5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Jan 5)
3. Stupid Idiot
Chris Jericho is bound to be conflicted over the last days of Chris Benoit. Benoit was a career best friend, so his mixed emotions are understandable. The Chris Benoit he knew wasn't a child murderer, but a man not within his right mind when he killed his wife and young son. Jericho struggles with his feelings. It's not black and white for him, as the profound failings of a friend would not be to your or I.
Still, it was a bit daft to dedicate his Wrestle Kingdom match with Kenny Omega to the ruined memory of Benoit, if only from a PR perspective. This is the only area at which the polymath Jericho falters; between a ropey rapey tweet about women in "BIKINIS!" appearing on his cruise, to this most jarring of dedications, Jericho isn't the Best In The World at social media, which he handles with the smoothness of a Titus O'Neill match. Or his own match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 32.
Beyond that, his job ahead of Wrestle Kingdom was to attract new eyes to the New Japan product. Pissing people off probably wasn't the best means of doing that. And, as has been pointed out, taking and inflicting weapon-driven head trauma wasn't the most appropriate of tributes.
Stick to wrestling, Chris. That's where you awesome heel work operates best...