10 Things We Learned About Chris Benoit Tragedy From Kevin Sullivan On Jim Cornette's Podcast

8. The Real Story Behind His WCW Booking

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Years later, Kevin Sullivan was booking WCW and decided to make Benoit World Champion. That, he admits, was a bit of a peace offering designed to calm fears he'd bury Chris because of what happened with Nancy in 1996-1997. What's more, Sullivan had plans beyond Benoit.

He wanted to make Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn WCW Tag-Team Champs, and crown Eddie Guerrero the new United States titleholder. Sullivan told Cornette he wanted to do this so WCW's backstage atmosphere would change. He didn't want the stigma of smaller guys (he's one himself) sticking, and fancied showing he could put business before anything personal.

It didn't work.

Benoit, Malenko, Saturn and Guerrero would all leave WCW for the WWF in early-2000. Sullivan's plan to refashion how WCW viewed smaller, more athletic workers as headliners also ruffled feathers amongst some behind the scenes.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.