It was just supposed to be a promo. "I don't know if I'll ever get another shot at the WWE title" Chris Benoit said to the camera. Unfortunately, life sometimes imitates art.
Last week he was wrestling Brock Lesnar. This week he was forced to make Chuck Palumbo look good. Next week he was going to Iraq to face Eddie Guerrero. Even then he had a feeling his match would be cut short so as not to make the Big Show look bad. If the ratings drop was any indication fans would rather see Benoit in main events than Bob Holly. But since when did Vince McMahon listen to what the fans wanted? Never as far as Chris Benoit could tell. Vince didn't listen when Benoit got a standing ovation from the live crowd after the title loss last week. He didn't listen when another crowd reacted similarly after a WWE title match with Kurt Angle at the Royal Rumble last year. Imagine the response if he had actually won! Unfortunately, imagining it might be all Chris Benoit and his fans could ever do.
Kevin Nash didn't show up at the SmackDown taping after the incident last week. Surprisingly Vince hadn't fired him over it, proving again that he NEVER listens to fans. The recent string of walkouts left a bigger hole on RAW than SmackDown so far. With success continuing to elude him however, Chris Benoit started to think as unprofessional as it may be that walking out wasn't such a bad idea.
Unfortunately Vince McMahon was still marketing his company as entertainment. The last initial of the company even changed last year to reflect that philosophy. Wrestling matches were simply filler between interviews and unfunny comedy skits. It had been that way for about six years now. Coincidentally, or maybe not, it was about that long since Bret Hart had left the company.
Everyone knew the story by now. Bret Hart, then WWF champion, was going to WCW. McMahon didn't want to let his champion go to another company with the belt. Vince demanded they take the belt off Hart as soon as possible which happened to mean losing the title in Canada without telling Bret the result. The only people in on the real finish that night were McMahon, referee Earl Hebner, possibly some of the creative team, and Shawn Michaels. Shawn would deny this at first but went on to bare his soul years later. Insiders and fans alike hoped they would turn the whole thing into a storyline one day with Hart returning for revenge against McMahon and/or Michaels. It never came to be. With Bret's recent stroke and a retirement forced by a concussion it was doubtful he'd ever return to a wrestling ring even if he wanted to. Meanwhile after Bret left McMahon with no real top wrestler, Vince put himself into the ring against Steve Austin and the company has been dubbed "Sports-Entertainment" ever since.
Benoit went back to his hotel room after winning yet another meaningless mid-card match and placed a phone call. A phone call to Canada and to Bret Hart.
"The cream always rises to the top," said Hart into his end of the phone. "I was there fourteen years, Chris. After guys like Hogan and Warrior left they needed to build it around wrestlers again. That's when I got my shot. An entertaining character is only entertaining for so long. A good wrestler is essential to the wrestling business."
Benoit laughed uncharacteristically, missing tooth and all. "Yeah, you'd think so. But I'm not a wrestler. I'm a 'Sports-Entertainer' now. Whatever the hell that is."
"Vince McMahon is a lot of things, but he knows talent when he sees it. You'll get your shot."
"I doubt it. I really think the guy has a grudge against wrestling. Bret, what happened? It didn't used to be this way. Just a few years ago great wrestling was respected. Guys like us were measuring sticks. Wrestling companies were built around us because we were good wrestlers performing on a wrestling show."
"A lot of things happened. The NWO storyline happened. ECW happened. Vince's whole 'Attitude' campaign. There's still a place for wrestlers in wrestling though."
"Not here. I'm not saying I need to be the champion or all my matches need to go an hour. I'm just saying if you've got guys capable of putting on good matches, it only makes sense to let them do it and send a crowd home happy. Let wrestlers wrestle and let the entertainers be the mid-carders. That's how it used to be. Then you got screwed over and they never looked back."
"Yeah, well..." said Bret, not really disagreeing with his assessment. He quickly changed the subject so as to not discourage Benoit from continuing to do the good job he knew he was able to do.
"So what's all the stuff I've been reading about the walkouts?"
"Nash, Bischoff, and Tommy Dreamer all left. They didn't quit but they haven't showed up at the shows since last week."
"Why?"
"Why else? They're unhappy with some part of the company. Same as I am right now."
"So basically they're striking but without a union?"
"Basically. You think Vince will listen?"
"I doubt it. All those guys are expandable to him."
That was true. These guys walking out wouldn't bother management. People had quit before. They even survived Steve Austin leaving for a few months. If a true walk out was going to happen it needed to hit them where it hurt most: In the TV product.
The brand extension was very important to the McMahon family. They didn't want it to end. A partial roster walk out on both RAW and SmackDown would not only force the remaining brands to grow closer together, but also give the wrestlers that leave a bit of leverage to make demands as far as their returns to TV go. Sure Vince could simply fire and replace all those who dared make such a bold move against him, but a strike of that nature followed by another promotion picking up the just released talents wasn't a chance McMahon would want to take. He'd be stuck. Firing them leaves his roster thin. A full walk out could ruin McMahon's company. If this group of disgruntled employees grew, WWE officials would have no choice but to give in to the demands of the talent. Benoit knew all this from first hand experience when the Radicalz departed WCW about a year before it closed down. A similar fate could await McMahon if Benoit would leave. Then maybe another. And then another...
Benoit hung up with Bret Hart and placed a second phone call. A phone call to WWE headquarters. He left a message giving notice to the sports-entertainment company that he was joining those who didn't come in to work until things changed.
Whether he was released tomorrow or his demands were met next week, Chris Benoit would be wrestling again very soon. That's all anyone really wanted.
Anyone but Vince McMahon.
Last week he was wrestling Brock Lesnar. This week he was forced to make Chuck Palumbo look good. Next week he was going to Iraq to face Eddie Guerrero. Even then he had a feeling his match would be cut short so as not to make the Big Show look bad. If the ratings drop was any indication fans would rather see Benoit in main events than Bob Holly. But since when did Vince McMahon listen to what the fans wanted? Never as far as Chris Benoit could tell. Vince didn't listen when Benoit got a standing ovation from the live crowd after the title loss last week. He didn't listen when another crowd reacted similarly after a WWE title match with Kurt Angle at the Royal Rumble last year. Imagine the response if he had actually won! Unfortunately, imagining it might be all Chris Benoit and his fans could ever do.
Kevin Nash didn't show up at the SmackDown taping after the incident last week. Surprisingly Vince hadn't fired him over it, proving again that he NEVER listens to fans. The recent string of walkouts left a bigger hole on RAW than SmackDown so far. With success continuing to elude him however, Chris Benoit started to think as unprofessional as it may be that walking out wasn't such a bad idea.
Unfortunately Vince McMahon was still marketing his company as entertainment. The last initial of the company even changed last year to reflect that philosophy. Wrestling matches were simply filler between interviews and unfunny comedy skits. It had been that way for about six years now. Coincidentally, or maybe not, it was about that long since Bret Hart had left the company.
Everyone knew the story by now. Bret Hart, then WWF champion, was going to WCW. McMahon didn't want to let his champion go to another company with the belt. Vince demanded they take the belt off Hart as soon as possible which happened to mean losing the title in Canada without telling Bret the result. The only people in on the real finish that night were McMahon, referee Earl Hebner, possibly some of the creative team, and Shawn Michaels. Shawn would deny this at first but went on to bare his soul years later. Insiders and fans alike hoped they would turn the whole thing into a storyline one day with Hart returning for revenge against McMahon and/or Michaels. It never came to be. With Bret's recent stroke and a retirement forced by a concussion it was doubtful he'd ever return to a wrestling ring even if he wanted to. Meanwhile after Bret left McMahon with no real top wrestler, Vince put himself into the ring against Steve Austin and the company has been dubbed "Sports-Entertainment" ever since.
Benoit went back to his hotel room after winning yet another meaningless mid-card match and placed a phone call. A phone call to Canada and to Bret Hart.
"The cream always rises to the top," said Hart into his end of the phone. "I was there fourteen years, Chris. After guys like Hogan and Warrior left they needed to build it around wrestlers again. That's when I got my shot. An entertaining character is only entertaining for so long. A good wrestler is essential to the wrestling business."
Benoit laughed uncharacteristically, missing tooth and all. "Yeah, you'd think so. But I'm not a wrestler. I'm a 'Sports-Entertainer' now. Whatever the hell that is."
"Vince McMahon is a lot of things, but he knows talent when he sees it. You'll get your shot."
"I doubt it. I really think the guy has a grudge against wrestling. Bret, what happened? It didn't used to be this way. Just a few years ago great wrestling was respected. Guys like us were measuring sticks. Wrestling companies were built around us because we were good wrestlers performing on a wrestling show."
"A lot of things happened. The NWO storyline happened. ECW happened. Vince's whole 'Attitude' campaign. There's still a place for wrestlers in wrestling though."
"Not here. I'm not saying I need to be the champion or all my matches need to go an hour. I'm just saying if you've got guys capable of putting on good matches, it only makes sense to let them do it and send a crowd home happy. Let wrestlers wrestle and let the entertainers be the mid-carders. That's how it used to be. Then you got screwed over and they never looked back."
"Yeah, well..." said Bret, not really disagreeing with his assessment. He quickly changed the subject so as to not discourage Benoit from continuing to do the good job he knew he was able to do.
"So what's all the stuff I've been reading about the walkouts?"
"Nash, Bischoff, and Tommy Dreamer all left. They didn't quit but they haven't showed up at the shows since last week."
"Why?"
"Why else? They're unhappy with some part of the company. Same as I am right now."
"So basically they're striking but without a union?"
"Basically. You think Vince will listen?"
"I doubt it. All those guys are expandable to him."
That was true. These guys walking out wouldn't bother management. People had quit before. They even survived Steve Austin leaving for a few months. If a true walk out was going to happen it needed to hit them where it hurt most: In the TV product.
The brand extension was very important to the McMahon family. They didn't want it to end. A partial roster walk out on both RAW and SmackDown would not only force the remaining brands to grow closer together, but also give the wrestlers that leave a bit of leverage to make demands as far as their returns to TV go. Sure Vince could simply fire and replace all those who dared make such a bold move against him, but a strike of that nature followed by another promotion picking up the just released talents wasn't a chance McMahon would want to take. He'd be stuck. Firing them leaves his roster thin. A full walk out could ruin McMahon's company. If this group of disgruntled employees grew, WWE officials would have no choice but to give in to the demands of the talent. Benoit knew all this from first hand experience when the Radicalz departed WCW about a year before it closed down. A similar fate could await McMahon if Benoit would leave. Then maybe another. And then another...
Benoit hung up with Bret Hart and placed a second phone call. A phone call to WWE headquarters. He left a message giving notice to the sports-entertainment company that he was joining those who didn't come in to work until things changed.
Whether he was released tomorrow or his demands were met next week, Chris Benoit would be wrestling again very soon. That's all anyone really wanted.
Anyone but Vince McMahon.