10 Things We Learned From Chris Jericho's Podcast On Chris Benoit's Death

9. Benoit's Extreme Self-Confidence Issues

chris benoit chris jericho
NJPW

Intensity and aloofness are regularly held up as Chris Benoit's defining traits. He treated himself and his craft with the utmost seriousness, and while he was clearly a tremendous wrestler, Meltzer and Jericho spoke of a drive for perfection that ultimately led to an extreme lack of self-confidence.

Meltzer recounted being blown away by a tag match featuring Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Shinjiro Otani and Jushin Liger. He showered Eddie & Chris with praise afterwards, and both were genuinely taken aback, before running through a laundry list of all they felt was wrong with the match. They found flaws that nobody else on the planet could see, such was their perfectionism.

Jericho then disclosed a story regarding a match he and Benoit had wrestled in Japan. Y2J mistimed a spin kick, but Benoit sold it regardless, and disappeared after the bout. Jericho tracked him down in the boiler room after a long hunt, where Benoit was so upset by the botch that he'd punished himself by doing 500 squats in isolation.

As a general point, Jericho also noted that Benoit would constantly ask his colleagues if what he was doing was good enough, and never seemed content with his own work, regardless of any praise.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.