Former World Champion reveals Chris Benoit saved him from quitting WWE
A WWE Hall of Famer recently revealed how Chris Benoit saved him from leaving the Stamford-based wrestling promotion. Many considered Benoit as one of the best in-ring performers on the roster during his time in the company.
Unfortunately, in a shocking turn of events, he took his own life at the age of 40 in 2007. During a recent edition of Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry shared his heartfelt conversation with the late wrestler, which prevented him from leaving the company at that time.
The World's Strongest Man referred to the time when he dislocated his shoulder ahead of WrestleMania.
"I tore my quad coming back — I was injured and went back to Louisville to knock the rust off, and then I tore my quad. I was out for six months, and then I healed up, and I was on a roll. I was killing [for] about eight months. And then I dislocated my shoulder; this is right before WrestleMania," he said.
The former AEW star revealed that Chris Benoit reached out to him after the injury. He further detailed his conversation with Benoit which motivated him to change his mind and stay with WWE.
"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 no. 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]
WWE Hall of Famer recalls working with Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit was an integral part of the WWE roster before his unfortunate demise. He won several championships and competed against several top superstars back in the day.
One such massive star was Kurt Angle. During a Q&A session at Steel City Con, the former Olympic Gold Medalist said that his match with Benoit at Royal Rumble 2003 was his all-time favorite. He further stated what it was like to share the ring with the veteran.
"This is hard for me to say, but my favorite match of all time was actually against Chris Benoit at Royal Rumble 2003. He reminded me of me. He had the same intensity. He had the same build and the same athleticism. When we got together, it was a war, really intense matches." [From 20:45 to 21:20]
WWE has erased Chris Benoit's work within the company due to the controversy related to his death. However, many performers praise his in-ring abilities even today.