Wrestler recalls Chris Benoit contacting him on AOL Messenger
Independent wrestler John Walters recently recalled how he received advice from Chris Benoit after appearing in WWE in the mid-2000s.
Walters teamed up with Arch Kincaid in a losing effort against The Hurricane and Rosey on the June 13, 2004, episode of Sunday Night Heat. Following the match, Benoit told Walters backstage that his performance "impressed the f**k" out of him. The two also exchanged email addresses.
On the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Walters said Benoit messaged him after his loss to Chris Masters on the February 28, 2005, episode of RAW:
"I got a little AOL message that said, 'Wolverine1Sport sent you a message.' I'm guessing because we exchanged emails my screen name was saved in his contacts, and he said, 'Hey, John, it's Benoit. Great match with Chris Masters.' I was just like, 'I got squashed.' But he was like, 'Hey, you threw good forearms. Only thing you can do in that situation is do the best and somewhere down the line someone will do the same for you.'" [21:35 – 21:57]
Walters has wrestled for several high-profile promotions over the last two decades, including New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor. In 2022, the 44-year-old lost a match against Tony Nese on AEW Dark: Elevation.
Chris Benoit's advice to John Walters
At five-foot-nine, Chris Benoit had to silence critics of his size before becoming a main-event star in both WCW and WWE.
John Walters, who is billed as six-foot tall, said Benoit advised him not to let his height hold him back from progressing in the wrestling business:
"He's like, 'How come you haven't got signed yet?' I was like, 'I dunno, maybe I'm too small.' He's like, 'That's bulls**t. Keep doing what you're doing.' You hear a lot of stories from indie guys that Benoit was very helpful. I think if he saw a little of himself in you, he was always willing to help out because his passion was wrestling, and he was a guy who was told a million times he was too small." [21:57 – 22:17]
Although Chris Benoit was widely viewed as one of the world's best wrestlers, the circumstances surrounding his death tainted his career forever. In June 2007, the Canadian killed his wife and son before taking his own life in a three-day double-murder and suicide.
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Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.