all of the above, yet even more. Seemingly he had more personal demons to overcome, but when Vince gave him a second chance, he made the most of it. He came back from rehab a reinvigorated man, and that was truly when his love for his craft started to shine. Eddie had real charisma. He reinvented what it meant to be a baby face, by lying, stealing and cheating his way to a win. He turned the whole thing around and made it ok for the good guy to cheat, as long as it meant getting the upper hand on the heel. To me, that was an amazing thing to see week after week. Eddie brought all of us in on the joke, and he connected so well with the fans.
Bringing this all to a head, I give Eddie an edge over Benoit, but ever-so slightly. Both truly had the "It" factor, but in very different ways. Benoit made us all believe that wrestling was legit. He brought out the best in his opponents as well. Eddie had a real connection with the fans, and he made us all believe he was doing it all for us. By virtue of that incredible charisma he exhibited, I give it to Eddie Guerrero.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

I really didn't care too much about either guy as a wrestler, but between the two I would say I liked Benoit more. It starts with WCW. I enjoyed and though Benoit was better in his time in WCW than Guerrero was. I enjoyed Benoit in the Horseman and his run at the end there as a main eventer or near main eventer was pretty good with a memorable match against Bret in the Owen tribute match.

Then in there time in WWE I thought Benoit was better. His gimmick was much simpler and he pulled it off so well. Guerrero was good in his space too, but I didn't enjoy it as much. And for what its worth, I always took Benoit more serious as a main eventer in WWE than I did Guerrero.

 

[peter_midnight]

I really didn't care too much about either guy as a wrestler, but between the two I would say I liked Benoit more. It starts with WCW. I enjoyed and though Benoit was better in his time in WCW than Guerrero was. I enjoyed Benoit in the Horseman and his run at the end there as a main eventer or near main eventer was pretty good with a memorable match against Bret in the Owen tribute match.

Then in there time in WWE I thought Benoit was better. His gimmick was much simpler and he pulled it off so well. Guerrero was good in his space too, but I didn't enjoy it as much. And for what its worth, I always took Benoit more serious as a main eventer in WWE than I did Guerrero.

This is where I think the heart of the Benoit-Eddie debate lies. Those who watched Benoit in WCW almost universally agree that he was the better of the two. Those that only saw their WWF/E work will put Eddie over. I liked Eddie a lot, but never thought too high of his fake 1980s/90s ese vato gimmick in WWE. He was basically a rip off of Konnan who at least knew the modern lingo (minus the whole cranberries/strawberries crap, lol). I agree that Eddie was better in the WWE, but he wasn't as watered down either. If you go back and look at Benoit's WCW work vs his WWE work, it's obvious that his moves were toned down as to not injure guys like Steve Austin. It's the same thing that happened to Chris Jericho. Eddie didn't do as much Japanese style in the ring, so his match quality remained about the same as WCW or better.

You can't really go wrong with either/or, but given their entire body of work, I find it hard to believe that anyone would give Eddie the nudge over Benoit, but that's just my opinion.

One thing I always remember too was that in WCW there were plenty of signs in the crowd that would say give Benoit a title shot/push or something along those lines. I think the WCW fans always respected Benoit and would have gotten behind him as champion.

 

[AnthonyM4]

In terms of in ring work, Benoit was better and I enjoyed watching him wrestle more. Though Eddie was more charismatic and had better mic skills. If Benoit only commited suicide and not homicide, he would have been in the hall of fame in 2008.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I never really liked Eddie Guerrero until he got to WWF and started doing the Latino Heat stuff with Chyna. This is when his personality and charisma really started to shine through, and ultimately lead him all the way to the top. As a result, he was more of the overall package that WWE likes, in that he can put on a great main event match but also talk and sell the program on TV.

I always preferred Benoit more. He was the better wrestler, sure. But he was also consistently pushed quicker, in WCW and when they first arrived in WWF, meaning I think promoters like Bischoff and Vince saw something more in him than the other guys.. Benoit was the one loosely aligned with The McMahon-Helmsley faction to take out The Rock. And was main eventing RAWs and SmackDown's with The Rock and Austin and getting title shots on PPV like at Fully Loaded 2000 as a reliable upper midcarder. His push in 2004 was fantastic, especially his performance at the Royal Rumble that year and the chase for the title leading up to WMXX.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think how close this voting is proving to be shows that the majority of people think as I do- it's so hard to split these men. There's no way anyone can argue that a vote for either is incorrect. Obviously, people's opinions of Benoit will be tainted by the awful way in which his life ended, while Eddie is beloved because of his climb to the top of the WWE just before he tragically passed.

But when you ignore how their lives ended and just focus on their in-ring talent, it's very hard to split the two. Both have areas in which they are better than the other, but both were phenomenal performers. It shows just how strong the WWE roster was when guys like Eddie and Benoit were mid-carders for most of their careers. If either came on the scene today they'd become World Champion much sooner in their careers.

 

[BigBombB]

I mostly loved Benoit for his time in WCW, where he was far and away the more interesting performer to watch. That is, of course, until Eddie made his heel turn and became one of the best heels in history. At that point I think Eddie began to edge out Benoit in terms of being my 'favorite' but I still marked out for any match Benoit had. It didn't matter who Benoit wrestled, you knew he was going to beat the hell out of them.

I voted Benoit simply because I felt more in tune with his character, being this guy that was exceptional in his own way but constantly overshadowed by people with other talents. That is, of course, until he finally got his time in the sun. It was a great story from that perspective.