Chris Benoit has been on lately

[Resident Evil]

I don't know how many people are noticing so I thought I'd start a topic here and get some discussion going.

 

Of course the discussion will be about my favourite topic. Chris Benoit who I feel has really been on lately.

 

3 matches of late where I feel he's really shone are his bouts against Bradshaw, Regal and the last match against Booker T in the best of 7 series.

 

First off I want to talk about the Bradshaw Smackdown bout which was very good and featured a great preformance by Benoit.

 

I probably should talk about these matches right after I see them instead of waiting but here I go anyway.

 

The Brashaw match featured some smart work and counters which definitely put it a step above their previous bout which was really just a bare bones minimum match that didn't give anything anyway. ONe of the first transistions I remember from this was Benoit taking over on Bradhsaw via a series of elbows to Bradshaw's head followed by a double kick to Bradshaw's face concentrating on the same area. Right there I knew I was in for a nice little bout.

 

THe Booker T intereference and the commercial break hurt the flow of the bout but once they got back on track it was very good. The one problem the match did have for me was that Bradshaw's beatdown segment on Benoit just wasn't long enough. Benoit's counters were very good and appealing but they needed to be spaced out more and for that you needed a longer control segment. I actually liked the bear hugs as they played in nicely with the bout but I thought there were just too many of them in a short time span that took the pace of the match down. Again, I think a longer control segment by Bradshaw would've been better here for me.

One other thing here that bothered me was the point where Benoit small packaged Bradshaw. Now if I could be super arrogant here and guess what was supposed to happen in the ring I would say Benoit was hitting the ropes only to come back and get caught by Bradshaw. However, Bradshaw had a different idea and wanted Benoit to small package him. Benoit than did so on the spur of the moment. Maybe if Bradshaw had hit Benoit there Benoit would've looked like he was in more trouble during his beatdown segment and his comebacks would've been spaced out a little bit better.

 

The ending segment was pretty good. Benoit repeatably going for the sharpshooter only for Bradshaw to counter only for Benoit to finally snag an oppurtunity out of mid air by capatalising on a hurt Bradshaw's arm was pretty ace. Once again though I think a longer heel control segment would've helped this part of the bout too. Basically the ending was all Benoit who I feel was the star of the bout. When the face does an all out ending like this where he mostly hits just his offence I find it's much more satisfactory when preceded by a long beatdown by a heel. That's what Stampede wrestling has taught me.

 

In conclusion, The match in a way reminded me of Williams vs Kobashi from 9/94 in that they hit some big bombs at the beginning and as a result have to sell them accordingly (Bradshaw doing the forearm to Benoit's back) When you do that you risk the match having too much selling at the beginning which can force a good match at the end not to be as climatic. However, I don't think they fell into this "trap" too bad and the match came out well. (What's really bad is when people hit weak offence and they sell too much offence in the beginning)

 

I think a PPV match here with a little bit more time with both wresters emptying out their arsenals (Bradshaw didn't let out some of his offence here) would equal a terrific match.

 

 

Next up we have Benoit vs Booker T. They've already had a bunch with each one being different in terms of quality. The US title loss, Survivor Series and match #2 of the best of 7 being the best of the bunch so far.

 

I liked Survivor Series. It didn't come together majically like the Match #2 of the best of 7 but it did feature Benoit making a nice multistage gradual comeback after being on the defensive for awhile. Right there it showed me that Benoit was taking the series as serious as he could. This match was more of an eyeopener on what could happen if everything clicked.

 

Which brings me to the latest Smackdown bout between the two. I just watched it and there was just so many things I loved about it that I probably should watch it again so I can take note of them all but right now I'm in a rush and I want to get this typed so we'll just go with one viewing for now.

 

I loved this and once again I thought Benoit really shined here. He brought out some of his old offence and was just feeling it. At first I wasn't feeling this match. I was a little down over some stuff and wasn't feeling it myself. And than I noticed while Benoit was still ace in his offence he wasn't as crisp as he was in the past like when he was attempting a hip toss early on. But than Benoit gives an all out intense belly to back suplex to a bigger man and that was it. I was in. If Benoit cares that much about this bout than you better believe that I'm going to care about it that much too. That's the Benoit I know, love, adore and cherish more than life itself.

 

Benoit dominates for the first bit and than Booker takes control for a brief period with with a stun gun on the top rope and an elbow to Benoit's face (loved how Booker concentrated on Benoit's upper body area). I thought that might've been the transistion to offence for Booker but NOOO! Benoit comes back and they do an all out cool sequence where Benoit backdrops Booker to the outside and attempts his suicide dive of doom. Once again he misses and takes a really bad bump which ends up being the true transistion to Booker's offence. Who can not feel sympthany for Benoit after that bump? If memory serves correct I believe this may have been the point where he's indicating he already has head damage on the outside.

 

From there we go to commercial break and it's Booker who's back on offence. I really like the control segment here by Booker even though it was a little too short for my liking. It flowed well but what I really liked was Benoit's comebacks during it. Particuary the chops which he let out in abundance here. It's the nice philosophy of working a bodypart but in a different sense in what we normally we think of in a wrestling match in that Benoit continually beat on his chest to help him comeback.

 

Benoit gets back on offence (I'm forgetting exactly how he did it but I remember really liking it, loved the belly to bellys) but not for too long as Booker gets a bookend for a good near fall which worked well since it wasn't too long ago that Booker had Benoit in some trouble.

 

They even worked a Sharmell interference tease in here which was smartly worked. Sharmell has been very successful in causing trouble for Benoit in his matches most noticeably with his flying headbutt but here it backfires after a real nice tease which leads to Benoit finally getting his headbutt in for a near fall.

 

The ending was absolutely stellar too. Benoit goes for the german on the apron of the ring only to lose his grip and hit a nestea plunge on himself injuring the head area in an incredible bump. The same area that he hurt on the suicide dive and the same spot that had taken several shots during the bout. The bump and the "selling"? was so believable that nobody even knows if Benoit was legit hurt on the move or not.

 

And here comes the best part of the bout. Benoit is just so smart in there. Benoit's down, he's out of it on his feet and Booker's feeling a little confident as surely nobody could still go on after what Benoit's been through. However, Benoit is the Canadian crippler with the fighting spirit of a million ordinary men and in one desperate last emotional attempt german suplexes Booker out of his boots.

 

Still the weight of everything that has happened finally gets to Benoit and in the best set up for the axe kick I've ever seen succumbs to said axe kick for the 1/2/3.

 

What a match and yet another great preformance by Benoit. This felt like a complete match where they both let everything out of their tank in a attempt to see who truly is the king. If this was the last match of the best of 7 I would be perfectly happy witht it.

This is one of those matches where like Benoit vs Lesnar the flow (though almost nothing comes close to that) is just purely magical. Other matches can sound as good on paper but when watched in the ring they are not. This is one of those times where paper doesn't do the match justice. It has to be seen. Loved this.

 

Now we proceed to the latest chaptor of the Benoit vs Regal series. I didn't see their second velocity match because I'm paranoid of that program WWE wants you to download but I did watch this one.

 

The best part of this bout was it was more believably than 99% of your wrestling matches coupled with the fact that it was fresh because of the match structure. Basically it's all one long Regal control segment where you feel extra sympthany for Benoit with his fantastic knocked out loopy selling which was still affecting his from his match with Booker. Cool of Benoit not to forget that.

 

 

Well, my rant is almost over now. I guess I just want to say that I've been enjoying Benoit's work a lot lately and he's really been showing enthusiam in all aspects of his game.l

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

I didn't see their second velocity match because I'm paranoid of that program WWE wants you to download but I did watch this one.

?

 

Windows Media Player?

[Mad Dog]

It's odd that you write this. I was recently watching their first U.S. Title match and it made me really sad. It was sad to see two guys who were in the twilights of their career and putting on matches that were shells of what they did 7 years ago.

 

I liked the Benoit/Regal match but it's really been a bad year for Benoit in the ring. I have a hard time even listing the more than a couple of memorable matches he had this year.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

I have no idea what you're talking about. Granted, I don't watch Smackdown, and granted I've only seen a handful of Benoit matches, but from what I have seen (Benoit vs. Jericho Raw, Benoit vs. Orton Smackdown, Benoit vs. Regal), they have been some of the best out of the WWE this year. I think it's a matter of Benoit being saddled with guys who can't work at his level, or anywhere near his level. He's been pretty aimless for 2005, but was *great* against Regal on Smackdown this week, so I have a hard time believing Benoits performances are reflective of a decline. His selling has, imo, improved. And he has added some nice spots (constant headbuts, knees) to his repetoire. The fact that he hasn't had any ***** (or even ****) matches, I think, is more of a reflection of who he's had to work with than how his wrestling skills are.

 

Booker T, on the other hand, is painful to watch.

[Mad Dog]

Compared to 2003 and 2004 he has declined. From the start of 2003 till his second Raw match with Orton you could stick him in the ring with anyone and he could give you a solid to good match. He made Nathan Jones look like a capable worker on more than one occasion and I'd argue he's the reason Batista is the champion today. During this era he'd be able to drag something, anything out of Booker T. The first match between them was almost painful to watch. It was like watching Muhammad Ali getting pummeled by Larry Holmes.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

But Booker T really, really, really sucks. Eddie Guerrero also had troubles getting something out of him as well. Booker T actively makes a match worse, while the Nathan Jones match was more like Benoit working around him.

 

The match that made Batista was in 2005.

 

And for a good part of 2005 Benoit was having under 1 minute matches with Orlando Jordan.

[Mad Dog]

Batista was made mostly during the spring of 2004. It made him look capable in the ring. While he became extremely popular later on, you erase those quality tags and he might not have gotten to the heights that he did.

 

Booker T is horrible now but he's nowhere near the levels of bad that Nathan Jones is. Booker T at least knew how to work at some point in the last couple of years. Also using Eddie isn't a fair example because he wasn't quite the carry artist that Benoit was.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

But I'm pretty sure Nathan Jones knew he sucked. So Benoit had a lot more control over the match. Nathan essentially just stood there, rattled off a few moves, and that was it. Booker, being more experienced, contributes more to his matches. He gets in more offense, its more back and forth, and so the more time he gets in control, the worse the match is. I know Benoit has his faults, but I don't think they're enough to make a match suck.

 

Batista picking Benoit up and slamming his head into the turnbuckle was the point when the crowd decided "let's cheer Batista".

[Resident Evil]

Watch the Tuesday match from the Smackdown special. If you're a member from smarkschoice Ray has uploaded this match in their download special. It is a legit great match and I now say Benoit's best of the year.

 

It's better than any other match they've had this year by a good margin.

[Loss]

Plenty of people have had good matches with Booker T.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

I haven't seen em.

 

Booker is really sloppy. He makes things look effortless, and I mean that in the worst way possible.

[World's Worst Man]

If Benoit vs. Booker from Smackdown was great, I've probably seen about 15 very great to best match ever candidates this year. But I digress. It was a good match. They really didn't build it well, as they were throwing spots out almost immediately. It seemed like they wanted to fit all of the offense into the allotted time, which they didn't have enough of. If they went 20, they would have had some time to actually make some of those spots meaningful. There was no real story going on in the early portions either, although the they built up to the ending really, really well. This is another contender for WWE TV MOTY, and probably the 4th or 5th one that Benoit has been involved in.

[Resident Evil]

Benoit vs Booker is as good as anything that I've seen this year.

 

Some of my other best matches of the year would probably be HHH vs Flair at SS, Eddie vs Rey from Smackdown, Angle vs Michaels at Mania and Michaels vs Benjamin from Raw.

[Guest SweetMama Scaat]

But Booker T really, really, really sucks. Eddie Guerrero also had troubles getting something out of him as well. Booker T actively makes a match worse, while the Nathan Jones match was more like Benoit working around him.

But I'm pretty sure Nathan Jones knew he sucked. So Benoit had a lot more control over the match. Nathan essentially just stood there, rattled off a few moves, and that was it. Booker, being more experienced, contributes more to his matches. He gets in more offense, its more back and forth, and so the more time he gets in control, the worse the match is. I know Benoit has his faults, but I don't think they're enough to make a match suck.

 

 

There in no rhyme or reason now or EVA for you to compare the suckness of Nathan Jones to the lacklusterness of Booker T. Please cease these actions.

 

Batista picking Benoit up and slamming his head into the turnbuckle was the point when the crowd decided "let's cheer Batista".

 

 

No it wasnt.

 

 

Plenty of people have had good matches with Booker T.

 

I haven't seen em.

 

Well, you already pointed out;

 

I don't watch Smackdown

 

 

 

ANYWAY, other people whove been involved in good matches with Booker T (off the top of my head) include:

 

-Every single one of those RAW tag matches when he was teaming with Goldust.

-HHH

-Angle

-Christian

-Rod Price

-John Tatum

-Scott Steiner

-Kevin Nash

[Resident Evil]

But Booker T really, really, really sucks. Eddie Guerrero also had troubles getting something out of him as well. Booker T actively makes a match worse, while the Nathan Jones match was more like Benoit working around him.

But I'm pretty sure Nathan Jones knew he sucked. So Benoit had a lot more control over the match. Nathan essentially just stood there, rattled off a few moves, and that was it. Booker, being more experienced, contributes more to his matches. He gets in more offense, its more back and forth, and so the more time he gets in control, the worse the match is. I know Benoit has his faults, but I don't think they're enough to make a match suck.

 

There in no rhyme or reason now or EVA for you to compare the suckness of Nathan Jones to the lacklusterness of Booker T. Please cease these actions.

 

Batista picking Benoit up and slamming his head into the turnbuckle was the point when the crowd decided "let's cheer Batista".

 

No it wasnt.

 

 

Plenty of people have had good matches with Booker T.

I haven't seen em.

Well, you already pointed out;

 

I don't watch Smackdown

 

 

ANYWAY, other people whove been involved in good matches with Booker T (off the top of my head) include:

 

-Every single one of those RAW tag matches when he was teaming with Goldust.

-HHH

-Angle

-Christian

-Rod Price

-John Tatum

-Scott Steiner

-Kevin Nash

I think Rudo's too hard on Booker T but he is 100% on with the Benoit vs Batista match. It was the point where the fans REALLY decided to cheer Batista. That was the TSN turning point as far as Batista's overness with the crowd goes. That match was all about Batista and it worked wonders for that.

[Loss]

I agree that Benoit's match with Batista played a major role in getting him over. I'm also curious, however, if Rudo is referring only to current-day Booker T or if he's referring to the entirety of his career. Either way, not long before Christian left, he carried Booker to a nice little match, so while he has slipped, he's still far from being the worst on the roster.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

I mean within the past few years. Maybe 2003-on. I guess he did good work with Goldust, but I remember this match with Eddie Guerrero which was just plain awful and it really opened my eyes to how lumbering Booker is in the ring now. It's stuff like when Booker hits a move like a flying forearm or his axe kick and doesn't follow all the way through with it is what's really annoying.

[Mad Dog]

You haven't been to hell until you've gone to a Smackdown taping and sat through a 27 minute Hardcore Holly/Booker T match.

[Ray]

As it happens I watched the 1/3/05 Benoit-Batista match last night. It's definitely a turning point for Batista, as he got a mixed reaction when he came out and a monster face pop when he won. The crossface spot was sheer brilliance.

[Guest Some Guy]

Booker T is roughly 40 years-old now and has had several knee injuries. He's slowed down in the ring to the point that he isn't really worth watching and his gimmick is very stale. I used to be a huge fan of the guy and thought he could have been a very big star had WWF chosen to actually push him as the leader of the WCW invasion in 2001, rather than having him play Shane's lackey.

[Guest godthedog]

can somebody describe the benoit/batista match for me?

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

It was your regular Benoit/Batista match with Benoit bumping around for the big guy, though it was much better than their previous matches. The difference was this time Batista was pandering to the crowd more. He was still a heel, and I don't believe ever had a win over Benoit on television (after facing him in one way or another an obscene amount of times during Benoits title reign). At one point the top turnbuckle became exposed which lead to the finish. Benoit had Batista in the crossface, Batista gets up with Benoit still holding on, and then rams Benoits head into the turnbuckle. That spot, which mixed in impressive strength with "hey, that makes sense!"-ery got the crowd-a-poppin. I believe he finished it with his sit-out, but I'm not 100% sure. I just remember it was a really good match and actually built to turning Batista face.

[Guest TheNewAge]

Didn't Batista bust out a fisherman's superplex? He should use that more often.

[Guest SweetMama Scaat]

I remember it being more of a slow burn with the crowd jus digging Batista and him getting cooler and cooler....then he would fuck with Triple H, H would be on a rant and Batista would talk some shit to him, surprising everybody and drawing a reaction from the crowd, then hed be like "I was just joking". Then the eventual and inevitable (official) face turn at the Press Conference and the whole silly thumbs down pose.

 

I do however remember the "canadain concussion clothesline", Nikita Koloff's Russian Sickle which left both benoit and Chris Jericho with head trauma on a couple of occassions. I remember people responded well to that situation and accepting him as a monster type.

[Guest CanadianChick]

I wouldn't under value Jericho's contributions of making Batista look like a monster. Granted, Benoit's match made Batista a monster that people liked. While Triple H putting over Batista three times of course helped him get over, people totally underestimate the Canadian Chris' contributions to Batista's overness.

 

Anywho, I've been enjoying Benoit alot lately too, but I'm afraid I'll have trouble watching all 7 (I'm assuming) of his and Booker's matches. I'm a huge anti-fan of Booker T. He's just painful to watch. His moves are sloppy (especially that fucking disgraced spinebuster/sidewalk slam/whatever your preference in name is) and his movement is lumbering.

 

I loved the Regal match though. Benoit and Regal's mat wrestling is a thing of beauty. Instead of "Hey, let's make a nice visual out of this so the crowd can clap", it actually seems like there's a struggle and each guy is fighting with every trick he has the get control. Beautiful.