Wrestler Rating Series #3 - Chris Benoit

[white crow]

I know this is a controversial topic but let’s try not to rate him lower than he actually is just because he was a POS outside of the ring.

Benoit was a great in-ring wrestler. Truly phenomenal, his technical skills as well as submission skills were easily in top 3 of all time. I can’t remember a single bad match that included Benoit. He could make a complete jobber look like main-eventer if he wanted. He was intense, aggressive, passionate and every move he performed looked special in a way.

His in-ring skills were almost perfect but the major problem with him was charisma. Guy was easily one of the least charismatic wrestlers of his generation. He literally didn’t taunt at all during the entrance, looked like an MMA fighter or a boxer was entering the ring. Even some female wrestlers were more over than Benoit was in his time. I mean, he barely managed to sell tickets in his hometown while he was a world champ. His mic skills were a little bit better than charisma but still way below average.

Since I have an opinion that in-ring skills are the most important thing for a wrestler I will give him 8/10. I’m still counting other things but if I was counting charisma more he would probably be 2 points lower.

What about you? How would you rate Benoit overall and why? Feel free to type down your full unbiased opinion.

 

[Deadmanforever97]

I have him an 8 as well. His technical abilities was just amazing.

I wished he'd face HBK or Angle in an Iron Man Match instead of Triple H

 

[white crow]

Too bad they didn’t make him win more world titles against the big guys. His matches were always awesome. But what could you do, crowd just didn’t like him much.

 

[Doxo]

Also an 8, in ring he was absolutely amazing, but on the mic it was really hit or miss. He started picking up a little in 06, but... Yeah...

 

[Solidus1]

I only saw him as part of The Radicalz, not during his supposed best years. A 6 for what I've seen.

Do Kane next!

 

[white crow]

I only saw him as part of The Radicalz, not during his supposed best years. A 6 for what I've seen.

Do Kane next!

Good idea. Will do.

 

[Grievous 3D]

Ugh...this hurts.

Benoit may be my all time favorite male wrestler...
BUT...I can't even think of the guy these days without
feeling sick to my stomach.

His feuds with Raven & DDP in WCW & Angle in WWE
were SO good...but for me...all of it is tragically tainted.

I personally cannot separate a wrestler/performer
from their personal mistakes...and I'm no hypocrite...
so as much as I want to vote...I'm not going to.

I can't.

 

[Mustafar Reginald]

9/10, another one of my all-time favorites, I kinda wish you'd choose someone I dislike so I don't have to rate so highly, feel like a hussy giving out these high scores. But regardless, when it comes to in-ring action Chris Benoit is absolutely one of the all-time greatest. His match with Kurt Angle at the 03 Royal Rumble is my favorite match of all-time. The Crippler Crossface is one of my favorite submissions ever, he does a lot of German Suplexes which is my favorite move, he had an intensity in the ring that I don't think I've even seen matched, and I think he's one of the best sellers in the history of the business, if not the best. His biggest flaw is definitely his mic skills, which is why he's not a ten but it honestly never bothered me that much. There's almost nobody in wrestling who I could count on more to deliver outstanding matches more than Benoit, and that means too much to me.

I suppose I have to note that how things played out in the end, definitely taints things though. I am one of those people who consider Benoit himself to a victim too, with his severe brain trauma from years of unsafe actions in an already harsh, grueling business so I'm not as, I guess, hateful towards him or his matches but honestly, I haven't seeked out a Benoit match in ages because yeesh, it's still uncomfortable and that does hurt his rating for me. I'm sure I can still enjoy them because I have seen the 03 Rumble match since the information's came out but even so, it's just not something I usually feel up to doing.

 

[The Sheik]

7/10 great in-ring, very intense. His promos sucked balls though.

 

[RedDwarfTechy]

8/10, amazing technician but lacked the mic skills. I think he should have been the silent type than on the mic. A mouthpiece for him would have made sense. Like Brock has Heyman.

 

[Jacob Fox]

A definite 9. Like others, I do sometimes have problems watching his matches. However, as most of you know, I am of the opinion that he didn't mean to kill his family. As I have mentioned, his brain was completely destroyed. BUT the blame that I put on him is that he should not have caused the trauma to his head. Because of his head butts and his chair shots, he made himself responsible for his actions.

Benoit, however, was amazing in the ring. And he had this tough and scary presence. A great, great talent who will always be tainted.

 

[Jacob Fox]

9/10, another one of my all-time favorites, I kinda wish you'd choose someone I dislike so I don't have to rate so highly, feel like a hussy giving out these high scores. But regardless, when it comes to in-ring action Chris Benoit is absolutely one of the all-time greatest. His match with Kurt Angle at the 03 Royal Rumble is my favorite match of all-time. The Crippler Crossface is one of my favorite submissions ever, he does a lot of German Suplexes which is my favorite move, he had an intensity in the ring that I don't think I've even seen matched, and I think he's one of the best sellers in the history of the business, if not the best. His biggest flaw is definitely his mic skills, which is why he's not a ten but it honestly never bothered me that much. There's almost nobody in wrestling who I could count on more to deliver outstanding matches more than Benoit, and that means too much to me.

I suppose I have to note that how things played out in the end, definitely taints things though. I am one of those people who consider Benoit himself to a victim too, with his severe brain trauma from years of unsafe actions in an already harsh, grueling business so I'm not as, I guess, hateful towards him or his matches but honestly, I haven't seeked out a Benoit match in ages because yeesh, it's still uncomfortable and that does hurt his rating for me. I'm sure I can still enjoy them because I have seen the 03 Rumble match since the information's came out but even so, it's just not something I usually feel up to doing.

You nailed it.

 

[bullyballmm]

Abstaining from voting since he died before I even started watching wrestling. Never seen a match. But from what I have heard about him as a wrestler I would have probably given him like an 8 or something.

 

[DualShock]

Benoit made his matches always look as real as it gets. Hardcore matches, technical matches, dives, the way he sold moves, chairshots, when he did hit his opponent with his headbutt, it did hurt me as a fan to watch him always scream and roll around after a headbutt (I always thought it was great selling to make his headbutt look more powerful but after the tragedy I'm not sure about this one). A great wrestler but not so much an entertainer yet comparing him to other "serious" wrestlers like Lance Storm, Steve Blackman and Dean Malenko he was entertaning and his seriousness made him somehow entertaining. 8/10