Chris Benoit

Christopher Michael Benoit (May 21, 1967 - June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was first noticed in the United States when he started wrestling for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1994. He would later go to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) the next year. Within a year, he became a member of the Four Hoursemen (with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Brian Pillman). He joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in January 2000. In January 2004, Benoit won the 30 man Royal Rumble match which allowed him to main event WrestleMania. He would go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004. On June 24, 2007, Chris Benoit committed suicide by hanging after murdering his wife and son. Their dead bodies were found on June 25. Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, says that Benoit had brain damage. Benoit was also believed to have been on several different medications to aid his in ring performance, sleep, and pain. According to ESPN, "Benoit's body contained 10 times the normal level of testosterone, as well as amounts of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone, authorities said.The testosterone, a synthetic version of the primary male sex hormone, is considered an anabolic steroid. The state's top medical examiner said it appeared to have been injected shortly before Benoit died." It is a speculation which Benoit may have dealt with Roid-Rage, and this could have set him off the rails along with other trauma issues to the brain as wellPress, A. (2007, July 17). Steroid, other drugs found in bodies of wrestler, wife, son. ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=2939837. This is what caused Benoit to kill his family. Because brain damage can be caused by concussions, WWE no longer allows wrestlers to hit each other in the head with steel chairs. Mentions of his name were also banned thereafter.
In wrestling
Finishing moves
Bridging dragon suplex - 1992-1998; he used it as a regular move from 1998 to 2007
Crippler Crossface (Arm trap crossface)
Diving headbutt - adopted from Dynamite Kid
Kneeling reverse piledriver, he sometimes did it from the second rope - 1989-1994; he used it as a regular move afterwards
Sharpshooter - 1998-2007
Wild Bomb (High speed release powerbomb), he sometimes did it from the top rope - 1994-2002; rarely used as a regular move thereafter
Signature moves
Back body drop
Backhand chop
Dragon screw
Forearm smash
Headbutt
Lariat
Multiple suplex variations
Belly to back
Bridging Northern Lights
Bridging / Release / Rolling German
Slingshot
Snap
Super
Three Amigos (Triple rolling verticals) - used as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero
Pendulum backbreaker
Shoulderbreaker - 2001-2003
Springboard clothesline to opponent on ring apron - 1994-1998
Suicide dive
With Chris Jericho
Double submission (the Walls of Jericho with the Crippler Crossface) - 2001
Managers
Arn Anderson
Ted DiBiase (During his WWF tryout matches in 1995)
Shane Douglas
Miss Elizabeth
Shane McMahon
Terri Runnels
Woman
Nicknames
"The Rabid Wolverine"
"The Crippler"
"The Broom"
"The Canadian Crippler"
Entrance themes
New Japan Pro Wrestling
"Jump (DJ Power Mix)" by Eskimo
Extreme Championship Wrestling
"Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith
"Perfect Strangers" by Deep Purple
World Championship Wrestling
"Scattered"
"Coast"
"Replica B"
"Too Much Information"
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
"Shooter" by Jim Johnston (April 2, 2000 - May 27, 2002)
"Whatever" by Our Lady Peace (June 17, 2002 - June 19, 2007)
Championships
Cauliflower Alley Club
Future Legend Award (2002)
Catch Wrestling Association
CWA World Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Dave Taylor)
Extreme Championship Wrestling
ECW World Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Dean Malenko)
New Japan Pro Wrestling
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (one time)
Super J Cup (1994)
Top/Best of the Super Juniors (1993, 1995)
Super Grade Junior Heavyweight Tag League (1994) (with Shinjiro Otani)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Feud of the Year (2004) (vs. Triple H)
PWI Match of the Year (2004) (vs. Shawn Michaels and Triple H at WrestleMania XX)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (2004)
He was ranked #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2004.
He was ranked #69 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (four times)
Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship (four times) (with Ben Bassarab (one), Keith Hart (one), Lance Idol (one), and Biff Wellington (one))
Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
Universal Wrestling Association
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (one time)1
World Championship Wrestling
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (two times)
WCW World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
WCW World Tag Team Championship (two times) (with Dean Malenko (one) and Perry Saturn (one))
WCW World Television Championship (three times)
Seventh WCW Triple Crown Champion
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
WWE Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Kurt Angle)
WWE United States Championship (three times)
WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (four times)
WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (three times) (with Chris Jericho (one) and Edge (two))
Royal Rumble (2004)
Twelfth Triple Crown Champion
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
5-Star Match (1994) (vs. Great Sasuke at Super J Cup)
Best Brawler (2004)
Feud of the Year (2004) (vs. Triple H and Shawn Michaels)
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)
Readers' Favorite Wrestler (1997, 2000)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2003)2
1His reign with the championship is not officially recognized by the WWE. Reigns before December 1997 are not recognized by the promotion.
2The hall of fame held a special recall election in 2008 because of the double murder-suicide of his wife and son. 53.6% supported the decision but it was under the 60% threshold needed to remove him.
References
Other websites
Canadian murderers
Canadian professional wrestlers
Former WWE wrestlers
Murderers who committed suicide
Murder-suicides in the United States
Sportspeople from Montreal
Sportspeople who committed suicide
Suicides by hanging in the United States
1967 births
2007 deaths