(Cue movie trailer announcer voice) In a world in which even mentioning the name "Chris Benoit" can result in controversy... To deny the impact Chris Benoit had in WCW during the height of the Monday Night Wars would not only be a mistake, it would be irresponsible. Almost as irresponsible as pretending he did not exist at all. But that's a whole other story for a whole other time. During his time with Ted Turner's company, there was no denying just how important he was to WCW's midcard. A workhorse in the same vein as Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect and Tito Santana had been for Vince McMahon's company, Benoit could be counted on to get a great match out of whomever he shared the ring with, regardless of whether it was a main event talent or an opening match fodder. He was as likely to wrestle Raven in a classic hardcore match as he was to defeat Mike Enos in a meaningless pay-per-view opener. He was adaptable, which made him absolutely valuable to WCW in their war with WWE. His Best-of-Seven Series with Booker T elevated the talented former tag team specialist. His feud with Diamond Dallas Page and the aforementioned Raven over the United States Championship not only got the best work out of Raven during his entire WCW stint, it also proved that DDP could wrestle a sound match with a skilled performer when not sharing the ring with a washed up millionaire from the main event scene. For so long, he was the "other guy" in the ring; the guy that was relied upon to help others look good while only being afforded the opportunity to advance so far before slinking back into the midcard like a scolded dog. That changed in late 1999 when he wrestled Bret Hart in a classic, five-star affair on Monday Nitro. The match, in honor of Hart's late brother Owen, opened the eyes of even Benoit's harshest doubters. By the end of the evening, even Stevie Wonder could see that Benoit belonged at the top of the card, guiding WCW into a new era. Unfortunately, those in charge of scripting the shows were blinder than the pop music and Motown legend because Benoit went right back to where he came from, wrestling Jeff Jarrett for the United States Championship. It was not until January 2000, with half of the main event roster hurt or retired, that the Four Horsemen member was able to breakthrough into the main event and capture his first heavyweight title. He quit WCW the next day, ending his run with the promotion and defecting to WWE. Things turned out MUCH better for him there. But you already know that.
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.
