Chris Benoit

**Christopher Michael Benoit** (May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for several major promotions, including Stampede Wrestling, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and held a total of thirty-two championships during his professional wrestling career. Benoit is recognized by WWE as a record-tying five-time WCW/WWE United States Champion, having held the championship twice in WCW, and three times in WWE; and a two-time world champion: a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and one-time World Heavyweight Champion, with both reigns represented by the Big Gold Belt. Benoit is one of four men to have held the Big Gold Belt in both WCW and WWE, alongside Goldberg, Booker T and The Big Show.

In addition to championships, Benoit also won the 2004 Royal Rumble, joining Shawn Michaels as one of two men to win the match as the number one entrant. Described by WWE as "a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability", Benoit was widely regarded as one of the most popular, respected and gifted technical wrestlers in WWE history.

On June 24, 2007, Benoit was found dead along with his wife, Nancy and son, Daniel. It was concluded that Benoit had murdered his wife and son and subsequently committed suicide. Since the tragedy, numerous explanations for Benoit's actions have been proposed, including brain injuries, steroid abuse and a failing marriage among others. Benoit last performed for WWE on their ECW brand. Paul Heyman, head of the original ECW promotion, intended to book Benoit to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship in 1995 but did not renew his United States Work Visa in time; twelve years later, Benoit was booked by WWE to win the title in one of three world championship matches at pay-per-view event Vengeance: Night of Champions, which again did not come to fruition due to his death that night.

## In wrestling

* **Finisher moves**

* Bridging Dragon Suplex – 1992–1998; used as a regular move from 1998–2006
* Crippler Crossface (Arm-trap Crossface) -2007
* Diving Headbutt
* Wild Bomb (High speed release powerbomb, sometimes from the top rope) – 1994–2002
* Sharpshooter

* **Signature moves**

* Knife Edge Chop
* Pendulum Backbreaker
* Shoulderbreaker – 2000–2003
* Dragon Screw
* Torture Crab (Boston Crab with a knee to the back) – 1993–1999
* Enziguri
* Forearm smash
* Running lariat
* Spinebuster – 1991–1994
* Springboard Clothesline – 1994–1998
* Suicide Dive
* Tombstone Piledriver (sometimes from the top rope) - 1991-1999
* Cloverleaf leg laced Boston crab
* Diving Legdrop – 1990–1994
* Frankensteiner, (sometimes from the top rope)
* Inverted STF
* Military Press Slam – 1990–1992
* Tilt–a–Whirl Backbreaker
* Multiple Suplex variations:
	+ Belly to back (sometimes from the top rope)
	+ Bridging Dragon
	+ German (usually done multiple times with a bridge or from the top rope)
	+ Bridging Northern Lights
	+ Gutwrench (sometimes from the top rope)
	+ Inverted
	+ Slingshot
	+ Snap (sometimes done multiple times)
	+ Superplex
	+ Three Amigos (Triple Rolling Verticals) – Used as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero

* **Nicknames**

* "**The Rabid Wolverine**"
* "The Crippler"
* "The Canadian Crippler"
* "Toothless Aggression"

* **Tag teams and stables**

* Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
* Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko
* Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle
* Four Horsemen
* The Radicalz
* The Revolution
* Triple Threat

* **Managers And Valets**

* Arn Anderson
* Shane Douglas
* Shane McMahon
* Woman
* Ted DiBiase (During his WWF tryout matches in 1995)
* Miss Elizabeth

* **Wrestlers trained**

* Ashe
* Skye

* **Theme music**

* "Jump" by Van Halen (Japan)
* "Woman from Tokyo" by Deep Purple (Japan)
* "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith (ECW)
* "Perfect Strangers" by Deep Purple (ECW) (He used this theme after joining the Triple Threat since it was Shane Douglas' theme. He and Malenko both came out to this theme and ECW even did a video package of Benoit using this theme.)
* "Scattered" (WCW production theme)
* "Replica B" (WCW production theme)
* "Too Much Information" (WCW production theme)
* "Shooter" from WWF The Music, Vol. 5 (WWF) 2000-2002
* "Whatever" by Our Lady Peace from WWF Forceable Entry (WWE) 2002-2007

## Championships and Accomplishments

* **Catch Wrestling Association**
	+ CWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dave Taylor

* **Extreme Championship Wrestling**
	+ ECW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Dean Malenko

* **New Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Super J Cup Winner (1994)

* **Stampede Wrestling**
	+ STAMPEDE British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championahip (4 times)
	+ STAMPEDE International Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Ben Bassarab (1), Keith Hart (1), Lance Idol (1), and Biff Wellington (1)

* **Universal Wrestling Association**
	+ WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

* **World Championship Wrestling**
	+ WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
	+ WCW World Television Championship (3 times)
	+ WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Dean Malenko (1), and Perry Saturn (1)

* **World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment**
	+ World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (4 times)
	+ WWE United States Championship (3 times)
	+ WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Chris Jericho (1) and Edge (2)
	+ WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kurt Angle
	+ Royal Rumble 2004 winner