Will Chris Benoit ever be inducted in the the WWE Hall of Fame?

[Schoolboy-Chris]

Wow, I am loving this thread, nothing seems to generate a buzz around a topic like controversy.

I do not think that Chris Benoit will be inducted into the HOF in the forseeable future, for a number of reasons. Firstly is that unless WWE changes drastically it is going to remina as it is now, a very public company that strives its utmost to keep the fans happy and content. For the WWE to draw attention to the Benoit tragedy once again would be a mistake, since it cast such a negative light on the company and the entire industry when the Benoit case occurred. The WWE will be afraid that people will think they are absolving Benoit of guilt, even if they are only attempting to reward his achievements in the ring while ignoring his life outside it.

In my opinion Benoit would have been a sure thing for a HOF nomination were it not for his alleged crimes, since he had a career that is still looked ona s one of the best in wrestling history. It is a sad fact however, that Benoit's choices outside the ring will forever overshadow what he achieved throughout his career. People claim that he was in no fit state of mind when he committed his terrible crimes, but the fact is that many people will still condemn him in spite of this. I find this sad, and would rather remember Benoit how he was in the ring and forget any mistakes that he may have made. It is difficult to judge at the moment since the topic is still relatively fresh. Also there is no precedent that I know of, no case before this that is compareable to Benoits, so it is hard to say how long people will even continue to discuss it.

The popularity of this thread and the dissenting opinions expressed make a huge case that it is too controversial a decision to make at this time, or any time in the near future. So no, I do not think Benoit will be inducted to the Hall of Fame, if his unfortunate actions are somehow forgotten however, I think he deserves to be inducted some day.

 

[Davi323]

No. Chris Benoit will never get into the WWE Hall of Fame. While his actual in ring accomplishments might merit induction (I think its debatable, he certainly wouldn't have been a lock like HHH, HBK or Undertaker), the double murder-suicide ended ANY chance. You simply cannot induct someone who killed his family and then committed suicide. You just can't. The negative press would not be worth it, not even close.

 

[Proof]

Chris Benoit did more damage than good to the industry. Before the murders, Benoit was losing to The Miz and MVP. The only impact he had was the murders and it was a negative one. There is no way in hell Benoit will ever get inducted anywhere.

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What's been proven? He never faced trial. What ever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? He can't be proven guilty or not guilty, because he took his own life.

Look, I'm not saying he didn't do it. I think he probably did, considering all the evidence. But the evidence has never truly been tested, because there can't be a court-case. There are no witnesses either, so all anyone is stuck with is probable guilt.

You can't just say that he's guilty because the police say so. Many times, innocent people are suspected of crime by police. According to statistics, 90% of murders are committed by a family or friend, so the police always suspect them first. In this case, they would immediately suspect Benoit, and have no reason to think otherwise. But again, the police aren't perfect. Also, a couple of things don't add up. Firstly, evidence was apparently tampered with, which could have affected the investigation. Also, Kevin Sullivan, Nancy's ex-husband, who would normally be a suspect, was not even interviewed by police. Why not at least check his alibi? I'm not accussing Sullivan, but it seems that the cops had already made up their mind.

I just hope that if any new evidence, or new twists in the case emerge, the police will investigate it, rather than write it off as just a "wrestler" dying.

I love it when people behind a computer think they know more than professionals that have been trained for years... It makes me giggle sometimes.

It's absolutely insane how ignorant all of you are being. Tests were conducted on Benoit's brain by Julian Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University, and results showed that "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient." Wrestling destroyed Benoit's mind and you people calling him a coward and a heartless murderer are either really sick individuals, don't believe in medical science, or are too lazy to look anything up before you start spouting your half-witted vitriol (how does murder and suicide make someone a coward anyway? You can't throw a word around that has no practical application to the matter).

It was a tragic event, and the peak of irony since it was Benoit's full devotion to professional wrestling that ultimately destroyed him in such a way that he will never get any credit for what he accomplished. Should he go into the HOF, sure, but it wouldn't be for a long time down the road when people are more comfortable with the facts of the tragedy and appreciating him on his career, not his personal life. Even then, with fans like WWE has, that might never happen until after our deaths, if at all.

You do realize that no one forced Chris Benoit to wrestle. No one forced him to take those bumps and those chair shots.. No one forced him to take steroids.. Chris Benoit was a grown ass MAN. He knew what he was doing. You think his daddy forced him to do all of this? No.. It's like a drunk driver. If a drunk driver hits some kid, who do you think is responsible? The drunk driver. No one forced him to drink, right? He drank and knew the consequences. Stop the excuses. You act like Benoit was a ten year old kid. We are talking about a grown man. Benoit is responsible for what he did and should be erased from the history books.

And Benoit had a huge impact on the business and generations of wrestlers. But again, because you're probably fucking sixteen and don't even realize that Benoit was already a worldwide famed wrestler before he ever even came to the WWE, you probably wouldn't know that.
.

You need to calm down. We are discussing PRO WRESTLING...for God sakes. I've never seen someone take pro wrestling so seriously. You act like Benoit had such a huge impact. I really want to know the impact he had. I doubt a man with such a great impact would have been drafted to ECW to help the younger talent. They wouldn't treat someone like Cena like that... Cena in a couple of years accomplished more than Benoit did in his 20+ year career. The only impact he had was during his final days and it a negative one.

 

[johnsmynystry78]

ok..here it folks...i love these threads...keep the controversey coming...


Had the WWE not taken the approach they did to the situation...then he might've had a chance...But they took the coward's way out of erasing Benoit from the history books which is wrong....Very wrong...Granted I no way in any shape or form condone what Benoit did...But you can't just erase history, whether you like it or not...Its like the NAACP trying to erase the confederate flag and the whole civil war..u just can't do it..it happened(and this is coming from a black man)That being said the WWE should've have praised his in ring accomplishments...Would they have done that...It might of took some of the pressure off the whole situation...ppl who have no clue to wrestling might have understood him a little..had the WWE played up his accomplishments and the fact that he was a troubled person..but tried his best to focus on his work..wrestling...But sadly WWE chose to forget about him completely

All they had to do was seperate the two and it would have worked...As a counselor to professional athletes, actors, singers. and yes wrestlers...and having grown up around the wrestling business...Benoit's in ring work would have carried him past what he did....He was a hell of a worker...Gave it his all and then some..Had the WWE chosen to praise that person....

They took the cowards way out and burried Benoit as such a bad person...When the reality of it is...All Benoit did was let his demons get the best of him...something that we as ppl do everyday...its just he was on a larger scale...

Benoit was a hell of a human being...Kind and generous...But knowone knows what he was really thinking but him..Please face that fact...Just look at your own friends people...you do not know what is going on in their heads 24hrs a day...Someone is hot one minute and cold the next... We can't control that...


We need to realize that these wrestlers..all of them...put themselves through hardships they we will never know...Remember...we the fans ask thses wrestlers to go out and hurt themselves everynight...We the fans who cheer for our favorite wrestler ask them to leave their families and go on the road...So in some sense we have a responsibility in this too...

Think about it...ECW...(extreme..not when it started off as eastern)..only thrived beacuse the following of fans wanted to see the blood...the gore...the barbwire matchs....The fans asked those wrestlers to go out and basically mutilate their body....

Benoit was no exception to this....Yes every choice was ultimately made by Benoit...But they were choices made with the mindframe of will the fans be happy....Perfect example...Mick Foley..When Taker' threw him off the cage he was broken bad...but all he cared about was making sure the FANS were happy...how crazy is that...

So b4 most of you condem Benoit just look at the facts...All the chair shots to the head..all the headbutts....it took its toll on Benoit...And Benoit was not the type of person to wear his emotions on his shoulder..or let you know when he was in pain..be it physical or emotional....Now how many of us know someone like that....

So it is with a heavy heart that i say No...Benoit will never get in the WWE hall of fame..And really its sad..What he did outside the ring will forever overshadow his accomplishments in the ring....Had Benoit just killed himself..then he might have a chance...but involving his son is what sealed his fate...

The WWE has to stay way from the negative publicity...And the natural human emotion will be to condem the WWE for praising a child murder...Benoit will never be in..but in a way that might be a good thing...its just like someone said earlier...The WWE HoF is just a joke anyway...its all about Vince being able to make money...

and ps..to let you all know..the real HoF..the Prof..Wrestling HoF..did conduct a meeting on whether or not to induct Benoit...And while many on the comittee were all for inducting him based on his in ring wrestling work, the general consesus was a no because of the negative publicity they would recieve...

 

[johnsmynystry78]

Chris Benoit did more damage than good to the industry. Before the murders, Benoit was losing to The Miz and MVP. The only impact he had was the murders and it was a negative one. There is no way in hell Benoit will ever get inducted anywhere.

You need to calm down. We are discussing PRO WRESTLING...for God sakes. I've never seen someone take pro wrestling so seriously. You act like Benoit had such a huge impact. I really want to know the impact he had. I doubt a man with such a great impact would have been drafted to ECW to help the younger talent. They wouldn't treat someone like Cena like that... Cena in a couple of years accomplished more than Benoit did in his 20+ year career. The only impact he had was during his final days and it a negative one.

And thanks to that loss..The Miz and MVP made their names off Benoit..Which is was a good wrestler does...help the younger talent get established...DUH!!! Look how many times the Undertaker has lost to younger talent..helping them establish themselves....

Pro Wrestling is serious business to real serious fans..who eat live and breath wrestling...I won't argue your opinions...but i will state facts that you should know in order to formulate your opinion...Benoit first impact was in ECW. Along with Rey and Tazz and other smaller wrestlers he help establish the smaller wrestler over the bigger...Spike dudly would have been nothing if not for Benoit..He goes to WCW and makes an impact like no other...A workhorse wrestler the like knowone has seen since Nikita Koloff..His matches with Kevin Sullivan and Booker T are history makers...and I won't even go into the impact he had wth the reforming of the Horsemen...

WWE snatches him up and turns up the notch for him...he makes a good impact and goes on to accomplish his dreams and actually win the Heavyweight belt...So Benoits impacts were illustrious over his career..and he made those impacts...

To let you know....Cena's accomplishments came because he was handpicked to be the next star...Its easy to accomplish things when you have things laid out for you...look at Cena's first big macth..against the Undertaker...The whole "ruthless aggression" thing...From then on...they pushed Cena and pushed Cena...

 

[X]

You need to calm down. We are discussing PRO WRESTLING...for God sakes. I've never seen someone take pro wrestling so seriously. You act like Benoit had such a huge impact. I really want to know the impact he had. I doubt a man with such a great impact would have been drafted to ECW to help the younger talent. They wouldn't treat someone like Cena like that... Cena in a couple of years accomplished more than Benoit did in his 20+ year career. The only impact he had was during his final days and it a negative one.

Again, are you people fucking ******ed? Are you not aware of the event known as Wrestlemania 20? The man was picked to go over HBK and Triple H, two of the biggest stars in wrestling history, at the biggest show of them all, Wrestlemania, in the most famous arena on the planet, Madison Square Garden, with 50,000+ people chanting his name through out the entire match. And he didn't have an impact on the industry? Err, are you huffing gasoline or are you just purposely being ignorant?

 

[gd]

The issue actually seems pretty cut and dry to me. Benoit was certainly one of the best wrestlers of all time. World titles in multiple combanies. Great in ring worker. Multitude of high quality feuds and matches. Also, I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread yet, but I believe he won the World Title at WM 20 in Madison Square Garden, which was the biggest Wrestlemania of all time to that point. I'd say that's a pretty big deal.

Having said that, no way Benoit will be in the HOF nor does he deserve to be in any time in the forseeable future. Regardless of what he did throughout his career, the fact remains that Benoit murdered two people, a woman and a child. Even with all of the steroids and pills that may have clouded his mind, there is no possible excuse for what he did. Putting Benoit in the HOF would be a terrible move and a complete public relations disaster for the WWE.

 

[Vintage Nick]

Christ, how many times has this kind of thread been made? Ok, my opinions:

1) Does he deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? The HoF is made to recognize the Abilities and things wrestlers have accomplished during their career. Do I see Benoit in it? Not until the media stops deciding to bullshit and find controversy in everything. Benoit has done spectacular things during his career in the WWE, but for now he doesn't need to be near the Hall of Fame. Not yet.

2) You all that are saying stuff like, "Benoit is a sick, murderous bastard", "He should burn in Hell", and even, "OK why not give Hitler medals then?" need to shut the fuck up. You all act as if Benoit knew he was consciously murdering his wife and kid. He wasn't. That fateful weekend, he was suffering and going through a lot of shit. After an autopsy report was finally released, they revealed he had the brain of an "80-year old Alzheimer's patient" and possibly even suffered dementia. The man's brain was damaged, and his friends were dying left and right. Like him or not, we're all human and we all have a breaking point that will make us snap. I did not approve of the murders, but I do not wish the man to "burn in hell" because he was not doing it consciously or with intent. Benoit was fucked up in the head because he sacrificed his own health for the sport he loved the most.

 

[Proof]

And thanks to that loss..The Miz and MVP made their names off Benoit..Which is was a good wrestler does...help the younger talent get established...DUH!!! Look how many times the Undertaker has lost to younger talent..helping them establish themselves....

Pro Wrestling is serious business to real serious fans..who eat live and breath wrestling...I won't argue your opinions...but i will state facts that you should know in order to formulate your opinion...Benoit first impact was in ECW. Along with Rey and Tazz and other smaller wrestlers he help establish the smaller wrestler over the bigger...Spike dudly would have been nothing if not for Benoit..He goes to WCW and makes an impact like no other...A workhorse wrestler the like knowone has seen since Nikita Koloff..His matches with Kevin Sullivan and Booker T are history makers...and I won't even go into the impact he had wth the reforming of the Horsemen...

WWE snatches him up and turns up the notch for him...he makes a good impact and goes on to accomplish his dreams and actually win the Heavyweight belt...So Benoits impacts were illustrious over his career..and he made those impacts...

.

Benoit only jobbed to The Miz.. There was no program. That match didn't elevate him. MVP is a jobber now. Mysterio had more to do with that than Benoit. Mysterio is actually a small wrestler. Benoit seemed like an average sized wrestler. Benoit didn't have a positive impact. I don't know why keep bringing up his supposedly amazing impact.

Again, are you people fucking ******ed? Are you not aware of the event known as Wrestlemania 20? The man was picked to go over HBK and Triple H, two of the biggest stars in wrestling history, at the biggest show of them all, Wrestlemania, in the most famous arena on the planet, Madison Square Garden, with 50,000+ people chanting his name through out the entire match. And he didn't have an impact on the industry? Err, are you huffing gasoline or are you just purposely being ignorant?

I thought everyone knew by now that Benoits reign was a token. It was actually in a arena capable of holding 20,000 people. Plus you had Takers return, Rock and Foley wrestling, and this whole "where it all begins again" (or something like that) gimmick. He was given a nice little token for his hard work. They had to make the match a triple threat because of Benoits inability to draw. Once Benoit went over Shawn and HHH, he was reduced to wrestling all time greats such as Rhyno, Sylvan Grenier, Kane, and my favorite, Eugene. The guy was a midcarder while he was the world champion. HBK/HHH took over because 1. Benoits reign was a token. 2. Vince probably didn't have faith in him to carry the show. Benoit almost lost the world title to Eugene. That's how much they cared about him. He was never going to win the world title again and I knew he wasn't going to. I got to give it to Vince. Giving someone so uncharismatic and boring a token reign, risking millions of dollars just to give a guy a sign of appreciation, ect..Benoit had no impact. He is overrated and is best known for murdering his own family.

 

[The Champ]

I think we all know that the answer to this question is no. I completely understand that Chris Benoit was an internet favorite for his entire career, he put on many classic matches that would have been re-watchable over and over again long after he had retired. His impact certainly cannot be denied, but his ultimate impact on this world is taking two innocent lives as well as his own, and giving WWE arguably the worst press they've had in the history of their existence. Within those three days, the guy basically erased everything he had done for twenty years and made a far more significant impact on the wrestling business as a whole, albeit a completely negative one. I also realize that the argument is always, "Benoit the wrestler should be separated from Benoit the person." At the end of the day, though, they were the same guy, and the hate WWE would get for inducting a criminal and a murderer into their Hall of Fame would be enormous and not even close to being worth it.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Benoit only jobbed to The Miz.. There was no program. That match didn't elevate him. MVP is a jobber now. Mysterio had more to do with that than Benoit. Mysterio is actually a small wrestler. Benoit seemed like an average sized wrestler. Benoit didn't have a positive impact. I don't know why keep bringing up his supposedly amazing impact.






I thought everyone knew by now that Benoits reign was a token. It was actually in a arena capable of holding 20,000 people. Plus you had Takers return, Rock and Foley wrestling, and this whole "where it all begins again" (or something like that) gimmick. He was given a nice little token for his hard work. They had to make the match a triple threat because of Benoits inability to draw. Once Benoit went over Shawn and HHH, he was reduced to wrestling all time greats such as Rhyno, Sylvan Grenier, Kane, and my favorite, Eugene. The guy was a midcarder while he was the world champion. HBK/HHH took over because 1. Benoits reign was a token. 2. Vince probably didn't have faith in him to carry the show. Benoit almost lost the world title to Eugene. That's how much they cared about him. He was never going to win the world title again and I knew he wasn't going to. I got to give it to Vince. Giving someone so uncharismatic and boring a token reign, risking millions of dollars just to give a guy a sign of appreciation, ect..Benoit had no impact. He is overrated and is best known for murdering his own family.

1. Nobody cared about the Foley/Rock vs Evolution match. Benoit had the match of the night with HHH and HBK and got the spotlight he so rightfully deserved. We could talk about Guerrero's reign being a token one but that's not what is being discussed.

2. HHH and HBK wanted to have the spotlight all to themselves and hogged the spotlight in a boring feud while Benoit put on great matches with both them and even Kane. Benoit could wrestle circles around anyone in his prime and one of the best wrestlers to ever stop foot in a ring. FACT.

 

[The Champ]

People trying to deny Benoit's impact as a wrestler is rather baffling to me, he obviously did have a profound impact simply based on his work in the ring. This impact was outweighed significantly by the impact of him murdering his own family, but it certainly existed at one point in time. He was considered a surefire Hall of Famer by experts in the business and was inducted to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame before he even won the world title. Many aspiring wrestlers had him as their idol because of how hard he worked and how much he valued respect. And the vast majority did respect him before he did what he did, he was one of the most respected men in the entire industry. Just because he only had one relatively short world title reign does not mean that the man did not have an impact based on his wrestling abilities.

 

[Proof]

1. Nobody cared about the Foley/Rock vs Evolution match. Benoit had the match of the night with HHH and HBK and got the spotlight he so rightfully deserved. We could talk about Guerrero's reign being a token one but that's not what is being discussed.

2. HHH and HBK wanted to have the spotlight all to themselves and hogged the spotlight in a boring feud while Benoit put on great matches with both them and even Kane. Benoit could wrestle circles around anyone in his prime and one of the best wrestlers to ever stop foot in a ring. FACT.

How can you say no one cared about Rock/Foley? This is The Rock we are talking about here. I remember reading somewhere that Benoits match was the third or fourth most anticipated match. I don't know where they based this on and how credible it is.. And I still don't see how Guerreros reign was a token, when he was going to win his SECOND WORLD TITLE. That's like saying HBKs reigns were all tokens...

How do you know HHH and HBK wanted to hog the spotlight? I dont care how good Benoit was, he was uncharismatic, looked like someone that worked at Taco Bell, plain, boring, 0 mic skills, ect...HBK and HHH are on a whole different level. Benoit is below both of them. Wrestling isn't a sport. It's a business. Putting on "great" (boring) matches with Kane while the crowd was dead can't be good. I remember La Resistance being cheered over Benoit and Edge one time while Benoit was the world champ. Would have been different if he faced someone respected, but La Resistance?

 

[Razor]

This thread is full of bullshit. The very bullshit that will keep Chris Benoit from ever getting into the Hall of Fame.

Benoit lived to entertain us all. He did so as a professional wrestler, a job that comes with getting injured. Concussions and broken limbs are a part of the business.

Benoit, through years of working for us, got many concussions. His brain was certifiable mush. Autopsies show he had the brain of an 80 year old with Dementia. Benoit was not a fully functioning individual that night.

I mean, come on. He placed bibles next to his dead family. He obviously collapsed mentally, and was very afraid of what was happening to him. He couldn't explain it, but he was afraid of the world. So afraid that he wanted his family free from the Hell. He sent them to Heaven.

Sure, it doesn't make sense to people who are completely sane. But Benoit was not. He was fucking mentally ill. He wasn't thinking. He wasn't even functioning. And so people like you in this thread treat him as a murderer. He was insane.

And instead of taking this instance of insanity and using it to help gain acceptance and treatment for illness both physical and mental, the WWE has chosen to expounge Benoit from the history. Instead of understanding why Benoit did what he did and working to keep others from doing the same thing, we have chosen as a society to shun the mentally ill.

Benoit will not get into the Hall of Fame. That would require people to accept mental illness and not demonize it.

 

[The Champ]

This thread is full of bullshit. The very bullshit that will keep Chris Benoit from ever getting into the Hall of Fame.

Benoit lived to entertain us all. He did so as a professional wrestler, a job that comes with getting injured. Concussions and broken limbs are a part of the business.

Benoit, through years of working for us, got many concussions. His brain was certifiable mush. Autopsies show he had the brain of an 80 year old with Dementia. Benoit was not a fully functioning individual that night.

To be honest, the concussions really didn't have to happen, the dude should have been a lot smarter with the way he took bumps. You're talking about a guy who had no problem taking chair shots to the back of the head, which severely damages your brain, and who did a diving headbutt every night for years. Not exactly the smartest choices there. Yes, he busted his ass to entertain us, but we've got to put some things in perspective here. Regardless of what his motivations were, his actions resulted in the loss of two innocent lives from this world, that of a woman who loved him and that of an innocent little boy who could have grown up to be just like his dad. Instead, they're all gone, and people ignore the fact that Benoit ever existed. Why? Because not every wrestler who busts his ass to entertain the fans ends up murdering his own family.

I mean, come on. He placed bibles next to his dead family. He obviously collapsed mentally, and was very afraid of what was happening to him. He couldn't explain it, but he was afraid of the world. So afraid that he wanted his family free from the Hell. He sent them to Heaven.

I've heard this theory before, but I'd like to know how exactly you know this for sure. You don't know what went on inside the guy's head, he might've just completely snapped and wanted to kill some people. None of us will never know exactly what went on in the mind of Chris Benoit on the weekend of June 22-24, except that he took two lives away and then his own. And that is his ultimate lasting legacy, not years of success in a fake sport. And I'm not dissing wrestling there, but when you put it into the perspective of human lives, that's ultimately what it is. A fake sport, and something that is far less precious than a seven year old child who never thought his father would do anything to hurt him.

And instead of taking this instance of insanity and using it to help gain acceptance and treatment for illness both physical and mental, the WWE has chosen to expounge Benoit from the history. Instead of understanding why Benoit did what he did and working to keep others from doing the same thing, we have chosen as a society to shun the mentally ill.

Benoit will not get into the Hall of Fame. That would require people to accept mental illness and not demonize it.

Benoit is shunned from history because of the media backlash that would ensue if he was honored in any way. Plain and simple. WWE is a business and they have to do what is right for business. Honoring and revering a murderer as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time is not smart business. And they've loosened up a little bit as of late, I bought the WrestleMania magazine and he's listed in the match results, unlike with last year's where they completely ignore him. It may seem like a small thing, but this is something that is going to take a very long period of time to truly lighten up on, because nobody in the world that hates wrestling wants to see a wrestler who murdered his family be celebrated in any way.

 

[Razor]

To be honest, the concussions really didn't have to happen, the dude should have been a lot smarter with the way he took bumps. You're talking about a guy who had no problem taking chair shots to the back of the head, which severely damages your brain, and who did a diving headbutt every night for years. Not exactly the smartest choices there.

No, but having a brain made of mush isn't exactly a "Oh, well, it's his fault" scenario either.

Yes, he busted his ass to entertain us, but we've got to put some things in perspective here. Regardless of what his motivations were, his actions resulted in the loss of two innocent lives from this world, that of a woman who loved him and that of an innocent little boy who could have grown up to be just like his dad. Instead, they're all gone, and people ignore the fact that Benoit ever existed. Why? Because not every wrestler who busts his ass to entertain the fans ends up murdering his own family.

How is Benoit not an innocent in this issue? He was insane. He absolutely no control over his actions.

I've heard this theory before, but I'd like to know how exactly you know this for sure. You don't know what went on inside the guy's head, he might've just completely snapped and wanted to kill some people. None of us will never know exactly what went on in the mind of Chris Benoit on the weekend of June 22-24, except that he took two lives away and then his own. And that is his ultimate lasting legacy, not years of success in a fake sport. And I'm not dissing wrestling there, but when you put it into the perspective of human lives, that's ultimately what it is. A fake sport, and something that is far less precious than a seven year old child who never thought his father would do anything to hurt him.

We can't defend him, so let's demonize him? Bullshit. It has been medically shown that Benoit had no brain left. How you can blame him for the events of that night I'll never know.

Benoit is shunned from history because of the media backlash that would ensue if he was honored in any way. Plain and simple. WWE is a business and they have to do what is right for business. Honoring and revering a murderer as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time is not smart business. And they've loosened up a little bit as of late, I bought the WrestleMania magazine and he's listed in the match results, unlike with last year's where they completely ignore him. It may seem like a small thing, but this is something that is going to take a very long period of time to truly lighten up on, because nobody in the world that hates wrestling wants to see a wrestler who murdered his family be celebrated in any way.

1) Benoit is no murderer.

2) That is exactly what I'm getting at here. Why would there be a media backlash for using Benoit's death to further aid toward those who are mentally ill and need the help? The media should actually be helping the WWE get that message across. But instead, we get people who choose to demonize everyone who needs help.

 

[The Champ]

No, but having a brain made of mush isn't exactly a "Oh, well, it's his fault" scenario either.

Considering that he made the idiotic decision to take repeated blows to his head throughout his career... Yeah, it kind of is.

How is Benoit not an innocent in this issue? He was insane. He absolutely no control over his actions.

I know that his brain was comparable to 80 year old Alzheimer's patients. I also know that not everyone who has Alzheimer's ends up a murderer, and not everyone who has brain damage ends up a murderer. Also take into account his history of spousal abuse, going all the way back to 2003, and the fact that he was known alongside JBL and Holly as one of the locker room bullies. Let's not pretend that he was the nicest guy in the world just because he had brain damage, and he most certainly had some degree of control over his actions. Brain damage contributed, but couldn't have been the sole factor.

1) Benoit is no murderer.

That statement is just plain denial...

2) That is exactly what I'm getting at here. Why would there be a media backlash for using Benoit's death to further aid toward those who are mentally ill and need the help? The media should actually be helping the WWE get that message across. But instead, we get people who choose to demonize everyone who needs help.

The media is completely blind to wrestling, they look down on it like a circus act and none of them are ever going to willingly try to help the situation. That's not their job anyway, and while I do hate them for having those types of attitudes towards wrestling, WWE is not wrong with trying to deal with them. They're just doing what's right and best for their company.

 

[theBIGdealAndyP]

where the f was Proof and Champycakes yestarday when i needed them? finally, people realizing that this thread has devolved into a pro- con- as to why or why not Schmiss Schmenoit killed his family or not... noone knows, noone, not even the "medical experts", because he was perfectly capable of being a rational human being all the way up to that fateful weekend, which hasn't been brought up this whole time... the kid was dead on saturday morning, the wife that night and him the next day.... there are all sorts of scenarios that couldve played out... the wife mightve killed the kid, so he killed her and himself because he couldnt live with going to prison (hells much better this time of year), or he mightve accidently killed his kid, she found out and was going to turn him in, so he kills her, then himself, who the f knows? he couldve just been roided out of his gord and ready to end it himself (steroids cause depression) and thought he didnt want to put his family through it so in an act of biblical weirdness, left the bibles out so they could all live in heaven (too bad thats not where he ended up) together... once again, NOONE KNOWS!!! so i guess in the long run we are all wrong to base our decision on whether or not he killed himself and/or his family... so with that being said... based on his career alone... i STILL do not think that he deserves his HOF spot... his international and ecw experience doesnt account for a whole lot, maybe to you, but not to the WWE, look at how Bryan Daniel was treated last night on NXT, yeah, he got his match with the world champ, but got beat up in the process and humiliated by the MIZ... the match at WM20 was the go home, which is never the match of the night, but when you involve HBK and HHH then it got carried by them, remember he was out of the ring for like 10 minutes? he made less then 20,000 people chant his name, same as goldust, and paul birchill... he had an impact on certain people (a lotta people on this forum, apparently), but just because he had an impact on you, doesnt mean he made an impact on the WWE grand spectrum... he was given the title only to lose it to RKO, he was nothing more then the Iron Sheik... somebody Vince could trust to test Ortons medal... he did the job, then it was back to the midcard... i know he had an impact on you guys, i know his "technical ability" made you love him, but you know had a major impact on me? Brock Lesnar... i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE brock lesnar, thought he would be "the next big thing" forever, but i dont think he deserves to go in the HOF just because i like him and he won a title... once again, its all about the impact you made on the industry, not how good of a wrestler you are, not how much a small minority of fans liked him... in my opinion, try to use your brain and not your heart when your making this decision, and remember, past accomplishments mean nothing to vince, and he was only an interim champion in WWE and went right back to the mid-card right after that... now i know a lot of midcarders are in the HOF, some deservedly so, some not-so-much, because they made impact on the landscape... look at this years inductee, wendi richter, in the long run- was she a household name? no, but she made a HUGE impact by incorporating mainstream into wrestling and ushering in the era or "rock n wrestlin" what did chris benoit really do that changed the landscape of WWE? once again, pull personal feelings aside for one moment and realize, that other then the negatives, i dont know what impact he had...

 

[Johnny Dangerous]

This damn discussion again?
Ok once and for all he will never ever ever be inducted in the HOF. EVER!
Now with that said if you erase the last few days of his life does he deserve to be inducted?
Yes of course he does. He held numerous titles all over the world and was greatly respected by his peers and fans the world over. And the "How did he change the landscape of pro wrestling?" argument is pointless. How did Greg valentine or Tito Santana or Koko fn B Ware change anything. They didnt but their all in the HOF.
However, you cant erase the last few days of his life.
Whether you believe that he killed his family or not is your prerogative. All evidence points to the fact that he was disturbed and possibly brain damaged. Now whether he knowingly killed his family or not is a question we will never have the true answer to.
But do any of you want to take the chance of honoring a man who could have possibly been responsible for the death of a six year old?
If you were one of Benoits other children would you want the man who killed your little brother honored.
What happened with Chris Benoit was and is tragic. People other than us[his fans] feel this loss a million times more than we do.
And out of respect for every remaining member of Chris and Nancys family, this pointless debate needs to end.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

where the f was Proof and Champycakes yestarday when i needed them? finally, people realizing that this thread has devolved into a pro- con- as to why or why not Schmiss Schmenoit killed his family or not... noone knows, noone, not even the "medical experts", because he was perfectly capable of being a rational human being all the way up to that fateful weekend, which hasn't been brought up this whole time... the kid was dead on saturday morning, the wife that night and him the next day.... there are all sorts of scenarios that couldve played out... the wife mightve killed the kid, so he killed her and himself because he couldnt live with going to prison (hells much better this time of year), or he mightve accidently killed his kid, she found out and was going to turn him in, so he kills her, then himself, who the f knows? he couldve just been roided out of his gord and ready to end it himself (steroids cause depression) and thought he didnt want to put his family through it so in an act of biblical weirdness, left the bibles out so they could all live in heaven (too bad thats not where he ended up) together... once again, NOONE KNOWS!!! so i guess in the long run we are all wrong to base our decision on whether or not he killed himself and/or his family... so with that being said... based on his career alone... i STILL do not think that he deserves his HOF spot... his international and ecw experience doesnt account for a whole lot, maybe to you, but not to the WWE, look at how Bryan Daniel was treated last night on NXT, yeah, he got his match with the world champ, but got beat up in the process and humiliated by the MIZ... the match at WM20 was the go home, which is never the match of the night, but when you involve HBK and HHH then it got carried by them, remember he was out of the ring for like 10 minutes? he made less then 20,000 people chant his name, same as goldust, and paul birchill... he had an impact on certain people (a lotta people on this forum, apparently), but just because he had an impact on you, doesnt mean he made an impact on the WWE grand spectrum... he was given the title only to lose it to RKO, he was nothing more then the Iron Sheik... somebody Vince could trust to test Ortons medal... he did the job, then it was back to the midcard... i know he had an impact on you guys, i know his "technical ability" made you love him, but you know had a major impact on me? Brock Lesnar... i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE brock lesnar, thought he would be "the next big thing" forever, but i dont think he deserves to go in the HOF just because i like him and he won a title... once again, its all about the impact you made on the industry, not how good of a wrestler you are, not how much a small minority of fans liked him... in my opinion, try to use your brain and not your heart when your making this decision, and remember, past accomplishments mean nothing to vince, and he was only an interim champion in WWE and went right back to the mid-card right after that... now i know a lot of midcarders are in the HOF, some deservedly so, some not-so-much, because they made impact on the landscape... look at this years inductee, wendi richter, in the long run- was she a household name? no, but she made a HUGE impact by incorporating mainstream into wrestling and ushering in the era or "rock n wrestlin" what did chris benoit really do that changed the landscape of WWE? once again, pull personal feelings aside for one moment and realize, that other then the negatives, i dont know what impact he had...

1. His international experience does count for a lot and it is stupid to think otherwise. Antonio Inoki is going into the hall of fame and he made his name internationally as well. Benoit had an impact in wrestling overseas and in the United States. He, Angle, and Jericho brought wrestling back from the shit known as the Attitude Era with countless great matches they had against one another.

2. For the last damn time, he was not given the world title just to lose to Orton. That's just dumbassery on your part. Lesnar left and they wanted to have a new youngest heavyweight champion ever and they chose Orton. Benoit made Orton look like gold in that match which he pretty much did to everybody he faced. MVP was great when he was fighting Benoit and has looked like shit since.

3. How do you figure past accomplishments in the ring mean nothing to Vince? It's not all about making an impact. If that's the case, what is the impact Koko B. Ware made in the impact? If you choose not to answer that, then your post amounts to shit.

 

[thedriffter50]

I think he shouldn't be inducted because what he did was sickening killing his wife and helpless son but erasing history is 100% wrong...wrong because we all saw history...history shouldn't be re written...I guess the most Chris Benoit ( makes me sick saying his name ) can hope for is that WWE are desperate for controversy and just induct him for the hell of it

 

[slimmshady]

Now this is one flaw of sport in general. People should look at an individual's contribution to the sport and their success, regardless of what they have done in their personal life. I believe that chris benoit as the "rabid wolverine" he was in the ring, deserves a place in the HOF. He was one of the best if not the best at submission and mat moves and if eddie guerrero got his place in the HOF class, then there is no real reason why benoit shouldn't get. The same thing is happening to tiger woods at the moment, one mistake in his personal life means that his entire legacy is shattered to pieces. You know, it was truly saddening for me that his name was never mentioned again in the wwe nor did he receive a memorial or anything.

 

[reddevil69]

Now this is one flaw of sport in general. People should look at an individual's contribution to the sport and their success, regardless of what they have done in their personal life. I believe that chris benoit as the "rabid wolverine" he was in the ring, deserves a place in the HOF. He was one of the best if not the best at submission and mat moves and if eddie guerrero got his place in the HOF class, then there is no real reason why benoit shouldn't get. The same thing is happening to tiger woods at the moment, one mistake in his personal life means that his entire legacy is shattered to pieces. You know, it was truly saddening for me that his name was never mentioned again in the wwe nor did he receive a memorial or anything.

Benoit gave up all rights to be honored by his peers and fans when he took the life of a woman and in innocent child..period. Like I've said before let's see you or anyone else go and tell Nancy Toffoloni's family that the man who took their daughter and grandson from them should be given a place in a Hall of honor and respect.

and as far as Tiger Wood's goes, one infidelity means you're human and made a mistake, twelve infidelities means you have no respect for your wife and children and the only reason he feels bad and apologized is because he got caught. If you want to go and screw every woman available to you then there is something called "don't get married"...period end of story. There is no honor in what he did, great golfer or not.

 

[Bats]

first off, yes Benoit was a grown as man and he made his own decisions to get whacked in the head with chairs and fly off the ropes. But, theres no possible way he could've known in advance that these actions would end up turning his brain to mush and cause the murder of his family. Alot of posters are acting as if wrestling comes with a warning label "Warning, becoming a professional wrestler may result in the murder of your family and reputation, suicide and mental illness"

The people against putting Chris Benoit in the HoF are acting as if those that are for it are saying "Lets honor Chris Benoit the person" no we're saying honor his contributions, also, just because there are alzheimers patients and brain damaged people that don't murder is no argument against an insane, brain damaged person that did...

Benoit's brain damage went completely unchecked, and was intensified by steroids. That's a bit different from old grandma in the nursing home being provided for. Why do they send alzheimers, brain damaged and dementia patients to homes and what not? Because they can be a danger to themselves and others due to their mental illness. No, what he did wasn't right, and if he was in his right mind he wouldn't have murdered anyone.

Stating that we'll never know what went on that house as a defense, then going on to call the guy a "locker room bully" and a "wife beater" as if you were really there to see him beat his wife or bully other wrestlers is counterproductive and contradictory. The bottom line is, all of the proof shows that the man went nuts and killed his family. The man went nuts, trying to measure how nuts he went and if it was nuts enough to kill is ridiculous.

Nancy family arent the only victims in this case, Chris Benoit and his family all share the same fate.

No, Chris Benoit will never be in the HoF. It would be an utter media relations disaster, but he does deserve it.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Pete Rose is not in a legitimate Hall of Fame, in a sport that most people care about, because of gambling. Do you really think that Benoit will get in to the WWE HOF (which literally means nothing)?

First, I love Benoit as a wrestler. He was probably one of the best pure wrestlers of all time, but through WWE eyes I don't think he really did anything to be put in the HOF. HOF is supposed to be about dominating guys, or guys you remember because of specific matches and/or gimmicks. Benoit was extremely bland. To an average wrestling fan he probably wasn't a big deal. I just don't think it would bring much interest and through WWEs eyes, even without the murders, I don't think they would select him.

Now, moving on the the fact that he is publicly known as a wrestler murdered his wife and kid, then committed suicide...and less known as a guy who stole another guys wife...there is NO WAY they would put him in. As soon as they did, headlines would say "WWE Inducts Murderer Into HOF." Remember, WWE is a public company now. What they do impacts their stock and they have to answer to shareholders.

Based on Benoits career I don't think he's in (but he should be).
Based on the fact that he committed murder he's not in.
Based on the fact that there would be negative stock reactions he's not in.

I'm sorry, as pretty much everyone in this thread has stated...Chris Benoit will NOT be inducted in the HOF.