Would Chris Benoit be a multi-time World Heavyweight Champion if he were alive today?

[undertaker fan]

What I mean do you think he would stay in the mainevent or drop to upper mid card level and challenge for the united states chamionnship again. I think most definetly he would be at the lowest a 3 time world champion by now including the 1 he already had. So do you think he would be a upper mid carder with a few more united states championships to his name or do you think he would be a true main eventer with multiple world championioship to his name.

 

[proofinlife]

What I mean do you think he would stay in the mainevent or drop to upper mid card level and challenge for the united states chamionnship again. I think most definetly he would be at the lowest a 3 time world champion by now including the 1 he already had. So do you think he would be a upper mid carder with a few more united states championships to his name or do you think he would be a true main eventer with multiple world championioship to his name.

Touchy subject. Most people tend to turn this into a "CHRIS BENOIT IS A MONSTER" whenever they see legit discussion about him. But... back on topic.

Benoit, along with Malenko both hold warm spots in my heart because of their fantastic wrestling styles. Sure, neither men had the charisma, but they had the stones and the abilities.

From what I remember, Benoit was slated to win the ECW Championship the night the murders happened, so that was obviously in the books for him to be a champ there.

What I think is Benoit was being groomed to be an agent for the young guys in ECW and Smackdown roster, so eventually they would have turned him down quite a bit to phase him out and do that part time routine like Malenko used to before he took on the 100% Road Agent role.

In Today's WWE, the only guy Benoit would have a good feud with is Shawn Michaels and maybe Triple H Again. Maybe even possibly part of Orton's punting angle, but otherwise I couldn't have seen Benoit hold the title for anything longer than a night as a transitional champion to get over the next guy in line, or whoever he was feuding with that had the title.

However, if they kept him in the upper mid-card in the US Division, he could've brought some major credibility back to that belt (Yes, the titles are props and credibility is out the window, but who cares, we're fans, right?) and have it as well known of a name as the IC Belt has for over 30 years. Benoit would have done a great job in that; the US Belt lost all credibility when Cena turned it into a spinner and JBL "Blew it up" in the garbage can on Smackdown.

So to directly answer the question, MAYBE only one World/WWE Title run left that would have been transitional, and a solid run with the US Belt before being phased out.

 

[XgringolocoX]

No. I don't think Benoit would have been given either the WWE or WHC title again. He was to be the veteran on ECW working with all those young up n comers. Sure he'd have a few WWECW titles to his credit but that's hardly the same thing now isn't?
Should everything today be the same I don't see Benoit working in the ME scene. Solid mid-card for sure, and maybe work as a ME enhancement but no title reigns. WWE just never had the confidence in Benoit to be that guy. Once for the WM moment with EG and that was all.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I have no doubt in my mind that he would have been a multiple time champion. He was going to be the ECW Champion before the tragedy and I believe he would have been a world champion on Smackdown. Just think of the matches he could have had with a heel Punk and Jericho and he could have developed McIntyre and Morrison. He could have helped out ECW a ton and restored credibility to that belt that it needed. Benoit always was over with the crowd and I wouldn't see that changing.

 

[Remix]

Well, if we count the ECW championship, then yes. It was clear that he was going to win it (Stephanie McMahon confirmed it afterwards). However, if we dont (because it's not on the same level of importance) then I doubt it. Benoit was in the stage of his career where he's about helping other stars up the card, rather than advancing his own career. I'm guessing that Johnny Nitro and CM Punk at the very least would have had programmes with him (the latter definately for the belt, the former probably not), and the Hart Dynasty probably would have associated with him if he was still around aswell.

ECW was the best place for him, especially as it eventually became the shallow end of WWE's big pool (developmental being the training pool, the indies being paddling pools) where his talents of dragging good matches out of anybody and working with them would have enhanced their career (a past his prime Chris Benoit still has a lot of kayfabe credability) and have tought them alot.

 

[Ducey13]

Unfortunitally my answer is no, I don't think he would have won multiple World Titles. He would have fallen back into the Upper Midcard level again. Like stated above, I could see some US or IC title wins or the ECW Championship or some more Tag Titles, but not the Wolrd Heavyweight or WWE Championship. He might have wrestled some main events matches against the champions to put them over on Raw or Smackdown but I doubt WWE would have let him be THE MAN again. He just didn't have the personality WWE wants their Champs to have.

Now IMO Chris Benoit SHOULD have been a multiple time World Champion. Outstanding wrestlers who was over and could put on awesome matches. Just cause a guy is horrible on the mic doesn't mean they don't deserve to be Champ. Its a HUGE negative, but Wrestling is Still Wrestling. Benoit Vs Angle was Classic. Benoit Vs Guerrero, Vs Jericho, Vs HBK, Vs HHH. Benoit would have been great against the new guys too like Punk and Morrison. Its asham what happened. I truely beleive he was suffering from mental illness and can't be held accountable for his actions. God Bless Chris Benoit and the rest of the Benoit family

 

[wrestling fan 666]

The question: do you think he'd become a multi-time heavyweight champion? No. Could he have been one, yes. He was slated to win the ECW title. As we all know, the careers of former champions have been upper mid-card at best after losing the belts.

I think he could've easily had another good run with the belt. At least give the champs a good run for their money. I don't think WWE knew exactly how to use his talents. He could've been a good money maker for them.

The whole thing is a tragedy. I taped the special RAW tribute show and looking back, it's amazing how this all could've happened. Sadly, his legacy will be marred for good.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I think Benoit would have had one last run with a World level belt... probably going out to Orton's punt or a returning Jericho... but Vince would have probably gone with the "he had his mania moment...thats enough".. mentality and not pushed him heavily again...

its all conjecture really.. Eddie was gonna win a title, all it meant was they latched that push onto Rey... with no replacement for Benoit, they just reverted to Cena/Trips/Orton... Benoit would not have made a good agent as he was fighing his demons long before he got to ECW... for any of this to have come to pass... Eddie had to live... he didn't... nuff said...

 

[kobrad]

First off i just want to say that i LOVE Benoit but....

Benoit would never of had another title run. Here's why

After his title run he was pretty much thrown away. Not saying he didn have an impact but you could tell he was being shoved down. He eventually was pushed away to ECW and i think he would either be in some sort of tag team at this moment or still in ECW with Regal to try and get WWE NXT going in the right direction

 

[Proof]

No way. His first reign was a token and was demoted to jobbing to the Miz and MVP and jobbed clean to Edge. He jobbed to Batista clean in January of 05 when Batista was just a big body guard. He was sent to ECW to help the young guys for God sakes..He certainly wasn't a priority. He peaked in 2004. He was a midcarder for the rest of his career and was left off of many PPVs... The guy was wrestling filler matches on PPVs. I am positive that he was never going to win the world title again. If you count the ECW as a world title, then maybe. I don't think the WWE counts the ECW as a world title anymore... When Edge won the rumble, they didn't even mention that he could wrestle the ECW champion at WM..

 

[OutsiderDX]

Well we can study the past to make assumptions. Realistically Benoit would have been on ECW for atleast a year, i will even say about a year and a half. So going from June 2007 to beginning of 2008. They would maybe have waited after WrestleMania to give ECW a high profile match and its when Vince likes to shake the proverbial porta-potty.

Benoit was moved off Raw, so its a safe bet that he would be moved to Smackdown around April 2008. Undertaker was the WHC champion and got hurt in may, so he had to drop the title. This title would reasonably go to a heel, to set up UT for some revenge matches upon his return. So Benoit would not have won it.

Edge carried the Belt through June when HHH was traded to Smackdown, and he was the WWE champion until November 2008 when Edge won it. I dont think HHH would have dropped the title to Benoit here, because he already did that once, and it would not have been fresh.

Edge, HHH, and Hardy were fueding over the title until early 2009. We know in the early part of the year, the wwe is setting up for WrestleMania and i dont think Benoit would be headlining WM, so he would be out of the picture.

Edge brought the WHC back to Smackdown after Backlash. He carried it until jeff hardy defeated him. But Hardy was just a tool to get Punk over as a heel when he cashed in MITB. Benoit would not have been a sympathic figure to do this.

Hardy did win the belt back a month later, and it is possible that Benoit could have been the man to take the title around July / August 2009.

I think Benoit vs the Taker would have been good, and the title could be involved, even at a WM.

So my conclusion, Benoit would have been ECW champion multiple times, and a very slim possibilty of being WHC as of 2010. But i would guess he would have won the WHC before he retired.

 

[baldjedi]

I do think Benoit would have gotten another title by going to Smackdown again. We all know about Taker getting hurt and HHH moving to Smackdown. Let's say Benoit was on Smackdown, maybe they didn't have to bring in HHH as the face because they could have made Benoit the man on Smackdown. It is a possibility, but on Smackdown there was opportunity for him to get the belt one more time. I definitely could have seen him holding tag team gold again with the right partner. It could have been amazing to see Benoit and Hardy team together, but yes Benoit would have gotten more gold one way or another. R.I.P. to him and his family.

 

[RicSpade]

IMHO I think that Benoit would have been stuck in ECW much like Kurt Angle until Benoit had enough and went to TNA much like Angle and Christian did to prove hey we are main event material and we can go! I mean the best thing Benoit had going for him was the tournament for the ECW title which obviously we all know what happened, but before that the last memorable moment he had was the record setting win to get the US title much like Ultimate Warrior did many Summerslams ago.

My reasoning for saying that he'd either be a ECW main eventer or in TNA is this.
Angle: Shot over to ECW reasoning was "to get people to watch" real reason was they felt he was an injury risk, and obviously he had enough and went to TNA for being frustrated.

CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Kane, Khali, and the Big Show: All these men have something in common while they have had shots at the title they have either A. Fell Short every time, or B. Got Shuffled into Tag team or Mid-Card matches.
CM Punk although has been champion in the last year now is getting shuffled into tag matches, and while he gets WHC matches seems to still lose and get caught in the shuffle. (politics or being in the dog house I'm right)
Rey always seems to fall short, get squashed, or pushed as a tag team partner of a real main eventer look at Batista pre-heel turn, his matches with Taker, the only thing he gets is a win or two over Batista.
Big Show - Stuck in tag team land and they are doing he gets screwed angles now, last real shot he had at the title besides survivor series was Wrestlemania and can you count Survivor Series Main events as legit you had two tag teams facing the champs?
Kane and Khali - Besides ECW when has Kane had a real title shot? and Khali while really a transitional champion he has not done anything worth mentioning next to his dance routine with Rajin Singh and Matt Hardy.
So honestly Benoit if in WWE wouldn't be WHC or WWE champ the only chance he had would've been TNA, and if that was the case then only then would you see Benoit get heavyweight gold again

 

[Via Armbar]

For sure. He would have had his ECW reign adn then probably a World Heavywieght title run or two on Smackdown within a year after his ECW reign. Maybe even a tag title run with somone. But after that i think he would have floated for around the upper midcar for the remainder of his career acting as the guy that took the up and comers to the next level.

So yes a couple runs with that belt, but for not with the WWE Championship.

 

[Dagger Dias]

If Benoit were still alive then I definitely think he would be a multi-time world champion. He would have won the ECW title at Night of Champions, then eventually get drafted back to Smackdown after losing the title to Punk or Morrison. Then after getting back to Smackdown he would eventually have won his second World Heavyweight Championship reign. By now he would be at the very least a 2 time World Heavyweight Champion (not counting the ECW title) if he was still alive because, disregarding the things he did, Benoit was good in the ring and had what it took to be a multi-time world champion.

 

[Miko]

Doubt it, Benoit was very much on the wind down, he was going to win the ECW title I think, but that was mainly so he could hold it until Punk was ready to go over. Benoit was down to the upper mid-card, putting over MVP, and losing to Bobby Lashley, John Cena, Edge and other people like that regularly. Benoit was a terrific worker, but I think WWE gave him his run at the top and just didnt see him as a multi time World Champion.

 

[Tastycles]

No chance. Benoit had turned 40 and had moved to ECW. He was never exactly the most charismatic, and I think that he won the title during a period of experimentation for the company. I think he'd have won the ECW title, but after that I'm not sure he would have done anything of note again. He might have been a multiple midcard title champion in the last few years, but he was basically just around to get people over at this point. Not popular enough and on the wane, I have no conviction whatsoever that he'd have beaten any main event wrestler ever again.

 

[kcordloh]

Given what SmackDown went through with the World Title in mid to late 2007, I wouldn't be surprised if Benoit had been shifted back over there to help carry the brand for a short period of time. However, I wouldn't bank on it.

I honestly think Benoit would have done exactly what Christian has done this past year. Put on good to great matches, help elevate younger talent (Morrison/Punk/Burke at the time), and then switch to another brand.

I think he would have had 2 ECW reigns, and one World/WWE run. The latter would have been a mid-summer feud with John Cena or Edge, two feuds we never got to see. We also never got to see a full fledged multi match feud with Michaels & Orton, and Umaga.

I still miss the guy.. Man was he a preformer

 

[byrnside]

Yeah, I definitely think it's possible for him to have held at least one more major title. It's hard to say how long his career would've gone on for. As someone said before, Chris was slated to win the ECW title the night of the murders. I think he could've gotten at least one more reign as a WWE or World champion as one final thank you before transitioning into an agent.

 

[burningfnhammer]

No. His title run was a one shot deal to appease Chris and the smart fans on the net. He was too uncharasmatic to carry the title again.

 

[justinsayne]

Nah, I doubt it, Benoit wasn't exactly world champion material, unlike guys like Jericho Edge, and Punk Benoit lacked the mic skills and charisma, to really get over with mainstream fans, add that that he didn't have a guy like Triple H, HBK, Taker, or any other big name veteran with pull politicking for him to get another run backstage and his chances of winning another WHC/WWE title are looking pretty slim, if anything I think he would have followed a similar career path as Mysterio, at least title wise, in other words he would have likely challenged for a World title again, but I doubt he'd win it, and the ECW title doesn't count

 

[Mr. TM]

I don't think he would have for one simple reason. He was going to ECW to begin putting over the younger talent. I think that if his mind wasn't gone, as it was reported to have been, I think he knew his retirement was about to happen from the main event. If things were bad for the WWE, I am sure they would have put him in th emain event to make others look good, but I don't think he ever would have won a match.

 

[TheHardyBoyz]

It Was Deffinitley A Tragedy When He Died In 06, Well I Would Think He Wouldn't Gotten A Run With The ECW Championship, At Least 2-3 Times I Think If He Were Still Alive Today He'd Be Still In ECW, Since ECW's Dead I'd Say He'd Got Right Back To Smackdown! And Go After The IC Title.

 

[jmt225]

I don't think there's any reason to believe that he wouldn't be.

Now, what I'm about to say is of course only pure speculation, but at the same time, it makes complete sense and it was the only rumor at the time pertaining to Benoit's role on TV and I haven't read anything different since then: At the time of his death, the rumored plan for Benoit was to go to ECW, win the ECW Title, turn heel, and then get drafted to Raw, where he would get a huge pushed. Now, nothing in the rumor indicated that he was going to become the champion of Raw again, but still... I think if he and Cena were to feud over the title, I believe they would have tossed it around a bit like Cena and Edge did.

So, yeah... I do believe he would have been champion again, and that his supposed heel run would have been successful.

The fact of the matter is, whether you love him or hate him, Benoit was a talented motherfucker, who could work his ass off in that ring. Also, I don't buy into that nonsense that he couldn't cut promos. I always found his promos, especially as a heel, good enough to get the job done in a feud/program, and someone with his in-ring ability... that's all he needed.

 

[Davi323]

I would probably have to say yes as well. While he was never the most charismatic guy on a microphone, his wrestling skills spoke for themselves. Chris Benoit could flat out wrestle better than 90% of any wrestler, any company today. It took him a LONG time to get that recognition from both WCW and the WWE, the fact that he waited so long to get a single world level belt was surprising, at least to me. Even if the WWE only used him as a temporary champ, a transitional champ, he would have held it more times.