Hard Knocks : The Chris Benoit Story DVD Review
Anyone that can't bear to hear about Benoit after the tragedy of 2007 , please do not read this as I may praise Benoit as a wrestler . I've already expressed my opinion on the Benoit matter . This DVD arrived this morning after I ordered it off Amazon . It seems it's only there and Ebay you can get this .
Everyone is going to have their own personal opinion of this documentary . I myself was able to enjoy it , and I thought it was fantastic . I wish it could have been about 40 minutes longer to get more insight into his time in the WWE , but what we got was great . 9/10
Disc 1 Matches :
Pegasus Kid vs Jushin Liger
This match took place in Japan and was for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship . Liger is one of the most respected wrestlers in Japan . The pacing was amazing . I didn't want this match to end . A big night for Benoit as he pins Liger after a top rope leg drop to win the title . ****
Chris Benoit vs Too Cold Scorpio
This was from the 1993 WCW Superbrawl . This was before they both went over to ECW . Both guys had great chemistry together and respected one another . Jesse Ventura's commentary has been edited out . This was a great match and had fans cheering even though they were relatively unknown . Scorpio wins with a roll up . ****
Wild Pegasus vs Black Tiger
This was the Super J Cup . Black Tiger was of course the late , great Eddie Guerrero . After a great match , Benoit heads to the finals of the tournament after giving Black Tiger an arm drag as he comes off the top rope . ***3/4
Wild Pegasus vs The Great Sasuke
This is the finals of the 1994 Super J Cup . Some great showing of athleticism here . This was an absolute classic of a match . An important match for Benoit as he wins the Super J Cup after giving Sasuke a gut wrench suplex from the top rope for the win . Phenomenal . ****1/2
Chris Benoit vs Sabu
I won't give this match a rating since it's just here to show Sabu's neck being broken by Benoit . This gave him his ' Crippler ' name . N/R
Chris Benoit vs Al Snow
From an ECW show . After seeing Snow in WWE I wasn't expecting this to be as good a match as it was . The best match I've seen Snow compete in . Benoit gets the pinfall with a dragon suplex . ***3/4
Disc 2 :
Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero
From an episode of Monday Nitro . These two best friends usually did have great matches together . This was another great match between the two . Benoit wins it with a dragon suplex . ***1/2
Chris Benoit vs Kevin Sullivan : Falls Count Anywhere
From the 1996 Great American Bash and these were two guys who really did not get along . The start of this match reminded me of the classic submission match at Wrestlemania 13 . A really good match as Benoit wins with a superplex from a top rope table . ***1/4
Chris Benoit vs Booker T
From the 1998 Great American Bash . This was the finals of their famous WCW best of seven series contest . The winner would become the no.1 contender for the World TV Title . Booker wins with a missile dropkick . ***1/4
Bret Hart vs Chris Benoit
Owen Hart's tribute match . Also arguably the best WCW match ever and arguably the best free tv match ever . Additionally , one of the most emotionally charged matches ever , all in tribute for the late great Owen Hart . It doesn't matter how good the match is, considering it's all for Owen, but I definitely consider it an all time classic. Bret wins with a sharpshooter . *****
Chris Benoit vs Sid Vicious
From the 2000 Souled Out . Benoit said he never wanted to win the world title in WCW after everything he went through there and considers his world title win in WWE to be his first . This was a surprisingly good match . Sid taps to the crossface . ***
Chris Benoit vs William Regal
From the Brian Pillman tribute show . These two have amazing chemistry with each other . The video quality isn't very good and looks more like an ECW match , but the match quality still stands as excellent . Regal taps to the crossface to end an exceptional match . ****
Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle : Steel Cage Match
One of my favourite cage matches between two guys that have never had a bad match together . Angle's moonsault from the top of the cgae looked absolutely amazing . Benoit's diving headbutt from the cage was amazing too . Angle wins by leaving the cage . Awesome match . ****
Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
Can't wait to watch this match . Holy shit , a DDT to Kurt on the ring apron . That looked brutal . Sharpshooter to Kurt . Quite a lot of Sharpshooters on this dvd . Very technical so far . Benoit countered the angle slam into the crossface ! Now Benoit had the angle lock , and Kurt counters that into an angle lock and Benoit counters that into a crossface ! Benoit taps to the angle lock . This was just flat out awesome . ****1/2
Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit
Here we are at the main event WWE wishes they could forget . Even after the Benoit tragedy , it is still one of the greatest matches of all time . This match showed that great wrestlers like Benoit can have their big moment . Here we go ! Michaels with an amazing moonsault to the outside . HBK has been bloodied by the ring post . Benoit double-suplexed through a table ! Triple H now bleeding from the head ! HHH hits the pedigree ! Benoit saves the match . Benoit locks in the sharpshooter ! Sweet chin music to Benoit ! Only 2 ! What a match ! Benoit locks in the crossface ! Triple H taps and Benoit defies the odds ! An all time classic . I can't see any reason not to give it ***** . After the match , Benoit and Guerrero embrace in the ring in a true Wrestlemania moment .
A doctor talks to Benoit about a neck injury that took place at the 2001 King of the Ring .
Benoit talks about the crippler crossface . He tells us how to apply the hold .
We now have some footage from Confidential of Benoit taking photos for his cover shoot of WWE Magazine .
9/10 . If you can stomach Benoit , then you have to go and find this DVD . Amazing matches combined with a great documentary makes a great DVD . Even if it's hard to find .
Thank you for this great review! Given his unfortunate final few days and the lives lost within those days I can certainly understand if somebody can't stomach to watch a Benoit match anymore; however given his incredible in ring talent, tenacity, and high number of great wrestling matches I can definitely understand why someone would want to watch matches of his. In this whole Chris Benoit discussion I can't fault with anybody for Either liking or disliking him as their are reasons to be made for either side. What can' be argued is how great this DVD is based off of the match listing and the wrestler involved in the matches.
ReplyDeleteWith this dvd I really do feel that by buying it your not celebrating his horrific actions, your simply celebrating a tremendous wrestling career and the legacy of what he was a performer and all of wonderful memorie left behind and represented for all of us wrestling fans. We will never truly know what caused those actions or why they even took place to begin with,whether it was due to a mental illness, a combination of stress, depression and drugs, Benoit having it planned or a combination of all three, whatever the reasons it's pretty safe to say that we all wish that what transpired never took place. Let's us all hope that all three are in a much better place and that they are never forgotten. R.i.P to all three