Older than Twitter. Not quite as profitable.
A pro wrestling counterfactual: What if the World Wrestling Federation was organized around workrate, around the idea that the pivotal word in the phrase "sports entertainment" is the first? Can one Ricky Steamboat pinfall put right what once went wrong?
Go to the earliest archived post; scroll to December 19, 2005 "it begins" and you're ready to roll.
“When I grew up, I hated Hogan. I thought he was terrible and didn’t like to watch him. I was like Punk in a way. I liked the Steamboats and Flairs and the ones that could go. Would I be right in saying that Hogan was the wrong guy to go with, and they should’ve changed directions and gone with Steamboat because he was the better wrestler? Ludicrous.” - Triple H. October, 2011.
RIP - CHRIS BENOIT
Monday, June 25, 2007
Chris Benoit was my favorite wrestler.
6 comments
Anonymous
said...
Aw man.
What is going wrong with the WWE? Why do tragedies like this keep on happening? You can't tell me that no-one working with him picked up on any negative vibes - that no-one realised something was terribly, terribly wrong.
We'll probably never know the truth of what exactly happened over those final few days - part of me doesn't want to know - I just want to remember Chris Benoit for the for the good times he gave all his many fans.
Something tells me that given the circumstances, and with the media circus that's likely to follow, this may not be so easy to do.
This is a tragedy - no other way to describe it. I feel sorry for Chris - but all the more so for his family and friends.
Just read the comments and timeline on WWE.com, and now I'm starting to feel very sickened. The WWE appears to be severing all ties with Benoit and washing their hands of him - when, judging by the events listed in their timeline and their repeated attempts to arrange transport, their concern on getting Benoit to their pay-per-view on time seemed to be much higher than for the family crisis he had reported.
That's it for me. So long as profit is more important than the wellbeing of their employees and their families, I've no interest in the WWE anymore.
Hey, I'm Timb. I'm a long-time reader of your counter-factual and I'm also roommates with your little brother Bobby. I'm just shooting from the hip here.
Chris Benoit was one of my all-time favorites also. Benoit was my girlfriend's favorite. This week has just been world-upside-down for all of us.
Benoit was one of the best, most well-respected guys in the whole industry. I know that all the up-and-coming guys idolized him and were geeked to train with him. Even the established guys had only great things to say about him on Monday. How could they know and why would they ever assume the worst? Those guys were heartbroken. Benoit was their friend and mentor; an athlete and entertainer with boundless skill... with nothing but absolute love and respect from his peers. That's why this whole thing just makes no damn sense to me.
I agree that when a stand-up guy like Benoit destroys his career, life, legacy and family in one go, WWE seriously needs to reevaluate their policies and the way they operate. Something is horribly wrong.
The problem I am left with is, being a total mark for Benoit, is there something wrong with me? The guy turns up a murderer? It's a horrible fact we're all probably having to face at this point and it's not easy to swallow.
In my heart, I hope that the forensics turn up something - anything - that will raise some doubt that Benoit committed these atrocious acts, and maybe that some other more believable scenario played out, but as time rolls on, it just seems less and less likely that we are going to get this sort of closure. I just want to wake up to find out that all of it is a mistake. I want to see Benoit cleared and in the hall of fame, and it eats at me that his legacy will forever by tainted by this horrible tragedy.
Professional Wrestling has been a guilty pleasure of mine since I was a kid. I've always had this unexplainable obsession with it. This hurts so much, and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that. Benoit fans are all taking this very, very hard.
6 comments
Aw man.
What is going wrong with the WWE? Why do tragedies like this keep on happening? You can't tell me that no-one working with him picked up on any negative vibes - that no-one realised something was terribly, terribly wrong.
We'll probably never know the truth of what exactly happened over those final few days - part of me doesn't want to know - I just want to remember Chris Benoit for the for the good times he gave all his many fans.
Something tells me that given the circumstances, and with the media circus that's likely to follow, this may not be so easy to do.
This is a tragedy - no other way to describe it. I feel sorry for Chris - but all the more so for his family and friends.
RIP Daniel, Nancy & Chris Benoit.
Just read the comments and timeline on WWE.com, and now I'm starting to feel very sickened. The WWE appears to be severing all ties with Benoit and washing their hands of him - when, judging by the events listed in their timeline and their repeated attempts to arrange transport, their concern on getting Benoit to their pay-per-view on time seemed to be much higher than for the family crisis he had reported.
That's it for me. So long as profit is more important than the wellbeing of their employees and their families, I've no interest in the WWE anymore.
Yeah, all of it's just bad.
I have the second half of the build for Summer Slam '06 to do, and I'll do it, but maybe not for a little while.
Hey, I'm Timb. I'm a long-time reader of your counter-factual and I'm also roommates with your little brother Bobby. I'm just shooting from the hip here.
Chris Benoit was one of my all-time favorites also. Benoit was my girlfriend's favorite. This week has just been world-upside-down for all of us.
Benoit was one of the best, most well-respected guys in the whole industry. I know that all the up-and-coming guys idolized him and were geeked to train with him. Even the established guys had only great things to say about him on Monday. How could they know and why would they ever assume the worst? Those guys were heartbroken. Benoit was their friend and mentor; an athlete and entertainer with boundless skill... with nothing but absolute love and respect from his peers. That's why this whole thing just makes no damn sense to me.
I agree that when a stand-up guy like Benoit destroys his career, life, legacy and family in one go, WWE seriously needs to reevaluate their policies and the way they operate. Something is horribly wrong.
The problem I am left with is, being a total mark for Benoit, is there something wrong with me? The guy turns up a murderer? It's a horrible fact we're all probably having to face at this point and it's not easy to swallow.
In my heart, I hope that the forensics turn up something - anything - that will raise some doubt that Benoit committed these atrocious acts, and maybe that some other more believable scenario played out, but as time rolls on, it just seems less and less likely that we are going to get this sort of closure. I just want to wake up to find out that all of it is a mistake. I want to see Benoit cleared and in the hall of fame, and it eats at me that his legacy will forever by tainted by this horrible tragedy.
Professional Wrestling has been a guilty pleasure of mine since I was a kid. I've always had this unexplainable obsession with it. This hurts so much, and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that. Benoit fans are all taking this very, very hard.
Yeah, I know. I know.
There's nothing good to say, nothing that makes it seem any better than it is. It's all bad and none good and that's just where it lies.
I'm sorry. Sometimes things are this. Not always, which is fucking fortunate, but sometimes things are this.
I, for one, hope that he is not resting in peace.
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