Greatest 21st Century Wrestler - 1st Round A - Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Benoit

[Comrade Khan]

I would qualify him as more of an upper midcarder judging by his accomplishments but I digress, I was not there watching

 

[Comrade Khan]

Benoit won the main event of WrestleMania that year in a three way between HBK and HHH after winning the rumble at #1. 2004 was the year of Evolution 6 man Raw main events that were amazing

Eddie was WWE Champ on SmackDown feuding with Angle and then losing to JBL

oh damn, the more you know. that is indeed a big push.

 

[Comrade Khan]

that at least starting to make more sense why people liked him at the time too then. Sorry, having stopped watching after AE it always seemed odd that Benoit became that big just from my perception of him at the time in WCW and other places where he was not all that important I guess

 

[Chris]

oh damn, the more you know. that is indeed a big push.

Yeah it didn't last too long after he lost the title, he went back to SmackDown the next year and was midcard or upper but loses to the main champ role until the murder. He was gonna win the ECW title that weekend too which was not a joke of a title in WWE yet but it went to John Morrison instead.

Also I think his year 2000 is a big year for Benoit too. He was main eventing PPVs against HHH then too and it was WWEs best PPV year ever. He also won the WCW title his last match in January that year even tho he told them he wouldn't stay even if he won, they didn't believe him I guess lol

But 2000 and 2004/2005 is not enough for me, I'd have given him more thought if 90s were included too just for the J Cups

 

[Cwalker]

If we’re voting strictly off wrestling, I’m going Benoit. Even though he’s only got 7 years on his resume, there’s the matches with Angle/Jericho/Brock, the tag match vs the 2 man Power Trip. KOTR 2001

I think Benoit’s 7 years out rank Jeff’s 24.

Personally, it’s fuck him but as a wrestler, Benoit is one of the best ever

 

[Barry Poppins]

Yeah it didn't last too long after he lost the title, he went back to SmackDown the next year and was midcard or upper but loses to the main champ role until the murder. He was gonna win the ECW title that weekend too which was not a joke of a title in WWE yet but it went to John Morrison instead.

Also I think his year 2000 is a big year for Benoit too. He was main eventing PPVs against HHH then too and it was WWEs best PPV year ever. He also won the WCW title his last match in January that year even tho he told them he wouldn't stay even if he won, they didn't believe him I guess lol

But 2000 and 2004/2005 is not enough for me, I'd have given him more thought if 90s were included too just for the J Cups

Had Benoit not left in 2000, I do think he would have been one of the guys to hold onto the WHC for longer than a cup of coffee while also cementing guys like Steiner and Booker as proper main eventers.

 

[Chris]

You can vote however you want but I don't think it's strictly supposed to be workrate lol wrestling to me means everything, popularity, promos, whatever. I can block out some non-wrestling things but I'm also not just working on purely bell to bell wrestling

 

[Comrade Khan]

people have been voting for their faves it doesn't really matter why.

I also personally think Jeff has more memorable matches

TLC alone has more influence and legend status than the entire Benoit catalogue

 

[Samoa Looch]

Yea, it's hard to pin down what makes the "Greatest Wrestler". Everyone is free to interpret it as they want. I'm sure, there will be a strictly workrate tournament at some point too (because that would be quite interesting to see).

 

[Comrade Khan]

Yea, it's hard to pin down what makes the "Greatest Wrestler". Everyone is free to interpret it as they want. I'm sure, there will be a strictly workrate tournament at some point too (because that would be quite interesting to see).

I feel it is impossible to do this because some people will still just vote with their heart - its almost impossible to get people vote "objectively" on work rate because for example - some people think the bucks work sucks and others think they are some of the best workers of all time

 

[Chris]

Yeah idc how people pick their criteria to vote, I just wanna make sure people don't think they have to only consider in-ring and in-ring only bc wrestling vs sports entertainment tribalism makes people think "wrestler" only means workrate bell to bell and not the entire business we watch. If anyone wants to simply vote for best bell to bell wrestler then idc

 

[O-Blaze]

Yeah I’m looking at all different factors. How great they are in the ring, how much they entertain me, if they are part of some of my favorite memories just to name a few things.

 

[Comrade Khan]

Yeah I’m looking at all different factors. How great they are in the ring, how much they entertain me, if they are part of some of my favorite memories just to name a few things.

some categories I am also going for the memes cuz i know whos winning lol.

 

[Professor Booty]

I mistakenly voted for the murderer instead of the serial drunk driver


This match up is so wonderful

 

[Comrade Khan]

Hardy has his demons but addiction is still very much a factor/disease. By some miracle it's only ever got him in shit n never hurt anyone.