While Chris Benoits name has become a dirty word in the annals of wrestling folklore, there was a time when The Rabid Wolverine was considered one of the greatest performers in wrestling history and held in the highest regard by both his fans and his peers. Back in the year 2000, Benoit had been riding a huge wave of momentum ever since arriving in the WWF from WCW. While defections were commonplace during this period, Benoits switch of allegiance had all the more significance; due primarily to the fact that his departure occurred just 24 hours after winning the WCW Heavyweight Championship (which in itself is an often overlooked World Title win). Such a leap of faith was quickly rewarded and Benoit soon found himself in a high profile rivalry with Chris Jericho over the Intercontinental Championship. Benoit would walk away from the feud with the IC strap before eventually losing the title to Rikishi in June; clearing the way for Benoit to pursue the WWFs Heavyweight crown. His time soon came at Julys Fully Loaded pay-per-view, where Benoit (now under the guidance of Shane McMahon) was given a shot against WWF Champion, The Rock. The build to the match was masterful, involving several vicious beatings laid down by both men; including a particularly stiff Rock Bottom to Benoit on top of a car. In an unusual twist, the rules put in place by then-Commissioner, Mick Foley, stated that the title could change hands on a disqualification in order to prevent the hostility between the two men from spilling out of control and beyond the rules. When the bell finally rang, the action was thick and fast from the get-go; with Benoits realistic style bringing out a more intense side of The Rock. At the height of the Attitude Era, the rabid crowd in attendance was hot as ever; however, also typical to the Attitude Era, were the chicanery and shenanigans that accompanied the bouts finish. After a hard-fought 20 minutes, Benoit found himself caught in his own hold the Crippler Crossface with The Rock cranking on the Benoits neck in hope of a submission. Referee, Earl Hebner, quickly called for the bell, leading the audience and The Rock to believe The Great One had been victorious. Not so much... Prior to the Crossface, Shane McMahon had hit Hebner in the back with a chair, only for The Rock to grab said chair and run Shane OMac out of the ring. When the referee came to and saw The Rock with chair in hand, ol Earl put two and two together, carried the one, multiplied it by X and came to the conclusion that hed just had his ass handed to him by The Rock. As such, Rock was disqualified and, under Mick Foleys ruling that the title could change hands on a DQ, Chris Benoit was declared the new WWF Champion. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz5063_the-rock-vs-chris-benoit-fully-loaded-2000-wwf-championship_sport This kind of injustice didnt sit too well with The Commish and Foley would come to the aid of his former tag partner, ordering the match to continue. A bloodied Rock would quickly invite the bogus champ to Bring It only as The Rock can before securing his title once more with a Rock Bottom just minutes later; erasing Benoits WWF Title win from the history books in the process.
Occasional wrestler, full-time gym rat and lifelong lover of the grapple game. Would probably buy you a shot of Jack at the bar in exchange for witty banter...and preferably more Jack.
@MartynGrant88 for more wrestling-related musings and weight room wisecracks!
