'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA//aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAy6Ecv//EAB8QAAEEAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQRAAUGEhSRwf/aAAgBAQABPwDieh0s+JPTtI73ltANtqjr6pNCvhxzjUJTiiyXA2TaQqrr1n//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMRIf/aAAgBAgEBPwCTEWj/xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACACH/2gAIAQMBAT8AOpX/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chris Benoit has been a controversial figure in the world of professional wrestling. During his time in WWE, Benoit won many championships, including the World Heavyweight Championship, the United States Championship, and the tag titles. Benoit also won the Royal Rumble in 2004. Ever since the incident with his wife and son in 2007, WWE has stopped mentioning him in any form whatsoever.
On Chris Van Vliet's INSIGHT podcast, WWE Hall of Famer and former multi-time World Champion Kurt Angle, who also had a very successful WWE career, talked about his matches with Chris Benoit and how he has affected his legacy.
During the interview, the Olympic Gold Medalist discussed different aspects of his wrestling career, both in TNA and WWE. While discussing his matches, he mentioned Benoit multiple times. He mentioned that he had his best matches with the Rabid Wolverine, and to say that Benoit never existed means that he never had those matches.
Trending
"Well, I will tell you this, I did it for a while. I did what I was told to do, which was to pretend that Benoit didn't exist, but what that did for me is that it took away all my best matches. It was rubbing on my legacy. So, by saying that Chris Benoit no longer exists, is saying that I never had those matches." [From 29:16-29:40]
Check out the episode below:
Kurt Angle on Chris Benoit's actions
During the interview, Kurt Angle told Van Vliet how Benoit was an incredible wrestler. The Hall of Famer said that he was the best in-ring worker he had a match with.
Angle said that he does not condone what Chris Benoit did and thinks what he did was unforgivable. When asked about what made them bring out the best in each other, Angle praised the former champion's in-ring intensity and the chemistry he had with him.
"Intensity. Chris, nobody more intense than him except for me. We brought it and we would stay on each other. We had incredible chemistry where we were able to do finisher trade-offs and submission trade-offs like nobody else. Nobody would compare to us." [From 30:06-30:24]
The former six-time world champion said that he believes he had the best wrestling match of all time with Benoit at Royal Rumble 2003 and that he was arguably his best rival.
