dit is een collumn die ik tegenkwam...en het geeft precies mn gevoelens weer over waarom dit zon grote impact kan hebben op de worstelwereld
This story may only generate a bit of morbid curiosity for non-wrestling fans, an excuse for the media to make noise about Steroids altough the timing and manner of the deaths clearly point to cold meditation and not "roids" rages. However, for wrestling fans, at least the hardcore ones, this is the equivalent as if it had happened to the NBA when Michael Jordan was an active player. Could the NBA have survived such scandal? would the industry of professional wrestling survive this?
It is impossible to explain to a non-fan what Benoit represented to wrestling, but I'll try... Wrestling is a form of art in which is a story is scripted in a way such that it has to climax in an in-ring confrontation in which 2 or more men simulate a fight for the entertainment of the audience. To master the art of simulating this fights in a manner that satisfies a highly demanding fandom requires extreme amounts of Athletic Ability, to do it again and again, requires almost super-human resileance.
Benoit was the absolute master of this art. However, he was not normally held in the higuest regard by wrestling promoters. He lacked the size, charisma and looks wrestling promoters considered were required for a wrestler to be a commercial success. During an earlier time on his carreer, odds turned even more against benoit when he hooked up with Nancy (at the time) Sullivan, the wife of Kevin Sullivan the man in charge of booking in the promotion Benoit worked for.
While stealing other mans wife is not the most respectable thing. Benoit gave his most and gained fans by the hour with his incredible in-ring showings even tough he was being written in a way where making he a star was, obviously, not the goal. His fight to shine, even against management wishes, seemed just heroic and make him a favorite among the hardcore fans who follow the insides of the industry.
The Climax of Chris Benoit career was reached on Wrestlemania XX, Chris Benoit was booked to win the World Title, the biggest award in the industry, in the biggest show. Then, the title was held by Triple H, a man who is married to the Daugther of WWE owner and who many feel was just written as the Star because of that connection.
Many wrestling fans, myself included, were geniunely moved when Benoit won the Title last night. Not Because of the Good guy vs. Bad Guy story scripted by WWE writers. But because a corporation had chosen to honor for being the best at what he did the man who didn't kiss ass, who had not family connections and who lacked the size and looks over the man who had been an undeserving champion for too long because the company loved him and had family connections.
It was more, it was also the victory of every fan who ever wrote to WWE complaining about their product, of every fan who chose to cheer or boo wrestlers not because of how their characters are writting but because of how he/she respects their performance. When Benoit and Guerrero Celebrated in that ring It as if for one night the corporation accepted that we know what we want better than they do. No women being objetified for no reason, no silly comedy, no huge guys, no muscle freaks. Just 2 guys who worked hard and were great at wht they did.
Now we have to deal with the fact that that man that meant so much to us is a murderer, some are in denial, some want to put the blame on Steroids. But the reality is that all points out to this being Benoit's fault and no one else.
How does an industry move on if their greatest is considered a murderer...
The WWE is attempting to erase Benoit from Wrestling History... all merchandise relating his persona has been pulled from the market.
If Michael Jordan had killed his wife that would still not take his championship rings or his records from him, he would stil have his place in Basketball history books.
However as Wrestling is not a sport but a performing art... it is all about perception, if fans stop listing Benoit when talking about the greatest in the industry, When they stop ranking their matchest among the best... It would be the same as if no Chirs Benoit had existed in wrestling...
However, it escapes me how can one objectively discuss wrestlign and leave Chris Benoit out... Erasing Chris Benoit from history will also retcon several of the great moments in wrestlings... How can a Highlight reel about Wrestlemania or the late Eddie Guerrero be done without showing the image of him hugging Benoit at Wrestlemania XX... How can Owen Hart be discussed without remembering the match Benoit had with his brother Bret in his tribute... How could Kurt Angle carreer be remembered without talking to his best match ever which was vs. Crhis Benoit.
You can not offer tribue to a murderer, but you can not objectively talk about wrestling and not talk Chris Benoit.....
More importantly, how can fans ever again be so emotionally involved in wrestling. We were overconfident on our ability to separate reality for fantasy. Are we so sure now that C.M. Punk has never used drugs. Are we so adamant to complain about John Cena's 5 moves of doom now since the men we consider more worthy of his title may be horrible persons too..
This would not only impact WWE ,who would suffer the most from this would be the small indy companies that depend on the aformentioned hardcore wrestling fans... Can R.O.H a promotion that thrives on the respect of fans for thecnical wrestling skills of his performers be the same after the man who representend Technical wrestling above all has been exposed as murderer...
This are all tough questions, the Wrestling industry may survie in some fashion, but I'm afraid it would never be the same.
Im a bad man....but i forgive myself
Luck is for losers