From the Archives: Benoit/Hart, the Owen Tribute Match

Yeah I know, Chris Benoit, child-murderer, may he burn in Hell, all the like. I was on that train hardcore when his double-murder-suicide happened, and really, I kinda still am. As a human being, I will never, ever respect him again. However, as a wrestler, it's hard to deny the impact he had on the business and the greatness he brought to the table in the ring. It took a lot for me to watch the following match, mainly because whenever I've spoken of Benoit since it happened, it's either been with scalding vitriol or as the punchline of a wholly inappropriate joke.

But at some point, I knew that I was going to have to come to terms with his place in wrestling history. There were noted scoundrels in other sports. Ty Cobb and OJ Simpson immediately come to mind, but while their criminal behavior off the field opens them up to scorn, you can't negate the impact that they had on the field. I'm guessing that's how many people like myself will remember Benoit: bastard out of the ring, but one of the best in the ring.

So that brings us to the match itself. Benoit and Bret Hart, the acclaimed Owen Hart Tribute match from the Kemper Arena, October 4, 1999. I had actually never seen the match before, this being at the tail end of one of my wrestling hiatuses. I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about, and Bret Hart is still one of my all-time favorites. Here it is, in three parts:

Part One:


Part Two:


Part Three:


There were two things that really annoyed me about this match that had nothing to do with the competitors in the ring. One were the commercial breaks. Yeah, I know, they happen on free TV matches, but since this was supposed to be a special match on a special card, couldn't Turner have made some sort of deal to get this specific match shown interruption free?

Two, the announcing was pretty bad. Not WrestleCrap bad, not usual Schiavone bad, but it was schizophrenic at best and aimless at worst. I mean, I have to give Schiavone and Tenay their due... this could have been their best call that I've heard. They did have their flashes of brilliance. However, they wandered between calling the match and reminiscing about Owen. I know, it was the tribute card, but I thought the mentions didn't fit with the flow of the match. In the hands of better announcers given the time between Owen's death and the match, the match could have been called more fluidly with them still mentioning Owen Hart and how much he mattered in the match.

Throw Bobby Heenan into the equation, and then you get some real awkwardness. When he was trying to be serious, it seemed a bit forced, given the context of his announcing style. When he tried to work the schtick in... well, it fell flat, but not only did it fall flat, Schiavone and Tenay fucking no-sold it, which was the killer for me. The least they could have done was chide Heenan for making light of things during a serious match. This is why I can never take anyone who says Tony Schiavone was a good announcer seriously.

But enough about the negatives, because this match was very, very good. As the announcers astutely detailed between their ramblings (one of their flashes of brilliance), the match had three distinctly different zones. The first one was the feeling-out stage, the chain-wrestling segment that read like a stunning tribute to the Hart Family Dungeon. There were a few cool counters and move segues, the one that standing out most to me being when Hart flowed seamlessly into the Russian leg sweep.

The second segment was sort of the boiling-over point, where the tempers boiled over. It was surprising, but not surprising how well both of them were able to get their brawl on. Benoit will always be remembered in-ring for his technical prowess, but he didn't get the nickname the "Wolverine" for being able to do a hammerlock or segue from a headlock into a rear waistlock. In addition to the tenacity he could always show on moves such as the Crossface, he showed equal voraciousness with his kicks and punches. Hart spent years in the WWE, where everything was a bit punchy-kicky at times. This segment coincides with the second commercial break.

Then we get into the final portion of the match, where both return to their wrestling roots in order to try to finish. Here's where we get some of the signature spots: Bret Hart's piledriver, Benoit with the flying headbutt and rolling Germans. It's kind of a propos that it begins with Benoit reversing a Sharpshooter attempt into the Crossface and ends with Hart crafty-ing out of the Crossface, struggling and succeeding in putting the Sharpshooter on Benoit for the finish.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent match, deserving of all the praise it got. A lot of what was wrong with it had nothing to do with the wrestlers in it and rather with the inherent flaws within WCW at the time. I went into the match thinking that it was probably overrated by the fanboys and it turned out that I was wrong.

In closing, I think this was a good match for me to watch to be able to start separating Benoit the HOF-caliber wrestler from Benoit the piece of shit human being. I really wouldn't begrudge anyone for feeling differently and boycotting him altogether, but in the end, I think it's all just entertainment. Benoit the character can still be something to enjoy even if he did end up as a piece of shit at the end of his life.