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20 Amazing Facts About Chris Benoit and his life

Chris Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler who is widely regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. He was known for his crisp execution of moves, his submission holds, and his explosive power in the ring. Benoit was also a master psychologist, able to manipulate and control his opponents both physically and mentally.

Benoit’s career spanned over 20 years, and he won numerous championships, including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) World Heavyweight Championship, the WWF Intercontinental Championship, and the WWF Tag Team Championship. He was also a two-time winner of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Wrestler of the Year award and a three-time winner of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Best Technical Wrestler award. In this article, we highlight 20 amazing facts about Chris Benoit and his life.

1. Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler

Benoit began his career in 1985, in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion. According to Benoit, in his first match, he attempted the diving headbutt before learning how to land correctly, and had the wind knocked out of him; he said he would never do the move again at that point. His debut match was a tag team match on November 22, 1985, in Calgary, Alberta, where he teamed with The Remarkable Rick Patterson against Butch Moffat and Mike Hammer, which Benoit’s team won the match after Benoit pinned Moffat with a sunset flip.

The first title Benoit ever won was the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship on March 18, 1988, against Gama Singh.  During his tenure in Stampede, he won four International Tag Team and three more British Commonwealth titles, and had a lengthy feud with Johnny Smith that lasted for over a year, which both men traded back-and-forth the British Commonwealth title. In 1989, Stampede closed its doors, and with a recommendation from Bad News Allen, Benoit departed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

2. Benoit held 30 championships between WWF/WWE, WCW, NJPW, ECW and Stampede

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Benoit was a two-time world champion, Benoit having reigned as a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time World Heavyweight Champion in WWE; he was booked to win a third world championship at a WWE event on the night of his death. Benoit was the twelfth WWE Triple Crown Champion and the seventh WCW Triple Crown Champion, and the second of four men in history to achieve both the WWE and WCW Triple Crown Championships. 

He was also the 2004 Royal Rumble winner, joining Shawn Michaels and preceding Edge as one of the three men to win a Royal Rumble as the number one entrant. Benoit headlined multiple pay-per-views for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) including a victory in the World Heavyweight Championship main event match of WrestleMania XX in March 2004.

3. Benoit has been renowned by many for his exceptional technical wrestling ability

Prominent combat sports journalist Dave Meltzer considers Benoit one of the top 10, maybe even in the top five, all-time greats in pro-wrestling history. Technical wrestling is a style of wrestling focussed more on holds, takedowns, submissions, and grappling.

4. Benoit was inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 

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The Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame list professional wrestlers and others who have competed in Stampede Wrestling, from Stu Hart’s Klondike Wrestling to the original Stampede Wrestling promotion which closed in 1990.

Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies.

5. Benoit was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2003

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions.

In 2008, a recall vote was held asking if 2003 inductee Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son before committing suicide in June 2007, should remain in the hall. To have Benoit removed, Meltzer required that 60% of voters must agree with the proposal. Although the majority voted for Benoit’s removal, they only represented 53.6% of the votes, falling short of the number required. Benoit remains on the list of inductees.

6. Benoit was born in Montreal, Quebec

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Benoit was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Michael and Margaret Benoit. He grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, from where he was billed throughout the bulk of his career. He had a sister who lived near Edmonton.

7. During his childhood, Benoit idolized Tom “Dynamite Kid” Billington

Thomas Billington, best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler. Billington is considered by many, including Bret Hart, to have been one of wrestling’s most influential in-ring performers, having increased the level of athleticism involved in the art, bringing together styles from Britain, Mexico, Canada and Japan.

8. Benoit trained to become a professional wrestler in the Hart family Dungeon

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The Hart Dungeon or Hart Family Dungeon, otherwise known simply as The Dungeon, was the gym and wrestling school located in the basement of the Hart mansion. 

The school was created by Stu Hart, patriarch of the Hart wrestling family and is known for having produced some of the greatest and most successful professional wrestlers of all time.

9. In-ring, Benoit emulated both Billington and Bret Hart

In-ring, Benoit emulated both Billington and Bret Hart, cultivating a high-risk style and physical appearance more reminiscent of the former years later, he adopted Hart’s own Sharpshooter hold as a finishing move.

Bret Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background, wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. 

10. Benoit began his wrestling career in 1985

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From the beginning, similarities between Benoit and Billington were apparent, as Benoit adopted many of his moves such as the diving headbutt and the snap suplex; the homage was complete with his initial billing as “Dynamite” Chris Benoit. According to Benoit, in his first match, he attempted the diving headbutt before learning how to land correctly, and had the wind knocked out of him; he said he would never do the move again at that point. 

His debut match was a tag team match on November 22, 1985, in Calgary, Alberta, where he teamed with “The Remarkable” Rick Patterson against Butch Moffat and Mike Hammer, which Benoit’s team won the match after Benoit pinned Moffat with a sunset flip.

11. Benoit first came to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1992

Teaming up with fellow Canadian wrestler Biff Wellington for the NWA World Tag Team Championship tournament; they were defeated by Brian Pillman and Jushin Thunder Liger in the first round at Clash of the Champions XIX.

He did not return to WCW until January 1993 at Clash of the Champions XXII, defeating Brad Armstrong. A month later, at SuperBrawl III, he lost to 2 Cold Scorpio, getting pinned with only three seconds left in the 20-minute time limit. At the same time, he formed a tag team with Bobby Eaton. After he and Eaton lost to Scorpio and Marcus Bagwell at Slamboree, Benoit headed back to Japan.

12. In 1998, Benoit had a long feud with Booker T

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Benoit refused to win that way and told the referee what happened, getting himself disqualified. Booker refused that victory, instead opting for an eighth match at the Great American Bash to see who would fight Finlay later that night. Booker won the final match and went on to beat Finlay for the title. This feud significantly elevated both men’s careers as singles competitors, and both remained at the top of the midcard afterwards.

13. Benoit joined the World Wrestling Federation near the end of its Attitude Era

Along with Guerrero, Saturn and Malenko, he debuted in the WWF as a stable that became known as the Radicalz. After losing their tryout matches upon entry, The Radicalz aligned themselves with WWF Champion Triple H and became a heel faction. Benoit quickly won his first title in the WWF just over a month later at WrestleMania 2000, pinning Chris Jericho in a triple threat match to win Kurt Angle’s Intercontinental Championship. 

It was also in this period that Benoit wrestled in his first WWF pay-per-view main events, challenging The Rock for the WWF Championship at Fully Loaded in July and as part of a fatal four-way title match at Unforgiven in September. On both occasions Benoit appeared to have won the title, only to have the decision reversed by then-WWF commissioner Mick Foley due to cheating on Benoit’s part. 

14. Benoit defeated Rob Van Dam on the July 29, 2002 edition of Raw to become Intercontinental Champion for the fourth time

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During the first WWF draft, he was the third wrestler picked by Vince McMahon to be part of the new SmackDown! Roster, although still on the injured list. However, when he returned, he did so as a member of the Raw roster. On his first night back, he turned heel again and aligned himself with Eddie Guerrero, and he feuded with Stone Cold Steve Austin briefly.

Benoit defeated Rob Van Dam on the July 29, 2002, edition of Raw to become Intercontinental Champion for the fourth time. He and Guerrero were then moved to SmackDown! during a storyline open season on wrestler contracts, with Benoit taking his newly won belt with him. Van Dam defeated Benoit at SummerSlam and returned the title to Raw.

15. In 2004, Benoit won the Royal Rumble 

On January 25, 2004, he won the Royal Rumble by last eliminating Big Show and thus earned a world title shot at WrestleMania XX. He became only the second WWE performer to win the Royal Rumble as the number one entrant along with Shawn Michaels. 

With Benoit being on the SmackDown! brand at the time, it was assumed that he was going to compete for his brand’s championship, the WWE Championship. However, Benoit exploited a loophole in the rules and moved to the Raw brand the following night to announce he would instead challenge World Heavyweight Champion Triple H at WrestleMania.

16. Following his victories, Benoit and Edge engaged in a rivalry with La Résistance for the World Tag Team Championship

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This saw a series of matches, including losing the titles to La Résistance on the May 31 episode of Raw, while simultaneously having confrontations with Kane over the World Heavyweight Championship. Benoit wrestled in two matches at Bad Blood in his respective rivalries; he and Edge failed to regain the World Tag Team Championship winning by disqualification when Kane interfered while he successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane. A month later at Vengeance, Benoit retained the title against Triple H.

17. Benoit was drafted to the SmackDown! brand after being the first man selected by SmackDown! 

On June 9, Benoit was drafted to the SmackDown! brand after being the first man selected by SmackDown! in the 2005 Draft Lottery and participated in an ECW-style revolution against the SmackDown! Heels. Benoit appeared at ECW One Night Stand, defeating Eddie Guerrero.

18. Benoit was devastated at the death of his best friend Eddie Guerrero

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On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room. The following night, Raw held a Guerrero tribute show hosted by both Raw and SmackDown! wrestlers. Benoit was devastated at the loss of his best friend and was very emotional during a series of video testimonials, eventually breaking down on camera.

The same week on SmackDown! taped on the same night as Raw, Benoit defeated Triple H in a tribute match to Guerrero. Following the contest, Benoit, Triple H, and Dean Malenko all assembled in the ring and pointed to the sky in salute of Guerrero.

19. Benoit used a diving headbutt to finish off opponents

Benoit included a wide array of submission holds in his move-set and used a cross-face, dubbed the Crippler Crossface, and a sharpshooter as finishers. He also used a diving headbutt to finish off opponents. The diving headbutt, which saw the deliverer leap off the top rope and land head-first on the opponent, was partially blamed for the head trauma that caused Benoit to commit his crimes. Another of Benoit’s trademark moves was three rolling German suplexes.

20. Benoit’s death is still shrouded in mystery

In a three-day double-murder and suicide, Benoit murdered his wife in their residence on June 22, 2007, killed his 7-year-old son on June 23, and committed suicide on June 24.

Subsequent research undertaken by the Sports Legacy Institute, now the Concussion Legacy Foundation suggested that depression and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition of brain damage, from numerous concussions that Benoit had sustained during his professional wrestling career were both likely contributing factors to the crimes.

Despite his tragic end, Chris Benoit is still remembered as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His technical skills, his ring psychology, and his charisma made him a true star, and he will be missed by fans of professional wrestling for years to come.