"I hate I even told him that" - WWE Hall of Famer recalls upsetting Chris Benoit (Exclusive)
WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long recently recalled the time when Chris Benoit was upset with himself after he pointed out a minor flaw in his match.
While his legacy has been forever tainted due to the double murder-suicide case, it doesn't take away from the fact that Benoit was a phenomenal in-ring worker. The former WWE Champion was one of the most technically-proficient performers of his era, whose every maneuver looked smooth and seamless.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Time Machine podcast hosted by Mac Davis, Teddy Long recalled the time when WWE went on an overseas tour. Long disclosed watching one of Chris Benoit's matches backstage and feeling he took a few seconds longer to take his opponent down with a Frog Splash.
The former SmackDown General Manager added that when he told Benoit about the same after the latter came to the back after his match, it upset him.
"I remember one time we were overseas, and I was watching Chris Benoit, and he did a Frog Splash from the top. To me, he didn't stay there for too long. I just thought it was a little bit longer, but it was so minor. I didn't really think about it. So when Chris came back, he stopped for a minute, and I told him, 'Great match, the only thing I thought you could have hit him a little bit quicker. I thought you stayed there too long.' I'm just having a conversation that upset him so bad! I hate I even told him that," said Teddy Long. (3:18 - 3:55)
Check out the full video below:
WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long reveals Chris Benoit agreed with his criticism
Furthermore, Teddy Long revealed that Chris Benoit was upset at himself for not timing the Splash at the right time. The WWE legend added that he tried to reassure Benoit by saying that fans may not have even noticed such minor details.
"Yeah, it upset him so bad because he looked at me and said, ' God, Teddy, you're right! I even felt that.' I told him no one else would even notice. The only people who would notice are probably people like us. I told him I don't think anyone else caught it, but that upset him so bad. So yeah, it's all about the timing," added Teddy Long. (4:00 - 4:19)
#OnThisDayInWWE 20 years ago:
“This is what the WWE Title is all about - 2 men leaving it all in the ring!” - Michael Cole
Just listen to how much the crowd are into @RealKurtAngle v Chris Benoit
“A phenomenal match! A 5* match!” - @OfficialTAZ
@TheAnglePod https://t.co/hWz53jgykG
During his time with the global sports entertainment juggernaut, Chris Benoit became a Grand Slam Champion, having won all the major titles.
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