User:TrueCRaysball/sandbox/Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit | |
---|---|
Born | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | May 21, 1967
Died | June 24, 2007 Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S.[1] | (aged 40)
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Chris Benoit Pegasus Kid Wild Pegasus |
Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
Billed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) |
Billed from | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Trained by | Stu Hart, New Japan Dojo |
Debut | November 22 1985 |
Christopher Michael Benoit (May 21, 1967 – June 25, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
On June 25, 2007, Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were all found dead in their Fayetteville, Georgia.
Career[change | change source]
During his youth in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, he was trained by Stu Hart. He wanted to become a wrestler because of Tom Billington, the Dynamite Kid. Chris Benoit began his career in 1985 in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion. 1989 Stampede Wrestling closed, and Chris went to wrestle in Japan for NJPW. He wore a mask and called himself Pegasus Kid.
In 1990, he won his first major championship, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, from Jushin Liger. He later lost the title (and his mask) to Liger, He changed his name to Wild Pegasus. As Wild Pegasus he won the Super Juniors tournament in 1993 and 1995.
Benoit left Japan to wrestle in Germany and Mexico. In 1994 he began working for ECW. In ECW he dropped the name Wild Pegasus. After an accident that broke Sabu's neck, he became known as "The Crippler" Chris Benoit.
Benoit worked For WCW staring in 1995. In 1998, he had a feud with Booker T. They fought in a "Best-of-seven-series" for the WCW World Television Championship. Booker won but he would end up loosing the title to Finlay. This fued helped both mens careers.
WWE[change | change source]
In 2000 Benoit began wrestling for the WWE. In 2004 he took part in the Royal Rumble. He entered first and won when he eliminated The Big Show. After winning the Royal Rumble, he fought for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At WrestleMania XX, he fought against Shawn Michaels and champion Triple H. Benoit won this match by makeing Triple H submit to the Crippler Crossface. At the end of this event, Benoit celebrated in the ring with the WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero. This is looked at as the biggest win in Benoit's Career.
On the June 11 episode of RAW, Benoit was drafted from SmackDown! to ECW as part of the 2007 WWE Draft. Benoit won his first ECW match teaming up with CM Punk and defeating Elijah Burke and Marcus Cor Von.
On June 19, 2007, Benoit wrestled his last match. He beat Elijah Burke in a match to decide who would face CM Punk for the ECW World Championship at Vengeance. Benoit did not appear at the house shows during the weekend of June 23th. He told WWE officials that his wife and son were sick due to food poisoning. When he did not show up for the pay-per-view, viewers were told that it was because of a "family emergency." Johnny Nitro took his place in the title match. Nitro won the match and became ECW Champion.
Promotions[change | change source]
Benoit worked for many different wrestling companies:
- Calgary Stampede Wrestling (CSW)
- Universal Wrestling Association (UWA)
- Coninental Wrestling Association (CWA)
- New Japanese Professional Wrestling (NJPW)
- Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW)
- World Championship Wrestling(WCW)
- World Wrestling Association (WWA)
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Championships and accomplishments[change | change source]
- Catch Wrestling Association
- Extreme Championship Wrestling
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[5]
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Ben Bassarab (1), Keith Hart (1), Lance Idol (1), and Biff Wellington (1)[6]
- Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame[7]
- Universal Wrestling Association
- World Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Federation | World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time; first-ever champions) - with Kurt Angle[13]
- WWE United States Championship (3 times)[14]
- WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (4 times)[15]
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Chris Jericho (1) and Edge (2)[16]
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[17]
- Royal Rumble (2004)
- Twelfth Triple Crown Champion
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Triple H[18]
- PWI Match of the Year (2004) vs. Shawn Michaels and Triple H[19]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2004)[20]
- PWI ranked him # 1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2004.[21]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Technical Wrestler (1994, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2004)
- Most Underrated (1998)
- Most Outstanding Wrestler (2000, 2004)
- Match of the Year (2002) with Kurt Angle vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2003)
- Best Brawler (2004)
- Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Triple H and Shawn Michaels
1. ^ Benoit's reign with the championship isn't officially recognized by World Wrestling Entertainment. No reign prior to December of 1997 is recognized by the promotion.[22]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "WWE wrestler Chris Benoit and family found dead". June 25 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
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(help) - ↑ CWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ ECW World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title (Calgary Stampede) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ Stampede International Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductees history] At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WWF World Light Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WCW World Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WCW World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ NWA/WCW World Television Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WWE Tag Team Title (Smackdown) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WWWF/WWE United States Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WWF/WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ WWWF/WWF/WWE World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ World Heavyweight Title (WWE Smackdown) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Feud of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Match of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Wrestler of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 - 2004". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ↑ WWE: Inside WWE > Title History > Light Heavyweight