Chris Benoit Trends Following IMPACT Star's Comments
Chris Benoit was trending Wednesday night courtesy a tweet from IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
It all began when a fan pointed out how wrestlers still speak glowingly about Benoit's in-ring prowess, only to ensure they aren't "excusing what happened" on that fateful weekend in June 2007.
It's always wild listening to wrestlers discuss Chris Benoit in a professional context cause they always be sure to note they aren't excusing what happened before praising his in-ring stuff for 10 minutes.
Except New Jack.
— Robert O'Neill (@RobertONeill31) July 6, 2022
In response, Grace emphasized that Benoit wouldn't be able to hang with the cream of the crop in modern-day wrestling, implying that he would have been too concussed to remember any matches.
In her follow-up tweet, Grace addressed the fans who came to the defense of Benoit.
IMPACT Hall of Famer Gail Kim would join in the conversation as well. Unlike Grace, she put over Benoit's wrestling skills and admitted she was a fan of The Canadian Crippler's matches.
Controversial for sure. I disagree though with the take of hanging with the best of the best of today. He most certainly could and I saw someone comment Kurt Angle couldn't either. He would mop the floor with everyone. https://t.co/0pP7gdeFnB
— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) July 7, 2022
I understand that. https://t.co/dmGshMyytO
— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) July 7, 2022
Wrestling is subjective. Benoit to me was an intense wrestler's wrestler. I loved his aggression as well. I enjoyed most of his matches. Depends on opponent I suppose https://t.co/gKOLkNyTkT
— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) July 7, 2022
In March 2020, Vice TV's "Dark Side of the Ring" aired a two-part episode focusing on the Chris Benoit tragedy. The documentary unveiled new information on the double murder-suicide as many people close to the situation were interviewed, including AEW star Chris Jericho, Nancy Benoit's sister Sandra Toffoloni, David Benoit, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Fayette County, Georgia Sheriff Larry Alden, among others. Subsequently, Jason Eisner, the executive producer & director of the show, shed light on the challenges they faced with regard to balancing the wrestling career and the life of Benoit.
"We just wanted to get in touch with those closest to the story and were most affected by it," Jason told Wrestling Inc Daily. "It was sitting down with them and letting them talk about it. Hearing their truth to the whole story and explaining how it made them feel at the time and how they continue to still deal with it. It was pretty much just finding those people and giving them a platform to speak their truth about it.
"For everyone involved, it was almost a therapeutic process. Let's create a safe environment for everyone to talk about this and let's try and process it in a way so that we're open to everyone's feelings. We just created an avenue for them to talk about it."