Customer Reviews

WWE: Hard Knocks - The Chris Benoit Story [VHS]

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

NOTE: The 3 Japanese matches on this disc come with 2 alternate commentaries each. The first is a pretty straight forward, but sufficiently informative, commentary by Michael Cole & Tazz. It's probably best to jump straight to this, unless you understand Japanese, or have a lot of time to spare. The 2nd commentary is by Benoit, Dean Malenko & Todd Grisham. It's nothing controversial or highly enlightening, but it's informative enough & fascinating because most of it is coming from Benoit himself.

vs JUSHIN 'THUNDER' LIGER for the IWGP Junior HeavyWeight Title. August-19, 1990: Benoit was under the mask here wrestling as 'The Pegasus Kid'. He was the challenger to Liger's title & defeated him in this 15 minute clinic of a match, to win his 1st ever Japanese title. The first 6 or 7 minutes of this bout, is a submissions based match, where basically every flashy submission move on the planet is used by one wrestler or the other. If I was to be in any way critical, I actually doubted the psychology of it all, but it was as entertaining as hell, and nothing lasted too long to get anywhere near monotonous. What followed was some fast-paced, high-flying, chain & counter wrestling which was right up there with any Benoit vs Angle match that you've seen. Benoit wins with a tombstone piledriver followed by a top-rope legdrop. As always with Japanese matches, it's also interesting to see how the crowds react to everything. Match Rating...9

vs TOO COLD SCORPIO. WCW SuperBrawl. February-21, 1993: I always thought Scorpio (who later became Flash Funk in the WWF) had a unique wrestling style that sometimes really worked & sometimes really bombed. You just knew that it would work to some extent with Chris Benoit. Man, did Benoit look like a combination of Dynamite Kid, Bret Hart & 'Stunning' Steve Austin in this bout!!! If anything, Scorpio's flashiness almost dominated this match too much. It actually got a little too tedious when Benoit was on offense, as this time was basically used for rest periods. Scorpio wins with a rollup just one second short of the 20 minute time limit. Nothing fantastic, but not bad. I think this match was included to fill the timeframe between the Japanese matches on the disc. Match Rating...7

vs BLACK TIGER (EDDIE GUERRERO) in a Super J Cup Semi-Final. April-16, 1994: Not as perfect as you would expect from these 2 wrestlers, but it has to be remembered that this was the 2nd of 3 matches in a one night tournament. Ten minutes in duration, this was actually a little sloppy (especially Guerrero). Still very good though & it's great to see the early work of 2 of the WWE's finest at the moment. The finish is somewhat of an anti-climax, as Benoit turns Eddie's top-rope flying bodypress attempt into an armdrag for the pin!!! Match Rating...7

vs THE GREAT SASUKE in the Super J Cup Final. April-16, 1994: Fantastic match, and even better considering that it was both men's 3rd bout of the night. Well paced 19 minute match which was different in style to both the Liger & Guerrero matches on this disc. Built up really nicely & had a decent mix of everything. In fact, I'd almost say that Benoit's intensity at the time, mixed better with Sasuke's high-flying, than with Guerrero's. Excellent match which ends in a Benoit win, after a top-rope gutwrench suplex. Match Rating...9

vs SABU. ECW November 2 Remember. November-5, 1994: This is the infamous bout where Benoit tosses Sabu onto his head about 40 seconds into it, and the match is stopped with Sabu suffering a broken neck. That was one scary landing!!! Not Rated

EASTER EGG: Pressing left while this option is highlighted will screen an ECW promo by Benoit. It actually shows his strength & weakness at the same time, as his intensity came through well, but so did his lack of clarity on the microphone.

vs AL SNOW. ECW Double Tables. February-4, 1995: Very good match which told an excellent story. This was probably the closest that Benoit came to portraying a cocky heel character, as Snow was playing an underdog face-type character at the time. The 15 minute match started off evenly & was very entertaining while that lasted. It was a good mix of mat wrestling using predominantly suplexes, with some high-flying & submission based offense thrown in. Benoit then started to dominate, but Snow wouldn't go down without a fight & mounted a comeback. Benoit eventually regained the momentum though & ended up victorious. A bit of a sleeper match which is more than worth a watch. Match Rating...8

vs EDDIE GUERRERO. WCW Monday Nitro. October-16, 1995: Very good television match. At 8 minutes in length, these 2 could only do so much, and they decided to concentrate mainly on suplexes. That's fine by me, and man, were they good!!! A bit of high-flying was thrown in, and the pace was predominantly in fast-motion. A great ending sees Benoit get the pinfall with a picture-perfect Dragon (Full Nelson) Suplex. Everything you could expect from a television bout, and a little more. Match Rating...8

vs KEVIN SULLIVAN. WCW Great American Bash. June-16, 1996: Entertaining match which spent most of it's time in the men's bathroom!!! Not exactly a wrestling match (actually, barely a wrestling move is seen), but an intense brawl. You just have to ask yourself while watching this bout, how much of the intensity was real? I think it's fair to say that a fair bit of it was. Too short with not enough variation, this bout also ended a little anti-climactically with a superplex. Match Rating...6

vs BOOKER T. WCW Great American Bash. June-14, 1998: I think this was the longest match of the series at 16 minutes. Good mix of the more current style of professional wrestling that Benoit has adapted very well to. Booker T was also a slightly different style of opponent for Benoit, and their styles actually mixed excellently. Both wrestlers were nearing the very best of their careers at this point of time & it showed. A fitting ending to what was a tremendous series of matches in mid 1998. Match Rating...8

vs BRET HART. Owen Hart Tribute Match. WCW Monday Nitro. October-4, 1999: This bout is almost surreal & it really does take a lot of time to both the viewing & live audience to get into it. Because of this, I believe that Benoit & Hart opened the bout with more of a clinic, than a match. The first half of it's 23 minute duration (excluding commercial breaks) is a little meandering, but technically proficient. However, from about the 10 minute mark onwards, we see some great counter & chain wrestling, as you would expect from these two. And they're both very professional, as the competition aspect of the match does come into play very well. A tough one to rate because of the match circumstances, but definitely very good. Match Rating...8

vs SID VICIOUS for the World HeavyWeight Title. WCW Souled Out. January-16, 2000: With all the controversy surrounding WCW & Benoit's imminent departure at the time, the quality of this match is often overlooked. It's actually a very good big man vs small man bout (not too dissimilar to Benoit's title defense against Kane at this year's 'Bad Blood'). Sid played the strong big man very well here (Benoit's tremendous selling obviously helps a lot), while Benoit was clinical in chopping the big man down to size from his knees. At 15 minutes in length, it didn't outstay it's welcome. Under-rated & forgotten match. Match Rating...8

vs WILLIAM REGAL. Brian Pillman Tribute Show. May-25, 2000: This was Regal's first match back from an extended layoff & one of Benoit's early matches while working with the WWE. Interesting commentary from Dr.Tom Pritchard, who claims that he often uses a tape of this match for training purposes. And you can see why, as both these guys put on a virtual clinic. I'm not actually the hugest fan of Regal in the ring, but he mixes it up perfectly with Benoit here. Furthermore, both men's intensity levels turn this into a super competitive match. A secret gem of a bout!!! Match Rating...8

EASTER EGG: Pressing right while this option is highlighted will screen a brief (30 second) WWE Benoit promo. Nothing special.

vs KURT ANGLE in a Steel Cage Match. WWE Raw. June-12, 2001: Wow!!! Forget being a Raw main event, this was definitely the quality of a PPV main event. At 15 minutes in length, it could have been a little longer, but that was almost the only weakness of this match. It did have only a little of their excellent technical mat wrestling, but that didn't take away too much from this bout at all. In it's place, there were suplexes galore (including 9 almost consecutive German Suplexes from Benoit), some cage action, and a few terrific spots: a German Suplex off the top-rope by Benoit, a missed moonsault from the top of the cage by Angle, and a diving headbutt from the top of the cage by Benoit. Angle wins when the commentating `Stone Cold' Steve Austin (who was feuding with Benoit & Jericho at the time) interfered. Sensational. Match Rating...9

vs KURT ANGLE for the WWE Championship. 2003 Royal Rumble. January-19, 2003: Excellent 20 minute match!!! Leading into this, I just thought it would be similar to what they had put together previously. I thought that there was no way Benoit could win & this match was only on the card to see the reaction that Benoit would get at main event level. While these points still held true, the match was a resounding success anyway. At times, it genuinely appeared as if Benoit would win the bout, and the standing ovation he received afterwards was surely noticed by WWE decision makers. The match itself was a good hybrid of their previous efforts. While containing technical bursts, it didn't get bogged down. There were a few new reversals performed & the overall psychology of the match was top-notch. But at the end of the day, the competitiveness, intensity, counters & false finishes of this match have yet to be surpassed afterwards, to this day (18 months on). The crowd was literally eating out of these 2 guys' hands towards the end. My 2003 Match Of The Year. Match Rating...10

vs TRIPLE H & SHAWN MICHAELS in a Triple Threat Match for the World HeavyWeight Title. WrestleMania 20. March-14, 2004: Excellent & memorable match where all 3 combatants brought close to their best. Right from the beginning of the bout, Benoit looked his intense & crisp self, while HBK & Triple H stepped it up a notch or two from their usual 2004 performances (thus far). At 25 minutes in length, this wasn't the most perfectly paced match. Nor was it a technical masterpiece (which I would have preferred that they tried for in the first 8-10 minutes). But I suppose that is the inherent problem with Triple Threat matches. What it undoubtedly was though, was exciting, entertaining & memorable. A superb finish capped it all off very well. Great stuff & Benoit is the World HeavyWeight Champion for the second time!!! Match Rating...9

Neck Injury: A 90 second segment with Dr.Youngblood about Benoit's neck injury & resulting surgery.

Crossface Collection:A 3 minute segment where Benoit talks predominantly about `The Crippler Crossface'; It's origin, it's danger & even a `How To' step-by-step guide on how to apply the hold.

Raw Magazine Cover Shoot: A 2 minute segment detailing Benoit's magazine cover shoot in a meat freezer!!!

EASTER EGG: In the bottom right-hand corner of the screen on the second extras page of Disc-2, there is a tooth. Highlight this by highlighting `back' at the bottom of the screen & then pressing right 3 times. This egg is of Benoit's father finally revealing the truth on how Chris Benoit lost his tooth. His opponent that was the culprit: A Rottweiller!!!

DAVEYBOY'S CONCLUSION: I thoroughly enjoyed this 2 Disc set on Chris Benoit. As a Benoit fan, I found the 15 matches that accompanied his life story, truly fascinating. This is especially the case, because I hadn't seen many of the bouts before-hand. There is a tremendous mix of matches included over a 14 year timeframe. The amazing thing is that almost every style of professional wrestling match is captured. Maybe some of the chosen matches are questionable, but no 2 people will ever agree on that type of thing. All in all, this is right up there with (& probably a little better than) the Hulk Hogan & Rey Mysterio DVD's (remembering that I haven't seen Flair's & Foley's as yet). Thoroughly recommended. If I had to grade it, I would give it an A minus.

Do I still watch and love the Naked Gun movies even though OJ Simpson was in them? Yes. How about listening to music Phil Specter produced? Yep. For all you obnoxious knee-jerk reactionaries (most of whom I see have posted only ONE review, this one)... there's real life, and there's fiction. You want an easy answer, to just go ahead and blot out history? IF what this person did is entirely true, it is terrible. But it's time to separate an entertainment DVD from real life. The WWE is pulling all trace of Benoit from its company. As for Amazon, it is not, and should not be their job to censor. Nothing will change the fact that there are great matches on this one, part of wrestling history. If you try to rewrite or erase history, too, you can never learn from it.

Great DVD that chronicles the career of Chris Benoit. There are 2 discs to this great DVD. Disc one contains the biography on Chris Benoit's life. It follows his days as a youngster traing in Stu Hart's dungeon and follows his career through New Japan, ECW, WCW, & WWE. It is a very interesting DVD because you see all that Benoit has been through. Intersting to see Benoit's take on WCW. Good video at the end to the song "One Thing" by Finger 11. Disc 1 contains six bonus matches in the extra features.

1. Pegasus Kid vs. Jushin "Thunder" Liger (1990 - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title)
It is kind of different to see Benoit in the mask. Great match. They are two similar styles. Both men are mat based technicians that use their power strength mixed with some high flying moves. Very important match becuase of how prestigous this title is in Japan. (9/10)

2. Chris Benoit vs. Too Cold Scorpio (WCW Superbrawl 1993)
I don't know how many will agree with me, but I think this is the best match on disc 1. I don't really remember Too Cold Scorpio, but he really is a great athlete. Great back and forth technical match. Very innovative moves on behalf of Too Cold Scorpio. Great match. (9.5/10)

3. Chris Benoit vs. Black Tiger (1994 Super J Cup Tournament - Semi-finals.)
Black Tiger is actually Eddie Guerrero. It is a pretty good match, but not as good as I think these two could have put on. (8.5/10)

4. Chris Benoit vs. Great Sasuke (1994 Super J Cup Tournament - Finals)
Benoit fought this match in Tokyo in front of Sasuke's hometown crowd. On a side note it is interesting to see how different the Japanese crowd is from American crowds. It is cool to see wrestlers such as Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Liger, & Taka Michonuku standing at ringside watching this match and paying their respects to the combatants in this prestigous tournament. Great match. I recommend putting the commentary or Micheal Cole and Tazz on for the Japanese matches. (9.5/10)

5. Chris Benoit vs. Sabu (ECW November 2 Remember 1994)
This is the infamous match in which Benoit broke Sabu's neck and gained the nickname "The Crippler." It is a pretty graphic and scary injury. (5/10)

6. Chris Benoit vs. Al Snow (ECW Double Tables 1995)
Pretty decent, technical match. This is one of the better matches you will see Al Snow compte in. (8/10)

Disc 2 contains 10 matches that span throughout Benoit's career.

1. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero (WCW Nitro 10/16/1995)
Another great match contested by these two warriors. Technical and high flying. I just wish it was a little longer. (9.5/10)

2. Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan (WCW Great American Bash 1996 - Falls Count Anywhere)
These two had an extreme hatred for one another and shows in this match as it looks like every shot taken is indeed intended to hurt one another. Benoit explains the rivarly and hatred on disc one. Pretty sick spot with the Superplex off the table balanced on the turnbuckle. (9/10)

3. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (WCW Great American Bash 1998 - Match 8 of the Best of 7 series for #1 Contender for the TV Title)
This was the memorable series contested between Booker T and Benoit. WWE is trying to match it with the John Cena/Booker T best of 5 series for the U.S. Title. This last encounter was probably the best of the matches in the series. Amazing performance by both individuals. The crowd was in in from the get go. Numerous amount of close falls. (9.5/10)

4. Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart (WCW Nitro 10/4/1999 - Owen Hart Tribute Show)
Very emotional match. It is interesting to see these two competitive juices come out and go at each other hard. It is a technical classic, but not as good as others hyped it up to be. Very good nonetheless. Emotional, emotional ending. (9/10)

5. Chris Benoit vs. Sid Vicious (WCW Souled Out 2000 - WCW World Heavyweight Title)
Not the best match but it is an important match in the career of Benoit. He would leave WCW the night after this match. Match ends kind of sudden. (7/10)

6. Chris Benoit vs. William Regal (Brian Pillman Memorial Show 1999)
Interesting to see a house show match on the DVD. Although, it is worthy of being on there. These two worked very well and fluent together. Good explanation of the match on the commentary. (9/10)

7. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle (RAW 6/11/2001 - Steel Cage Match)
Very interesting to see these two wrestle each other in the cage. It started out as a technical match and turned into two daredevils going toe-to-toe. Angle does a moonsault off the top of the cage and Benoit does a flying headbutt off the top. Astonishing. Austin is the guest announcer for this match and interferes hitting Benoit 25 times with a chair. (8.5/10)

8. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle (Royal Rumble 2003 - WWE Championship)
Match of the Year for 2003 in my opinoin. It is one of the best matches you will ever see. These two have such great chemistry together. Suplexes, reverses, close falls. It has everything. Amazing. (10/10)

9. Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 20 - World Heavyweight Title/Triple Threat)
Great match that finally grants Benoit what is due to him. Match of the Year for 2004 so far. Great energy in the match. All three to an amazing job. (9/10)

Disc 2 offers some special features on Benoit. There are two Confidential features and a montage on his injury.

This is a must add to your WWE DVD collection. It is one of the best, if not the best released by the WWE. (I can't wait for Eddie Guerrero's to come out). Pick it up.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

I have been a wrestling fan since 1990 and Chris Benoit is without question one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time, currently the best active wrestler right now. Benoit has more than paid his dues and continued to wrestle with his head held high before finally reaching the top of the mountain. This 2-disc DVD perfectly tells his story from when a blushing 12-year-old met his idol the Dynamite Kid to when a man in his 18th year as a professional wrestler won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX. The editing of the main feature is wonderfully woven together, hitting upon specific moments in his life and career that were important and shaped the man seen today. The inclusion of the two Confidential segments as well as the short look at surgery on Raw add to the depth of the storytelling. And then there are the matches:

-Pegasus Kid vs. Jushin Liger
IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Championship
This is a wonderful match to watch as a masked kid took on a national hero. ****
-Chris Benoit vs. Too Cold Scorpio
WCW SuperBrawl 1993
An exciting and thrilling match as the clock was ticking and no one was gaining the upperhand. ****
-Wild Pegasus vs. Black Tiger
Super J Cup Semi-Finals
Benoit vs. Guerrero long before their WWE days and they put on a heck of a performance. ****
-Wild Pegasus vs. Great Sasuke
Super J Cup Finals
One of the best matches I've ever seen and left practically everyone watching in sudden awe. *****
-Chris Benoit vs. Sabu
ECW November 2 Remember
The entirety of this match is better off on the main feature as they explain it more there.
-Chris Benoit vs. Al Snow
ECW Double Tables
Get ready for the shock of your life as Al Snow has a great match. Both men are just incredible. ****
-Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero
WCW Monday Nitro, 10.16.95
A quick match that showcased their talent and won the fans over from start to finish. *** 1/2
-Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan
Falls Count Anywhere Match
WCW Great American Bash 1996
A fine bout as both men appeared to be really beating the hell out of each other with pure hatred. ****
-Chris Benoit vs. Booker T
Best of Seven Finals
WCW Great American Bash 1998
This finale to an excellent series was nothing short of one of the finest in WCW. **** 1/2
-Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart
Owen Hart Tribute Match
WCW Monday Nitro, 10.4.99
If for any other reason you should buy this DVD just for this match. It is one of the best ever. *****
-Chris Benoit vs. Sid Vicious
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
WCW Souled Out 2000
Not one of the best, but a good one to show how a little guy will find ways to bring a big man down. ***
-Chris Benoit vs. William Regal
3rd Annual Brian Pillman Memorial Show
A match students should watch and study and Benoit and Regal really gave it their all. **** 1/2
-Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
Steel Cage Match
WWF Raw is War, 6.11.01
An amazing match because of both men's agility and their off the cage suicide jumps. ****
-Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
WWE Championship
WWE Royal Rumble 2003
One of the absolute best matches between the two and you can just feel the energy. **** 1/2
-Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H
World Heavyweight Championship
WWE WrestleMania XX
One of my favorite matches just for the emotion as well as the emotional ending. *****

This is a must-buy for all wrestling fans.

Chris Benoit: Widely considered the best technical wrestler in the world today. This is the real story behind his rise to the top of the business he's loved since childhood. Relive the setbacks and the triumphs from those who have worked with him, and who know his story.

From his early days in Canada, Japan and Mexico, to ECW, WCW and WWE, Chris Benoit has arned the respect of wrestling fans around the world.

Below is the listing of this awesome two-disc set
Chapters:
- The Early Years
- New Japan
- ECW
- WCW
- WWE
- The Injury
- The Comeback
- Royal Rumble 2003
- Wrestlemania XX

Extras/Matches:
Pegasus Kid vs. Jushin Liger
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match (Tokyo, Japan - August 19, 1990)
Alternate Commentary: Michael Cole & Tazz OR Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Todd Grisham

Chris Benoit vs. Too Cold Scorpio
WCW Superbrawl III (April 21, 1993)

Wild Pegasus Chris Benoit vs. Black Tiger
Super J Cup Tournament Round 2 (Tokyo, Japan - April 16, 1994)
Alternate Commentary: Michael Cole & Tazz OR Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Todd Grisham

Wild Pegasus Chris Benoit vs. Great Sasuke
Super J Cup Tournament Final (Tokyo, Japan - April 16, 1994)
Alternate Commentary: Michael Cole & Tazz OR Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Todd Grisham

Chris Benoit vs. Sabu
ECW November 2 Remember (November 16, 1995)

Chris Benoit vs. Al Snow
ECW Double Tables (Febrary 4, 1995)

Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero
WCW Monday Nitro (October 16, 1995)

Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan
WCW Great American Bash (June 16, 1996)

Chris Benoit vs. Booker T
Best-of-Seven Finals, Great American Bash (June 14, 1998)

Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart
Owen Hart Tribute Match, WCW Monday Nitro (October 4, 1999)

Chris Benoit vs. Sid Vicious
World Heavyweight Championship Match, WCW Souled Out (January 16, 2000)

Chris Benoit vs. William Regal
Brian Pillman Tribute Show, (May 26, 2000)

Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
Steel Cage Match, WWE RAW (June 11, 2001)

Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
WWE Championship Match, Royal Rumble (January 19, 2003)

Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
World Heavyweight Championship Match, Wrestlemania XX (March 14, 2004)

"The Neck Injury"
WWE Raw (July 2, 2001)

"Crossface Collection"
WWE Confidential (January 24, 2004)

"Raw Magazine Cover Shoot"
WWE Confidential (April 3, 2004)

Chris Beniot is one of my all time favorite wrestlers. If only the WWE used him bettter but at least they gave him a worthy dvd. You have these excellent matches that are either brutal or just great technical matches.:

vs Jushin Thunder Liger (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title) ***, vs Too Cold Scorpio (WCW) ***, vs Black Tiger (Super J Cup) ***, vs vs Great Sasuke (Super J Cup) ***, vs Sabu where he breaks his neck ** 1/2, vs Al Snow (ECW Double Tables) ***, vs Eddie Guerrero (WCW) *** 1/2, vs Kevin Sullivan (WCW Great American Bash) ***1/2, vs Booker T. (Great American Bash) ***, vs Bret hart (Owen Hart tribute match) ****, vs Sid Vicious (WCW title) ***, vs William Regal (Brian Pillman Tribute Show) ***1/2, vs Kurt Angle (WWE Raw *** and 2003 Royal Rumble ****), vs Shawn Michaels vs Triple H (World title) ****.

Those are all great matches but I'd love to see the WWE actually release follow-up dvds to their sets. I'd love to see another one released with these matches.: vs Dean Malenko at WCW Hog Wild, Beniot and Ric Flair vs the Outsiders on Nitro (Tag Team titles), vs Curt Hennig (U.S title), vs Dean Malenko in a steelcage on Nitro, vs Jeff Jarrett in a Ladder match at Starcade (U.S title), vs Scott Hall on Nitro where he makes him tap-out, vs Sting on Nitro (WCW title), vs William Regal in WCW in the U.S title tournerment, more matches with Kevin Sullivan, vs Bret Hart in their last match ever on WCW Thunder (WCW Title), vs HHH in his first match ever in the WWE, his first match ever with Stone Cold Steve Austin on Raw, matches with Kurt Angle that he actually won, vs John Cena on Smackdown where he makes him tap, vs Brock Lesner on Smackdown (WWE title), vs HBK for the first time ever on Raw, vs Ric Flair on Raw, vs HBK vs HHH 2 at Backlash (World title), vs HHH in an Iron Man Match on Raw, vs Chris Jericho on Raw in Japan, vs Eddie Guerrero at ECW One Night Stand, vs HHH on Smackdown in their Eddie Guerrero Dedication match, vs Randy Orton in a Street Fight on Smackdown, vs Booker T. (U.S title), vs Fit Finlay where he makes him tap-out at a ppv, vs William Regal in his return from an injury at a ppv, vs Ken Kennedy on Smackdown (U.S title), plus classic technical matches with William Regal on Smackdown and Velocity.

Thank you WWE for this amazing tribute DVD for Chris Benoit. Chris is always great to watch because of his emotion and devotion in the ring. Benoit really gives great insight on his career in this dvd. It is an incredible bio for chris benoit. All of his blood, sweat and tears go into his matches. Wrestling is his passion. The bio gives great commentary on all the highs and lows (not many) of his career. It also has awesome highlights of his best matches. I learned things I never knew aboit him. It is very fun to watch. Benoit gets all emotional when he talks about Stu and Owen Hart.

Bonus Features:
Pegasus Kid (Benoit) vs. Jushin Liger IWGP Jr. heavyweight title match. With alternate commentary*. 2 stars
Benoit vs. Too Cold Scorpio. 2 1/2 stars
Wild Pegasus (Benoit) vs. Black Tiger (Eddie).Super J cup Semis. With alternate commentary*. 2 1/2 stars
Wild Pegasus (Benoit) vs. Great Sasuke. Super J cup Finals. With alternate commentary*. 2 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Sabu. 2 1/2 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Al Snow. 3 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero. 3 1/2 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan. Falls count anywhere match. 3 1/2 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Booker T. 3 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart. 4 Stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Sid Viscious. World Heavyweight Title Match. 3 stars
Chris Benoit vs. William Regal. 2 3/4 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle. Steel Cage Match. 4 stars
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle. WWE Championship Match. 4 1/4 stars.
Chris Benoit vs. HHH vs. HBK. World Heavyweight Championship match. 1000 stars.

* alternate commentary by Michael Cole & Tazz or Benoit, Malenko, & Todd Grisham.

My only grievances about this DVD is tha they talk about the Rock vs. Benoit WWE title match and they don't show it on the DVD. They should also have more Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan matches and more Benoit vs. Jerico
matches. Buy this DVD now.

Even if you are not a Benoit fan - just get this DVD anyway! You will not regret it.

The hard knocks feature itself is a good insight into Benoit's life, and also the life of pretty much any wrestler of his era.
Its a good watch, but the matches on the DVD are where its laurels rest. They call these matches 'extras' but surely these are the main course on this DVD!
The japanese matches are great, especially if, like me, you have seen hardly any japanese wrestling - it is a real treat and leaves you hungry for more japanese style wrestling! The 2 ECW matches are very suprising - the sabu match because of the famous injury incident - and the AL snow match because, by lord - the man can wrestle! I was astonished by Snow in this match.
WCW always has been a strange promotion for me, some of the matches here are very good, but while some arent so hot, its worth watching them all anyway - but the commentators over at WCW are experts at pointing out the obvious - im embarrassed for them.

The wwf/wwe mathes are great. Though id seen them before (not the regal match though, which is excellent) whereas the joy of the other matches on the DVD was that i had not seen any of them!

over all great stuff - buy it. Buy it now!

If people who don't know will look at the date...they can see that this was made Years AGO!

Benoit was truly a great wrestler and a very nice guy. Who I have met numerous times as I work with a indepent wrestling company.

I serously doubt that unless people who don't know a thing about wrestling get unhinged about this videos and others that have Benoit in them. So from what I've heard people would like to take every wwe/wwf video that has him in it and just erase any mention of him?

This video is great to see what happenes in the wrestling world.
it is sad that this happened...but people don't know what goes through a person's mind.

All I can say is I wish this had never happened but I will miss Benoit.

This is a DVD tells the story of Chris Benoit. The story starts off from his childhood to his early days of training in Calgary in the dungeon. It moves on to his time in New Japan and how his friendship with Guerrero & Malenko started along with his competing in the Super J Cup and the story behind him going from the name Pegasus Kid to Wild Pegasus. His ECW time discussed how breaking Sabu's neck got him prepared for "sports entertainment" in the U.S. along with his feuding with 2 Cold Scorpio & the story behind his leaving ECW. His WCW section talks about his feud & backstage problems with Kevin Sullivan, the best of 7 series with Booker T, the story behind the Owen Hart tribute match with Bret Hart, and the story behind him winning the WCW title only to walk out the next night. And the last section covers his time in the WWE starting with his entrance with the Radicalz, feuding with Kurt Angle, a funny story behind his match with The Rock at Fully Loaded. The DVD starts to close on his neck injury, the road to recovery, his Royal Rumble victory and him winning the title at WrestleMania XX.

Matches Include:
Pegasus Kid vs. I.W.G.P. Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger - This was from Benoit's early days wrestling in Japan under a mask as the Pegasus Kid. This match you can say mirrored the Benoit we would know in later years as this was a heavy submission based match with various moves like the camel clutch & surfboard being used. Later on it became more high impact with Liger doing his trademark moves like the moonsault over the top tope & the Liger Bomb. In the end, Chris Benoit went on to win his first championship in his career.
The alternative commentary with Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Todd Grisham talked various subjects like how Benoit became the Pegasus Kid, the history behind the building (Sumo Palace) where the match took place, the difference between the american & japanese crowds.
New Japan Pro Wrestling Aug. '90

vs. 2 Cold Scorpio - Scorpio's style was unique & very underrated in WCW at this time while Benoit was in his early stages of his career at this time as well. The match was a 20 min. time limit & they wrestled all the way to 1 sec. short of the time limit. This was a wrestling masterpiece for that day & age in WCW eventhough they would go on to better boughts in ECW.
WCW SuperBrawl III '93

Wild Pegasus vs. Black Tiger - During this period, Chris Benoit was unmasked in Japan and started going under the name "Wild Pegasus" while this was early Eddie Guerrero under a mask as Black Tiger. This was the semi-finals of the Super J Cup tournament so this was both men's second match of the night & both men here showed signs of the wrestling style that we would remember them for as Guerrero worked over Benoit's legs with a unique leg bar while Benoit showcased a heavy amount of suplexes.
The alternative commentary with Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Todd Grisham talked various subjects like the funny story about how Benoit met Eddie, the story behind Eddie becoming the Black Tiger character, and adjusting to life in Japan.
New Japan Pro Wrestling Apr. '94

Wild Pegasus vs. Great Sasuke - This was the finals of the Super J Cup tournament & Benoit's third match in the same night with the various wrestlers from the tournament at ringside to watch the match including familar faces like Taka Michinoku, Dean Malenko, and Jushin Liger. They did a very well paced match that went back & forth between both men that was very interesting to see them pull off this type of performance going towards the 20 min. mark in their third match of the night but Watch out for this one moment that saw Sasuke doing a missle dropkick from the top rope onto the outside.
sasuke does missle dropkick from top to outside,
The alternative commentary with Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Todd Grisham talked about the interesting (and funny) relationship between Dean Malekno & the referee in this match, the popularity of wrestling in Japan, and how important this tournament was that they invited wrestlers from rival promotions to compete.
New Japan Pro Wrestling Apr. '94

vs. Sabu - Don't know how else to summerise this except that this is where Benoit earned his nickname "The Crippler" and this incident had such an impact on his career that the nickname that came from this incident stuck with him for the rest of his career.
ECW November 2 Remember '94

vs. Al Snow - This was what you call a "sleeper match" in that not much was expected but it turned out better than what you thought going in. This was before Al Snow would go on to have the "Head" gimmick and was one of the finest performances you'll see from the always underrated Al Snow but it should be noted that this was one of the first times you saw Benoit attempt to showcase a real cocky personality while performing in the ring.
ECW Double Tables Feb. '95

vs. Eddie Guerrero - This was the Nitro debut for Chris Benoit in a match that was very fast paced & agressive from start to finish. Benoit focused on Eddie's arm by ramming it into the ringpost & applying the arm bar while later on delivering one of the most impactful powerbombs I can remember where Eddie's head bounced off the match. We also saw the signs of "vintage" Eddie with moves such as leaping off the ropes into a DDT & a flying crossbody along with delivering one hell of a side suplex at one point. One hell of a debut & way to make a first impression to the WCW audience.
"WCW Nitro" Oct. '95

Falls Count Anywhere Match vs. Kevin Sullivan - This was a few months into Benoit's reign as a Horsemen & with Brian Pillman leaving WCW during this middle of his feud with Sullivan, Benoit stepped in & "turned up the heat." Their year-plus long feud against each other was one of the most physical & most aggressive feuds in wrestling at that time. This started off with both men brawling in the isleway into the crowd & all the way back to the men's bathroom...complete with Sullivan even beating Benoit down with a bag full of toilet paper...to fighting back down to the ring with Benoit being thrown down the steps in the process. Again, this was just a wild physical fight from start to finish.
As a side note, if you ever have the time...look up every single match you can from this feud as it was overshadowed by the nWo & other storylines going on in WCW at that time but these were just hardcore fights except they used their fist instead of weapons.
WCW Great American Bash '96

vs. Booker T - This was the finals of their "Best Of Seven" series WCW did during this time to determine who would get the WCW Television Title shot against Finlay later that night. This was a very intense match between both men as Benoit heavily dominated with his "ground & pound" offense while Booker was heavily on the defensive. The match picked up towards the end but overall, Benoit helped made Booker T look like a million bucks here.
WCW Great American Bash '98

Owen Hart Tribute Match vs. Bret Hart - This match took place in the same arena where Owen Hart fell to his death months earlier at the "Over The Edge" PPV & to showcase just how important this match was, Harley Race did the introductions for this match. The commentators described this match perfectly early with the phrase "dungeon wrestling." They were very physical here & used various submissions against each other & turned up the intensity as the match went on with Bret heavily focusing on Benoit's back with headbutts. In the end, this was a very emotional match & what Mike Tenay said can summerise this better than anything I can say, "Bret & Chris, you made everybody pround."
"WCW Nitro" Oct. '99
("Bret Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be")

WCW Championship Match vs. Sid Vicious - This was one of the most famous matches in not just Benoit's career but WCW in it's later years...for all the wrong reasons. Benoit along with other wrestlers (Guerrero, Malenko, Saturn) had asked for their released from WCW and in a last minute effort to keep them with the company, Benoit was given this match for the World Championship...which was vacated by Bret Hart due to injury (and eventual retirement). It should be noted that Arn Anderson was appointed as the referee for this match while various wrestlers watched from the entranceway. Sid used his power to get an advantage while Benoit heavily focused on Sid's legs to take away the size advantage with moves like the anklelock, figure four, and even dropkicked the steel steps into his legs. Benoit would go on to win the WCW Championship only to still walk out of the company the next night.
WCW Souled Out '00

vs. William Regal - For anyone who's never seen or doesn't remember the matches Benoit had against Regal, your in for a treat here. These are two guys who were always so physical against each other that they never had a match that didn't have one man leave with brusies or more. Regal pulled out some offense that wasn't typical of his like a dropkick & an underarm suplex from the top rope while bleeding early from the impact of Benoit's headbutts. Both men used heavily chain wrestling & submission holds including an indian deathlock/dragon sleeper combination from Regal. Awesome wrestling match to the point where some members in the crowd started chanting "boring" early in the match only to have been won over towards at the end.
Brian Pillman Tribute Show '00

Steel Cage Match vs. Kurt Angle - This was set to be their "final encounter" after feuding with each other for months over Kurt Angle's gold medals & Steve Austin was on commentary during this match as he was set to meet Benoit at the next King Of The Ring PPV. This was one of those cage matches that didn't require it being a "bloody massacre" to be good as they did what they did best & wrestle creating various memorable moments such as a german suplex from the middle of the top rope along with Benoit excuting nine other straight german suplexes onto Angle & both men coming off the top of the cage in moments that were certainly "highlight reels" in both men's careers.
"RAW" June '01

vs. WWE Champion Kurt Angle - This was a professional wrestling (not sports entertainment) fans dream match. Honestly, this is one of those matches that words would not do it justice. Wanna know how good this was...people were giving both Angle & Benoit standing ovations after the match.
Royal Rumble '03
("History Of WWE Championship")

vs. World Champion Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels - Can Chris Benoit finally win "the big one?" This started out with Benoit & Shawn so obsessed with beating up Triple H that they ended up turning on each other when they kept fighting over who gets to beat him up before evolving into a match that you expect from three of the best wrestlers in the company. The triple threat rules where heavily played out here as there were moments when all three men stopped a pinfall/submission involving the other two from happening like one moment where Triple H held up Shawn's hand to prevent him from tapping to Benoit along with one guy being taken out of the match to settle the issues between the other two such when Benoit was put through a table so Shawn & Triple H (who both were heavily bleeding) can focus on each other. In the end, Benoit gained the first ever submission victory in the main event to finally achieve his dream & win the World Heavyweight Championship...and the celebration afterwards was certainly a WrestleMania moment.
WrestleMania XX

DVD extras include 3 features from Confidential along with hidden extras such as a Benoit ECW promo, a Benoit video feature, and the REAL story behind his chipped tooth close out this DVD. Weather your a fan of Benoit or not, I highly recommended this.