Chris Benoit's move to WWE came as a direct result of backstage issues with his previous employer WCW. Wrestling veteran Vince Russo said that the decision to put the title on him backfired.
WCW was a sinking ship in 2000 and some of the names that made it great included Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and others. Benoit would beat Sid Vicious at Souled Out 2000 to become the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, only to leave the company the next day due to disagreements with management. His exodus to WWE saw him, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn join along - forming The Radicalz.
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On the latest episode of The Wrestling Outlaws, wrestling veteran Vince Russo was asked about working with Chris Benoit. He said he only did so for three months and had no issues with him:
"Just for a really short period of time, about three months. I never had any issues with him, he was a stand-up guy." (1:00-1:09)
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According to Russo, the decision to put the title on Benoit was supposed to appease him and his friends, but it backfired as they all left to go to WWE anyway:
"When I went home, a lot of people were unhappy and they felt that it was going to appease them [The Radicalz], but obviously it didn't because they all left to go to WWE." (1:51-2:00)
You can watch the full video below:
Mark Henry on how Chris Benoit saved him from quitting WWE
Mark Henry is one of the longest-tenured superstars in WWE history, having held his role for decades. During that time, he crossed paths with Benoit.
On Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry revealed what Chris Benoit told him that prevented him from quitting WWE during an injury spell:
"[Chris] Benoit called me and checked on me. He said, 'Hey, man, that was a tough deal. How are you feeling?' I was like, 'I think I’m done.' The disappointment, I just couldn’t take it no more. But Benoit had some spirited words for him to reconsider his retirement decision. He said, 'Listen, man, we work too hard to get you where you are now for you to quit now. I will come to Austin and get your a*s in shape. You’re gonna heal up. It’s muscle and bone. Don’t let that mess with you. We need you. C’mon, man.'" [H/T: Ringside News]
One can only imagine how the tragedy in 2007 affected the likes of Mark Henry and all his other wrestling peers.
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