| Wrestler: | “The Crippler” Chris Benoit |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Chris Benoit |
| Birthday: | May 21, 1967 |
| Hometown: | Born in Montreal, Quebec Moved to Edmonton, Alberta (age 12) Now residing in Atlanta, Georgia |
| Marital Status: | Divorced from Martina w/Two Children; Married to Nancy w/Child (Daniel). |
| Height & Weight: | 5’11″ – 220 lbs |
| Trained by: | Stu Hart Chic Cullen |
| Debut: | November 22, 1985 in Calgary |
| Previous Names: | Pegasus Kid (Japan) Wild Pegasus (NJPW) The Canadian Crippler |
| Finishing Move: | The Crippler Crossface The Sharpshooter |
| Favorite Moves: | Rolling German Suplex Dragon Suplex Diving Headbutt Snap Suplex Open Hand Chop Release German Suplex Bridging German Suplex Hooking Clothesline Super Powerbomb Wild Bomb Top? Backdrop Suplex Gutwrench Suplex Super Tombstone Piledriver |
Chris Benoit Notable Feuds:
Chris Benoit Title History
The story of “The Canadian Crippler” Chris Benoit is the living, breathing image of a success story turned into pure tragedy. Chris Benoit was born into a loving family but had aspired to become a professional wrestler from a young age. Knowing this, his father, Michael Benoit, bought him his first weight set and Chris quickly began training every day. Chris Benoit’s inspiration for professional wrestling grew from a love of seeing the sport live by his Father and his Grandfather, whom Chris used to travel around Canada with to visit the live events.
Chris had quickly began training to become part of the sport that had seduced him so much, he became wreaking passion for it and still continued to visit the live shows, idolizing his fan-favorite Dynamite Kid Tommy Billington. One day, Chris bucked up the courage, and after a live wrestling event, he knocked on the locker room door hoping to meet his idol and to his surprise, The Dynamite Kid answered the door. Chris Benoit confessed that Billington was his hero; he flexed his muscle and said “I want to be just like you, I am training.”
From that day forward, Chris poured every ounce of his heart and his soul into professional wrestling and after years of training with the legendary Stu Hart in the Hart Family Dungeon along with the likes of Bret Hart, Chris made his debut for Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, the professional wrestling organization ran by the legendary Stu Hart and the Hart Family.
Chris fitted in so well and advanced so quickly in the dungeon that he became somewhat of a Hart family member and they only grew closer and closer together. In fact, after Chris Benoit’s death in June 2007, Bret Hart himself commented that the death of Chris Benoit is like living through the Owen Hart situation all over again.
Chris went on for much success in the Wrestling business. He was never much of a talker and preferred to do his business in the ring, the same way The Dynamite Kid had done. He achieved cult status in Japan under the moniker of The Pegasus Kid, a tribute to Billington, engaging in legendary matches with the likes of Jushin “Thunder” Liger and 2 Cold Scorpio. Following Japan, he made his way to Extreme Championship Wrestling, a professional wrestling organization ran by Paul Heyman, there, he revamped his feud with 2 Cold Scorpio due to the amazing in-ring chemistry they had together in Japan which was very well received, as well as teaming with his best friend Dean Malenko and winning the world tag-team championships in the process.
Following ECW, Chris went on with his friends Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko to World Championship Wrestling where success was sure to follow. Both Chris and Malenko went on to join The Four Horsemen, the most famous professional wrestling faction in the history of our sport, and this is where his mainstream success and fame began. Despite being portrayed as a heel, Benoit developed a cult fan base of followers of pure professional wrestling. Basically, talent over gimmick, and this was exactly what Benoit lived and breathed. Chris Benoit stayed with WCW until he won the World Heavyweight Championship, before leaving the company the following day and jumping ship to the World Wrestling Federation.
The WWF is where Chris Benoit achieved the most success, but also the most tragedy. HE suffered a broken neck, but after a year out, he came back stronger than ever and within just 2 short months he claimed the WWF intercontinental championship. Aside from that, he also resumed his successful tag team with Dean Malenko until Malenko retired in 2001, putting an end to The Radicalz which jumped ship from WCW to the WWF which included Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko and of course Chris Benoit himself.
2004 was without the pinnacle in Benoit’s career. In January he won the Royal Rumble match, one of the WWE’s most famous yearly spectacles, and he went on to Wrestlemania 20 to claim the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. During the same night, his best friend Eddie Guerrero had also won a WWE championship on the Smackdown brand of the show, and the two embraced and celebrated together at the end of the show, signalizing that they had done what they had set out to do all those years ago.
Benoit continued his success in both main event and midcard status winning the United States championship numerous times until losing it to Montel Vontavious Porter, elevating MVP’s career to superstardom in the process the way only Benoit could.
Benoit’s life came to an end following an unfortunate tragedy in June 2007, however, he will be remembered for his professional wrestling prowess and without a doubt is one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. Long live the legacy of “The Canadian Crippler.”
written by Wayne K. Wilkins
