10 WWE Champions Who Hated Their World Title Reigns

On March 14th, 2004, Chris Benoit achieved something many pro wrestling fans and pundits probably never would have predicted, as he defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania XX to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The win was the crowning achievement in Benoit's career, and was seen by fans as a truly deserving moment for one of pro wrestling's greatest in-ring technicians.

After winning the title, however, Chris Benoit's actual run with the gold was somewhat disappointing. Benoit was a consummate wrestler, known for his technical ability inside the ring, and known much less for his microphone and promo skills. On an episode of his Something To Wrestle podcast, WWE official Bruce Prichard offered more insight into Benoit's WWE Title reign.

“Still learning," said Prichard. "I don’t know that that was ever anything that Chris was ever completely comfortable with. It was something that Vince did work a lot with him on personally, but Chris, he wrestled in the ring. That’s what he did best. That is what made his name for him. That is what people loved him for. So for him to go and verbalize that a lot of the time, that was difficult. That was difficult for him. That was something that Vince did work with him an awful lot. You know you get the very best that you can out of it and it was a slow process. But the only way you’re gonna get better, no different than how you get better in the ring, is repetition. The only way you’re gonna get better at doing media interviews and speaking in front of large audiences is actually doing it. Go out there, flub up a few times, do what you have to do. But then you’re going to be more comfortable and when you’re more comfortable, it’s better.”

Chris Benoit's first WWE World Title reign was also of course, his last.