History Awesome / ChrisBenoit

* His 2003 WrestluRoyal Rumble Match against Kurt Angle. The match itself was outstanding and deemed the greatest of their matches, but the CMOA was the standing ovation he received after he LOST the match.

* His 2003 Royal Rumble Match against Kurt Angle. The match itself was outstanding and deemed the greatest of their matches, but the CMOA was the standing ovation he received after he LOST the match.

* His WWE Championship match on ''[[=SmackDown!=]]'' in 2003 against Wrestling/BrockLesnar. First, it was his second match of the night as he had to earn the opportunity to be No. 1 contender in match against Wrestling/JohnCena, with he won by making Cena tap out. Second, as it was a few weeks after the Survivor Series match mentioned above, the crowd was chanting to Lesnar "You Tapped Out" when he came out as Lesnar had earlier vowed to never tap out again after the first time with Wrestling/KurtAngle, and making a vow for that night to make Benoit tap out. Third, the match itself with Benoit and Lesnar trying to tear each other apart for over 10 minutes. After failing to pin Lesnar after his signature Diving Headbutt and failing to lock in the Crossface twice, after Lesnar accidentally knocks out the referee with Benoit's body, Benoit finally locks in the Crossface and makes Lesnar tap, but since the referee is down he does not win. After trying to wake up the referee, Benoit gets caught by Lesnar and get a F-5 for his trouble with the referee finally waking up and starting the count, only to kick out at 2. Lesnar, since the referee is still on the ground trying to recover, then goes to get a steel chair and hit Benoit's right leg, to which Benoit cries in pain and to top it off Lesnar debuts his Brock Lock/Strench Muffler submission, the match ends after Benoit refuses to tap out and passes out from the pain. Benoit may not have won that night but he left Lesnar's vow unfulfilled, had a WrestlingMonster like Lesnar cheat to win, tapped Lesnar out again and was such a {{Determinator}} that he refused to give up that he got a standing ovation when he finally got up to walk out.

* His 2003 Royal Rumble Match against Wrestling/KurtAngle. The match itself was outstanding and deemed the greatest of their matches, but the CMOA was the standing ovation he received after he LOST the match.
* The 2003 Survivor Series [[Wrestling/KurtAngle Team Angle]] vs [[Wrestling/BrockLesnar Team Lesnar]] match. After only him and Wrestling/JohnCena are left on their team and Wrestling/BrockLesnar and Wrestling/BigShow, he eliminates Lesnar by making him tap out with the crossface, becoming the second man (after Wrestling/KurtAngle) to ever make him tap out. Also he and Cena were the survivors of that match.

* His Royal Rumble win in 2004, starting at #1, lasting 61 minutes, 30 seconds and eliminating the biggest people in the match: Mark Henry, [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield Bradshaw]], Wrestling/{{Rhyno}}, Matt Morgan, [[Wrestling/MattBloom A-Train]] and finally Wrestling/TheBigShow. He could ''not'' have been made to look like a bigger badass in that match.

* Benoit's victory and post-match celebration with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero at ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'' is the prime example, certainly helped by the fact that it was probably the best match of the year, and one of the best of Benoit's career. The story going into WMXX was that Benoit was in a Triple Threat match with Shawn Michaels and Triple H (the reigning World Heavyweight Champion), and the {{Smark}}s believed that Benoit stood only a small chance of winning. After one of the best WM matches ever, Benoit made Triple H tap cleanly to the Crippler Crossface in the middle of the ring to finally win a world title (in Madison Square Garden on the twentieth anniversary of the Showcase of the Immortals, no less), and then-WWE Champion (and close friend) Eddie Guerrero came out to celebrate with him, and the two friends hugged, in the center of Madison Square Garden, while openly weeping, creating one of the most iconic images in WM history. If you were to tell a Website/{{WrestleCrap}} board member that Chris Benoit would cleanly beat Wrestling/TripleH and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels at ''Wrestlemania XX'' back in 2004, he would've died of laughter.

* Benoit's match with Wrestling/KurtAngle at {{Wrestling/Wrestlemania}} X-Seven was a technical thrillride and one of the reasons this Wrestlemania is hailed as one of the all-time best wrestling shows period. One notable highlight was Benoit and Angle each trying to use the other's finishing moves on them.

[[caption-width-right:350:One of the reasons why {{Wrestling/Wrestlemania}} is considered "the showcase of the immortals".]]

[[caption-width-right:350:One of the reasons why {{Wrestling/Wrestlemania}} is considered "the event of the immortals".]]

* ''[[Wrestling/BadBlood Bad Blood 2004]]'' saw Chris (the reigning World Heavyweight Champion at the time) team up with fellow Canadian Wrestling/{{Edge}} to challenge La Resistance for the World Tag Team Championship. After winning by disqualification (in which a title cannot change hands), {{Wrestling/Kane}} (the no. 1 contender for the World Title who would face Benoit later that same night) brutally attacks both Benoit and Wrestling/{{Edge}}. Despite which, he manages to defeat Wrestling/{{Kane}} later that night, winning his second match of the night.

** Furthermore, both wrestlers were heels at the time, and heel vs. heel matches usually don't get much of a reaction from crowds, much less a standing ovation.

* His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_aKZ3Fg1w match against]] Wrestling/{{Rhyno}} on the May 28th, 2001 episode of ''RAW'' is awesome enough, but the highlight of the match is it's ending; which has Benoit countering a Gore into the Crossface ''with broken ribs''. ''AND HE MAKES THE MAN-BEAST TAP''. '''''WITH BROKEN RIBS'''''.

[[caption-width-right:350:One of the reasons why Wrestlemania is considered "the event of the immortals".]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/EwcvIieXEAAw0OZ.jpg]]

* Just before Benoit left WCW for WWE he was booked to win the World Heavyweight Title at Souled Out 2000 as an incentive to get him to stay. Since he wanted to leave because of Wrestling/KevinSullivan being put back on the booking team, Benoit wasn't satisfied. Popular lore says that the morning after winning the WCW World Title, Benoit went into the office of Bill Busch (then executive producer of WCW Monday Nitro,) asked for his release, took the belt, and ''dropped it into Busch's trash can!'' Would anyone else have the level of balls it took to say you wanted out with a statement like that?

* When he and the rest of the Radicalz first came over to the WWE, Benoit ended up having a fallout with the rest of the group. They challenged him to a Gauntlet Match, which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin much like its name implies]] requires a solo wrestler to RunTheGauntlet against several oopponents. Despite being outnumbered three to one, and having to fight each of his opponents without a rest, Benoit still came out on top.
* His victory, with Wrestling/ChrisJericho, over Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin and Wrestling/TripleH ([[GameBreakingInjury Who tore his quad during the match]] [[{{Determinator}} but still continued to wrestle]]) for the WWF Tag Team Title in May of 2001. Again, a Match of the Year favorite by many.

* His 2003 Royal Rumble Match against Wrestling/KurtAngle. The match itself was good, but the CMOA was the standing ovation he received after he LOST the match.

* His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_aKZ3Fg1w match against]] Wrestling/{{Rhyno}} on the May 28th, 2001 episode of ''RAW'' is awesome enough, but the highlight of the match is it's ending; which has Benoit countering a Gore into the Crossface ''with broken ribs''. ''[[Main/{{HSQ}} AND HE MAKES THE MAN-BEAST TAP]]''. '''''[[Main/{{HSQ}} WITH BROKEN RIBS]]'''''.

* Benoit's match with Wrestling/KurtAngle at Wrestling/Wrestlemania X-Seven was a technical thrillride and one of the reasons this Wrestlemania is hailed as one of the all-time best wrestling shows period. One notable highlight was Benoit and Angle each trying to use the other's finishing moves on them.

* Benoit's victory and post-match celebration with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero at ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'' is the prime example, certainly helped by the fact that it was probably the best match of the year, and one of the best of Benoit's career. The story going into WMXX was that Benoit was in a Triple Threat match with Shawn Michaels and Triple H (the reigning World Heavyweight Champion), and the {{Smarks}} believed that Benoit stood only a small chance of winning. After one of the best WM matches ever, Benoit made Triple H tap cleanly to the Crippler Crossface in the middle of the ring to finally win a world title (in Madison Square Garden on the twentieth anniversary of the Showcase of the Immortals, no less), and then-WWE Champion (and close friend) Eddie Guerrero came out to celebrate with him, and the two friends hugged, in the center of Madison Square Garden, while openly weeping, creating one of the most iconic images in WrestleMania history. If you were to tell a Website/{{WrestleCrap}} board member that Chris Benoit would cleanly beat Wrestling/TripleH and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels at ''Wrestlemania XX'' back in 2004, he would've died of laughter.

* Benoit's victory and post-match celebration with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero at ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'' is the prime example. Certainly helped by the fact that it was probably the best match of the year, and one of the best of Benoit's career. Plus, if you were to tell a Website/{{WrestleCrap}} board member that Chris Benoit would cleanly beat Wrestling/TripleH and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels at ''Wrestlemania XX'' back in 2003, he would've died of laughter.

Okay, before his PaterFamilicide, it's hard to deny that Chris Benoit was an AWESOME wrestler. Without excusing or condoning the events at the end of his life, here are some of the awesome moments of his career;

* Benoit's victory and post-match celebration with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero at ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'' is the prime example. Certainly helped by the fact that it was probably the best match of the year, and one of the best of Benoit's career. Plus, if you were to tell a Website/{{WrestleCrap}} board member that Chris Benoit would cleanly beat Wrestling/TripleH and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels at Wrestlemania XX back in 2003, he would've died of laughter.
* ''Summerslam 2005,'' making Orlando Jordan [[TakeThatScrappy tap out in less than 30 seconds]] to win the United States title.
* His Royal Rumble win in 2004, starting at #1, lasting 61 minutes, 30 seconds and eliminating the biggest people in the match: Mark Henry, [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield Bradshaw]], Wrestling/{{Rhyno}}, Matt Morgan, [[Wrestling/MattBloom A-Train]] and finally Wrestling/TheBigShow. He could ''not'' have been made to look like a bigger badass in that match.
** Not to mention that the 2004 Royal Rumble Match is considered the greatest Rumble Match of all time, and even received a 5 star rating from wrestling critics J.D. Dunn and Creator/ScottKeith.
* His victory, with Wrestling/ChrisJericho, over Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin and Wrestling/TripleH ([[GameBreakingInjury Who tore his quad during the match]] [[{{Determinator}} but still continued to wrestle]]) for the WWF Tag Team Title in May of 2001. Again, a Match of the Year favorite by many.
** There's more - the night before at Judgement Day, Benoit wrestled a two-out-of-three falls match with Wrestling/KurtAngle ''and'' took part in a Tag Team Turmoil match later that night; then he wrestled the tag title match on ''RAW''; and the next night at the ''[=SmackDown!=]'' tapings, due to Wrestling/TripleH's GameBreakingInjury mentioned above, Benoit took part in a TLC match as well. [[GameBreakingInjury Which is the match where he broke his neck]].
* ''[[Wrestling/BadBlood Bad Blood 2004]]'' saw Chris (the reigning World Heavyweight Champion at the time) team up with fellow Canadian Wrestling/{{Edge}} to challenge La Resistance for the World Tag Team Championship. After winning by disqualification (in which a title cannot change hands), {{Wrestling/Kane}} (the no. 1 contender for the World Title who would face Benoit later that same night) brutally attacks both Benoit and Wrestling/{{Edge}}. Despite which, he manages to defeat Wrestling/{{Kane}} later that night, winning his second match of the night.
** Better yet, Benoit and Edge successfully won the belts at a later date and had a decent one month reign before dropping the belts back to La Resistance.
* Back when he was in WCW after a loss he cut a promo, whether a shoot or a work it still needed to be said.
-->"There's a group of us who are sick of the politics back there! Who are sick and tired of the guys who monopolize the top spots in this industry!"
* Just before Benoit left WCW for WWE he was booked to win the World Heavyweight Title at Souled Out 2000 as an incentive to get him to stay. Since he wanted to leave because of Wrestling/KevinSullivan being put back on the booking team, Benoit wasn't satisfied. Popular lore says that the morning after winning the WCW World Title, Benoit went into the office of Bill Busch (then executive producer of WCW Monday Nitro,) asked for his release, took the belt, and ''dropped it into Busch's trash can!'' Would anyone else have the level of balls it took to say you wanted out with a statement like that?

* Then there was the time where after he and Wrestling/PerrySaturn lost he called out the cliques backstage who monopolize the top spots, sick and tired of the politics.
* His 2003 Royal Rumble Match against Wrestling/KurtAngle. The match itself was good, but the CMOA was the standing ovation he received after he LOST the match.
** Furthermore, both wrestlers were heels at the time, and heel vs. heel matches usually don't get much of a reaction from crowds, much less a standing ovation.
* His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_aKZ3Fg1w match against]] Wrestling/{{Rhyno}} on the May 28th, 2001 episode of ''RAW'' is awesome enough, but the highlight of the match is it's ending; which has Benoit countering a Gore into the Crossface ''with broken ribs''. ''[[Main/{{HSQ}} AND HE MAKES THE MAN-BEAST TAP]]''. '''''[[Main/{{HSQ}} WITH BROKEN RIBS]]'''''.

* His WWE Championship match on ''[[=SmackDown!=]]'' in 2003 against Wrestling/BrockLesnar. First, it was his second match of the night as he had to earn the opportunity to be No. 1 contender in match against Wrestling/JohnCena, with he won by making Cena tap out. Second, as it was a few weeks after the Survivor Series match mentioned above, the crowd was chanting to Lesnar "You Tapped Out" when he came out as Lesnar had earlier vowed to never tap out again after the first time with Wrestling/KurtAngle, and making a vow for that night to make Benoit tap out. Third, the match itself with Benoit and Lesnar trying to tear each other apart for over 10 minutes. After failing to pin Lesnar after his signature Diving Headbutt and failing to lock in the Crossface twice, after Lesnar accidentally knocks out the referee with Benoit's body, Benoit finally locks in the Crossface and makes Lesnar tap, but since the referee is down he does not win. After trying to wake up the referee, Benoit gets caught by Lesnar and get a F-5 for his trouble with the referee finally waking up and starting the count, only to kick out at 2. Lesnar, since the referee is still on the ground trying to recover, then goes to get a steel chair and hit Benoit's right leg, to which Benoit cries in pain and to top it off Lesnar debuts his Brock Lock/Strench Muffler submission, the match ends after Benoit refuses to tap out and passes out from the pain. Benoit may not have won that night but he left Lesnar's vow unfulfilled, had a WrestlingMonster like Lesnar cheat to win, tapped Lesnar out again and was such a {{Determinator}} that he refused to give up that he got a standing ovation when he finally got up to walk out.

* ''[[Wrestling/BadBlood Bad Blood 2004]]'' saw Chris (the reigning World Heavyweight Champipn at the time) team up with fellow Canadian Wrestling/{{Edge}} to challenge La Resistance for the World Tag Team Championship. After winning by disqualification (in which a title cannot change hands), {{Wrestling/Kane}} (the no. 1 contender for the World Title who would face Benoit later that same night) brutally attacks both Benoit and Wrestling/{{Edge}}. Despite which, he manages to defeat Wrestling/{{Kane}} later that night, winning his second match of the night.

** Not to mention that the 2004 Royal Rumble Match is considered the greatest Rumble Match of all time, and even received a 5 star rating from wrestling critics J.D. Dunn and ScottKeith.

* ''Bad Blood 2004'' saw Chris (the reigning World Heavyweight Champipn at the time) team up with fellow Canadian Wrestling/{{Edge}} to challenge La Resistance for the World Tag Team Championship. After winning by disqualification (in which a title cannot change hands), {{Wrestling/Kane}} (the no. 1 contender for the World Title who would face Benoit later that same night) brutally attacks both Benoit and Wrestling/{{Edge}}. Despite which, he manages to defeat Wrestling/{{Kane}} later that night, winning his second match of the night.

* His Royal Rumble win in 2004, starting at #1, lasting 61 minutes, 30 seconds and eliminating the biggest people in the match: Mark Henry, [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield Bradshaw]], Wrestling/{{Rhyno}}, Matt Morgan, [[Wrestling/MattBloom A-Train]] and finally Wrestling/TheBigShow. He could ''not'' have been made to look like a bigger {{Badass}} in that match.