Chris Benoit is one of the rare occasions in which his reigns as United States champion in WWE far exceeded the quality of his two previous runs with the title in WCW. In Ted Turner's company, especially in the late 1990s, titles were as if they were props to be traded among wrestlers, not the coveted prize it should be. When the title was revived in WWE in 2003, Benoit was among the top contenders, losing out on the right to be the first Superstar to hold it in two years when he was defeated by Eddie Guerrero at that year's Vengeance pay-per-view. But Benoit made up for it two years later, defeating Orlando Jordan in record time at the 2005 SummerSlam event. He would win it a second time, from longtime rival Booker T, but it was his third reign that definitively earned him a spot on this list. For 222 days, Benoit carried the title as the workhorse of SmackDown, establishing it as the wrestler's title. Whether he was defending against Chavo Guerrero or MVP, Benoit proved to the entire industry why he was widely regarded as one of the great ring generals of his era.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
