Wrestling
Chris Benoit vs. The WWE
By Tony Jaymz
Jul 27, 2003, 09:31

�You know why Benoit's standing O was the greatest moment that will happen this year? Because it's the only moment that the WWE hasn't planned out to the smallest detail in order to control what and who people react to. And he didn't need a huge amount of hype to get it.� - Bryan �bps21" Staebell

I am not a big, huge fan of Chris Benoit. In fact, I prefer the other Canadian wonder, Chris Jericho, over Benoit, so Benoit�s future wasn�t on top of my mind, nor was I ever planning on writing an article about him. But then when a certain TSM writer, whom shall remain nameless coughnosnhojnikcough instant messaged me, telling me about a great new article he was writing, one that he was excited as hell about, I was intrigued. Then he said it was about how Benoit isn�t a draw, never has been and never will be.

Que?

Chris Benoit has had a Mick Foley-like struggle to get to the WWE. It took him nearly 10 years just to get his foot in the door, finally having a viable role in WCW. There, despite not getting pushed, losing to various shmucks, and having to fight guys like Mike Enos on the opening slots of pay-per-views, he got over. He didn�t have great interviews, he didn�t have the best opponents all the time, and yet he got over. How? Because Chris Benoit is a wrestler, and that�s what is on the marquee!

Sportz Entertainment> Wrestling?
The WWF has never been about wrestling. Its always been about larger than life characters, gimmicks with little thought, and matches consisting of punch, kick, legdrop. Eventually wrestling crept it�s way into the equation, with the emergence of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, but it was still gimmicks and sports entertainment. For every Hart vs. HBK epic, we got matches like Undertaker vs. UnderFaker. The fans didn�t care about those matches though, they cared about the wrestlers, but they didn�t get the pushes. Bret only got the title out of default, and Shawn didn�t get the title until 1996, years after he became The Showstopper. This thought process continues today, which is why we see Albert and Big Show getting shot after shot, while Benoit is in matches with guys named Basham.

The Big, Bad List of Why�s and Why-Nots.
The detractors of Benoit have said the same thing over and over, like a broken record. Or, for the kids, a skipping CD.

�Chris Benoit has no charisma, the fans can�t connect with him�

People in wrestling describe charisma as the way a performer works the microphone. But is that all charisma is? The dictionary, a.k.a big book of words, says charisma is �a special charm or public appeal�. No mention of talking or microphones there. Benoit has charisma. He has a way of bringing you into a match, telling a story with it. That is what wrestling really is, it�s telling a story, which doesn�t require workrate. Hogan has always been able to tell a story and get fans intohis matches, and those matches sucked on the workrate scale. And charisma? Listen, the only time Hulk Hogan has ever given a good promo was when he turned nWo, otherwise, it was cliche-ville. Benoit has built up two different personas, each he does with magnificence. Heel Benoit is a vicious animal, only smiling when you feel pain. Heel Benoit is the type of bad ass that everyone wishes they where. He doesn�t talk shit, he doesn�t need a motorcycle or leather jackets and sunglasses, you know he is a bad-ass simply from the confidence and pride he exudes. Face Benoit is the other side of the coin. Here is a guy who, despite all odds, has made it to the big show, has paid his dues and now wants the gold. Benoit knows he isn�t a young man anymore, but he keeps fighting on, working hard, for his goal. The World Championship. His character can relate to anyone, as a guy doing everything he can to achieve his dream. Now, tell me how Benoit is un-charismatic and bland?

�Face it man, Wrestling skills just don�t matter anymore.�

Let�s get this on the straight and narrow: Despite what Vince McMahon says, despite everyone calling themselves sports-entertainers, wrestling is still the main attraction of this circus. It is World WRESTLING Entertainment after all. You can have all the outside charades, transsexual strippers, and midgets you want, but fans will only pay $30 for good wrestling. Wonder why The Rock busted his ass and improved his skills when he got the belt? It is because he realized that being great on the mic is just 1/4 of the battle. Unless he can tell a story inside the ring, all the catchphrases in the world won�t save him. That�s why Billy Gunn pushes fail, and why Nathan Jones may not be on TV. I admit it, the vignettes pumped me up for Jones, and he has a great aura about him, but he is the drizzling shits. And even Vince realizes this, which is why Jones may never, ever come back to the WWE. Knock on wood.

�Chris Benoit is too short, and isn�t what the WWE likes in its champions.�

Chris Jericho became champion...the first ever undisputed champion of this here world as far as WWE is concerned, and quite possibly the other planets in this solar system. You know, the Mars Lander hasn�t reported back whether not there is interstellar wrestling or not. Jericho is exactly the exact opposite of what Vince usually likes in his champions: He isn�t tall, not too muscular, and he wrestles drastically(or at least used to) different than the other WWE main eventers. He busted his ass, and was loved as a face and booed as a heel so greatly they had to put the title on him. Benoit is the same way, but even more in Vince�s mind. Benoit is a jacked mother trucker, giving in to Vince�s muscle man fantasies (now if he was a hick, Vince would have made him champion many a time.) Benoit also has a way of bringing lesser talent into good matches kicking and screaming (See Stamboli, Johnny and Albert,...um....Albert). Plus, remember the creedo: Anything Can Happen*
*as long as it fits into the WWE�s plan.

We are Proud to Bring You....The XFL!
Vince McMahon hates wrestling. He loves sports entertainment, and he would love to become that Russell Simmons-esque billionaire. He wants movies, music, sports franchises...but he fails each and every time at those plans. Sports Entertainment WAS a failure...it was the wrestlers like Austin, Rock, Mankind, etc. he brought in the wrestling boom of the late 90's. Ask anyone on the street, they can name DX, Austin, or The Rock. They will then precede to list of their favorite matches "Oh man, Austin whooped Vince's ass! Then he went after The Rock...he's a BMF ya' know!" Like it or not, the only thing that has ever made Vince money is wrestling, and the only people to ever make him money are wrestlers. No matter how good the good, how much build up, or how risque it is, unless a wrestler is a good wrestler, fans will not buy them as champions. So it's safe to say...Benoit's chances of being champion are a whole hell lot better than Nathan Jones.

In conclusion, anyone who says Chris Benoit will not make a good champion, and would not be a draw in the WWE, should ponder over the above tidbits of information, because I think it�d do a good deal of changing their mind.

Tony Jaymz


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