Ex-WWE star on how Chris Benoit was like backstage (Exclusive)
Former WWE Tag Team Champion Doug Basham noted that Chris Benoit was quiet and intimidating backstage but a nice guy.
Basham was a part of WWE between 2002 and 2007, the time period when Benoit's stock rose significantly in the company. Doug was let go from the Stamford-based promotion just a few months before Benoit's death.
While speaking to Dr. Chris Featherstone on the latest edition of Sportskeeda's UnSKripted show, Basham revealed that The Rabid Wolverine was a quiet character backstage but a nice person.
"As far as backstage goes, he was always quiet, intimidating, kind of, but super nice guy. He was very, very professional."
The 50-year-old explained how Benoit was a physical guy in the ring and was fun to work with:
"But, man, when you got in the ring with him, it was a fight. He hit you hard, he tried to beat you for real, how about that. It was fun working with him, I love it. I was a physical guy too so I loved it," said Basham. (From 24:48 to 25:24)
Basham said he wrestled Benoit a few times in singles matches when he was a part of WWE and that the late star was a formidable competitor in the ring.
Sabu recently opened up about breaking his neck while in the ring with late WWE Superstar
Sabu and Benoit met in the ring when the two were a part of ECW, and the former broke his neck during the match.
“It wasn’t really a miscommunication. He said, ‘I’ll hook you and throw you for a belly flop, but don’t tuck.’ But when he threw me up, he hooked my legs and threw me up, my legs kept climbing higher than my head and I couldn’t flatten out, and I landed on my head," said Sabu.
The former ECW Champion had a memorable stint in the Extreme promotion. However, he left the company for the final time in 2000.
Benoit had a one-year run with ECW between 1994 and 1995 as the organization grew in prominence. He later joined WCW before moving to WWE.
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