Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

JANUARY 2015 WRESTLING DISCUSSION


RIPPA

Recommended Posts

Not trying to play Sidney M. Basil here but Benoit always stuck me as having more issues than just head trauma. 

 

Anyway, just me personally, I can't watch Benoit matches because as soon as I see the guy, I think, "that's a guy who killed his wife and kid."  I can't separate the two.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to be in the "I can't watch Benoit matches anymore" camp.  Then I decided this year to go through and watch all the Royal Rumble's as a fun thing leading into this  years.  Which means, watching Benoit matches (yeah, I could skip his earler appearances where he had regular matches), and I can't skip the 04 and 05 Rumbles themselves.  You know what.  Whatever.  He's in them, he won 04.  I can seperate the two and just look at it as wrestling.

 

Shit, if we took out and refused to watch anything involving someone that did something horrible in wrestling, there'd only be about 5 guys to watch, and even that's questionable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to be in the "I can't watch Benoit matches anymore" camp.  Then I decided this year to go through and watch all the Royal Rumble's as a fun thing leading into this  years.  Which means, watching Benoit matches (yeah, I could skip his earler appearances where he had regular matches), and I can't skip the 04 and 05 Rumbles themselves.  You know what.  Whatever.  He's in them, he won 04.  I can seperate the two and just look at it as wrestling.

 

Shit, if we took out and refused to watch anything involving someone that did something horrible in wrestling, there'd only be about 5 guys to watch, and even that's questionable.

 

 

We'd have more Molly Holly matches to watch and that's okay

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A more local case would be "The Future" Donovan Ruddick, an STL-area indy guy who was briefly in WWE developmental.  Always thought he had potential as a big guy who could work, but now he's in jail for killing his girlfriend.  I haven't watched many of his matches since that happened, but it's hard to reconcile the wrestler with the man who committed that act.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be curious to see if opinions on Benoit coincide with those who have or do not have children. My kids are the most important thing in my life. I haven't watched one of Benoit's singles matches since the murders. I will admit to watching a couple of tag matches with him and interviews in which he had a very small part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a daughter. My feeling remains unchanged.

 

At one point, after Eddy died and after Benoit died, I just stopped caring about wrestling. I didn't want to keep watching a sport where some of my favorites would be dead or new favorites would die too soon. It was really sad. Over time that feeling would pass. It also helped to know that CM Punk wasn't being buried, so at the very least, I wouldn't feel totally frustrated watching wrestling again for CM Punk because he was receiving a consistent push. Then those feelings about losing Eddy, or losing Benoit, or losing anyone subsided. Never though, did I feel like I couldn't watch a Benoit match because of what he did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think hearing Jericho talk about Benoit on his podcast made it even harder for me to watch his matches. Did he make his grunts when committing the acts? Was he in "Chris Benoit" mode at the time? That's what makes it hard to watch his matches because he'll do stuff where I wonder did he do the same to Nancy and Daniel. I turned off the original One Night Stand because the end of that has Benoit put Bischoff in the Crossface while Styles is screaming to "Break his neck". Of course that's the same show where Mike Awesome does a suicide dive and Styles says "Too bad he didn't succeed"

 

EDIT: And yes I'm a father of two kids

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know that anyone is damning people for being able to watch Benoit matches.

 

I can't really watch Eddy matches anymore because when I do I remember how PERFECT he was at everything and then get sad because he died so young.

 

I'm pretty happy that Big Show has been active 20 years as of this October and is still basically in as good shape as he was when he started

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really don't have a problem with watching a Benoit match. If you can't watch him now, that's up to you but I don't think it's unusual to be able to separate Benoit the wrestler and Benoit the real person that did a horrible thing. Would it help if he had a gimmick name or wore a mask? Can you watch Pegasus Kid matches?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know that anyone is damning people for being able to watch Benoit matches.

 

I can't really watch Eddy matches anymore because when I do I remember how PERFECT he was at everything and then get sad because he died so young.

 

I'm pretty happy that Big Show has been active 20 years as of this October and is still basically in as good shape as he was when he started

 

Isn't it amazing that Show and Kane are still wrestling and in pretty damn good shape all things considered

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can easily watch a Benoit match just the same way I can watch A Bronx Tale with Lillo Brancato Jr..  Admittedly, watching his ECW run where was the Crippler, made it a little uneasy, but nothing that made me want to turn off the match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thing about the head trauma is that all of these guys are receiving it in every match they're in. It isn't just blows to the head, it's your body landing or hitting something, which jars your brain. It's great that they've reduced moves that deliver direct trauma to your head, but these guys are still messing up their brains badly. It's not a matter of if there will be a similar tragedy, but when. If Benoit's matches make you squeamish, how does every other match make you feel?

 

This is less an argument for watching Benoit matches, and more an argument for stopping watching wrestling entirely - which myself and and number of people did after the murders.

 

I just hate those moments when these kind of discussions turn into a damning of people who can watch Benoit matches as some kind of horrible ghouls.

 

I don't think anyone is doing that so far, but there does seem to be a "you guys are carelords" vibe from the people that can watch his matches every time the issue comes up. I don't understand why there's no possibility of agreeing to disagree about the issue. I got thoroughly trounced for just suggesting that people should think twice about making jokes about the murders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Thing about the head trauma is that all of these guys are receiving it in every match they're in. It isn't just blows to the head, it's your body landing or hitting something, which jars your brain. It's great that they've reduced moves that deliver direct trauma to your head, but these guys are still messing up their brains badly. It's not a matter of if there will be a similar tragedy, but when. If Benoit's matches make you squeamish, how does every other match make you feel?

 

This is less an argument for watching Benoit matches, and more an argument for stopping watching wrestling entirely - which myself and and number of people did after the murders.

 

Yes, precisely. There are those who will not watch Benoit matches because of what happened, but continue to watch wrestling wholesale when the same shit continues to happen in hundreds of wrestlers brains. Not saying a similar outcome will happen for everyone, but there's a tremendous amount of risk that something like that could happen again because of the trauma many of these wrestlers suffer from. It's just a reality for this type of entertainment. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A more local case would be "The Future" Donovan Ruddick, an STL-area indy guy who was briefly in WWE developmental. Always thought he had potential as a big guy who could work, but now he's in jail for killing his girlfriend. I haven't watched many of his matches since that happened, but it's hard to reconcile the wrestler with the man who committed that act.

Ugh. Wish you hadn't brought this up. I'm gonna be depressed all day now.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also don't understand why some people will just simply refuse to watch any of his matches because of what he did and not in a "I don't want to be reminded of the crime committed" type of way. As if watching his matches shows some kind of support for a horrible monster and his acts when he clearly wasn't always that person and only became that because his brain was so scarred and damaged.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also don't understand why some people will just simply refuse to watch any of his matches because of what he did and not in a "I don't want to be reminded of the crime committed" type of way. As if watching his matches shows some kind of support for a horrible monster and his acts when he clearly wasn't always that person and only became that because his brain was so scarred and damaged.

Watching wrestling, to me, is supposed to be an emotional experience where you get behind the babyface and want to see him conquer the heel. If the babyface is Benoit, I can't do it. Not judging the people who can, I just can't.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...