Our First Benoit Match - (Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit vs Triple H Wrestlemania 20)
Added 2025-09-11 18:00:12 +0000 UTCWatch: https://streamable.com/84q5b9
Comments
I totally get not being able to enjoy matches with him involved. It hits very differently depending on where you're coming from. For long-time fans, there's not just nostalgia tied up in it, but also a sort of numbness that comes from years of overexposure to wrestling's darker side, which makes compartmentalizing easier. And honestly, I think going through the sadness as it happened also ironically makes revisiting it less painful. That being said, it's impossible to watch a match without thinking about it, and I don't really seek it out. That final scene of Eddie and Benoit celebrating together is one of the most powerful moments in wrestling history. No longer just for the immense meaning it had to them and especially the change in the industry at the time, but also because of the morbidity of knowing what would come after for both of them.
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2025-09-25 14:29:14 +0000 UTCThis is my favorite Wrestlemania and the ending is one of my favorite moments and you're right. It doesn't hit the same and its super distracting.
Nicholas Kramer
2025-09-15 19:04:26 +0000 UTCI think that given my personal political and religious beliefs, that for me it is a lot easier to separate the art from the artist in general, since I expect most people in entertainment to disagree with at least some of the way that I feel about certain things. Even though I became a fan a few months before this happened, as I’ve said only about 10,000 times at this point, I wasn’t yet watching every week, but I do remember Chris Benoit in general being around, but I don’t have any sort of big-time nostalgia for him at all, that said I don’t have a problem watching his matches, at the same time I do think about it every time I see him, especially with how intensely he wrestles, something about it just seems creepy and off to me knowing what I know. The issue that I have isn’t that people still enjoy his matches, as long as they aren’t glorifying the man, I think it’s fine if you can separate who he was in wrestling from who he was as a person, my problem is that, People tend to forgive wrestlers way more easily if they liked them, and not give passes to people who they don’t enjoy, this happens especially amongst hard-core fans. I’ve noticed amongst hard-core fans who know a lot more about the behind-the-scenes aspect of things that they are willing to overlook anything a wrestler does, as long as he was an exceptional in ring worker, because as hard-core fans, that kind of thing matters to us a lot more than just the random guy who opens up Netflix and sees that RAW is at the top right there so he clicks on to see what’s happening. if you will, I guess you could say our Internet favorites tend to get a pass from us if they can work like Kenny Omega, not saying that Kenny deserves any hate at all, but if he did do something, I think hard-core fans would be a lot more likely to overlook his problems than say if, I don’t know, anyone you can think of that isn’t a great worker were to make a mistake, it isn’t that I’m afraid to call someone out for being bad, I don’t care it’s just wrestling, but nowadays most wrestlers are at least passable. It’s that kind of thing that bugs me, because I wanna be clear here before I say this, that I’m not saying you have to love Hulk Hogan as a person, or even that he was a good person, but if you are being objective here, I think the online wrestling community in general seems more sympathetic to Chris Benoit and being able to separate who he was as a wrestler versus who he was as a person then they are with Hulk Hogan, who, no matter which way you slice it, didn’t even approach the levels of evil that Chris Benoit committed in his last days on earth. I’m not justifying all of Hulk Hogan‘s actions, so please don’t take it that way, all I’m saying is it’s an interesting double standard, and it’s not just crisp Benoit, I’ve seen people overlook the actions of so many great in ring workers just because, well, they are great in ring, so it makes them immune to our worst criticism, because we don’t want to not be able to enjoy a great wrestling match. I think Hulk doesn’t get as much of a pass because, he already had a bad reputation amongst hard-core fans to begin with, he held this guy down, he was a politician, he never wanted to lose, he always had to look strong, and yes, of course people think he was a bad wrestler, actually I disagree with that assessment, and not just in Japan, I think he was good even in the United States, I think he got lazier, but I guess that depends on how you think about it given the schedule back in the 80s. Even later on into the 2000s I thought he could do what he did well, I think he was serviceable at least until 2006, but regardless, I get where y’all are coming from with Chris Benoit, and I would have never suggested one of his matches anyway, so it doesn’t bug me in the slightest that y’all don’t want to watch him. He was a truly great worker, but Chris Benoit was just never one of the guys that I fell in love with when I went back in time to watch old wrestling, and it isn’t just because of what he did, he just never excited me to the degree that other guys from back in the day did. Anyway, that’s my extremely long winded thoughts, very characteristic of me since I’m such a yapper.
Ian Hernandez
2025-09-15 04:44:29 +0000 UTCBenoit was one of my first favorite wrestlers when I started watching as a little kid, and of course, being that little, I didn't understand the gravity of what he did until later on. At this point in my fandom, I have no problems watching any of his matches. I guess the thought of what he did never pops up for me now that I understand and kinda accept it (if that makes any sort of sense). It's not a glorification or anything, I can just watch Benoit wrestle and not think of it. How you feel about him is extremely valid and I respect your choice. Other than that, this is like a top 3 WM main event for me. I think this is a fantastic match where everyone played their parts incredibly well. From HHH being the overbearing heel champion to HBK wanting HHH all to himself to the point where he'd work with HHH to take out Benoit so they can have their solo battle to Benoit being a constant thorn in their side, scratching and clawing to get offense on two titans of the industry. The ending is one of the most cathartic/heartbreaking endings to a Mania as well and the two hugging at the end never fails to make me cry. I cried because two smaller wrestlers were able to do the impossible and climb the giant mountain of WWE together and reach the top. Now I cry for a more disappointing and unfortunate reason.
Kidd Kingpin
2025-09-13 14:05:09 +0000 UTCChris was my Roman or Seth. And yes I can separate his life from his work. But I will defer to your wishes and not suggest any of his matches.
Karen
2025-09-12 22:06:10 +0000 UTC
