![]() I’ve been a fan of WWF/ WWE since December 1988, so WCW was a nice alternative. I first became aware of Chris Benoit in 1998, the year where I began to watch World Championship Wrestling (WCW) on a regular basis. ![]() That’s why I think it’s important for me to talk about Benoit. I’m no psychiatrist or anything but I believe that bottling up emotions or feelings is unhealthy. Every time I hear or think of his name it fills me up with sadness. In all honestly, the name Chris Benoit hasn’t crossed my mind in some time. It’s simply just me sharing my thoughts on one of the darkest days in professional wrestling. If you’re looking for something like that then you’ve come to the wrong place. This isn’t a blog designed to get people talking or to make a name for myself. Sunday, June 24 th, 2007, was the date where Chris Benoit murdered both his wife and son, before taking his own life. It’s a date that cast a dark shadow over the sport of professional wrestling. It’s a date that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t a date where someone won a prestigious championship title or the beginning of a ground-breaking angle or storyline. June 24 th, 2007 isn’t remembered for the right reasons. That date will forever be etched into the memory of wrestling fans the world over. ![]() Guerrero’s reaction was perfect, to attack Mysterio and while Mysterio retreating may not seem like the right step for his character, it played into the idea that Mysterio escaped with a win – a running narrative that would follow Mysterio for much of his career in the years that followed.Chris Benoit: 10 years on (May 21st, 1967 – June 24th, 2007) While the ending was a bit predictable, it came in a surprising fashion that didn’t include a big spot, but rather Mysterio catching Guerreo in transition. At one point he tore it enough that viewers could see a portion of Mysterio’s face – something that wouldn’t be revealed until years later. The fact that he held submission moves while tearing at Rey’s mask presented the idea that he was determined to take away the one thing that Mysterio cared about the most. Guerrero worked his style in perfectly to be the antithesis of what Mysterio brought to the ring. Many of the moves he hit, such as the spring board, back flip into the DDT and the front flip into the hurricanrana on the outside are techniques that aren’t seen in today’s highly-athletic wrestling scene. Guerreo used multiple submission maneuvers mixed in with power spots to keep Mysterio grounded.īut every opportunity that Mysterio got to take to the sky, he did so in a very innovative way. Mysterio brought the high-flying spots while Guerrero worked to slow it down every step of the way. Either way, the story telling that was presented before the match was perfectly mixed into the action between the ropes.įrom the very first exchanges, it was clear what type of match this was going to be. On the other side was Rey Misterio Jr (before the WWE name change,) a smaller talent that was a previous champion but fighting against an evil Guerrero not only for the title, but for his heritage that is locked in the mask. In today’s wrestling environment his character would be praised from critics around the industry, but back then it was the perfect delivery of a heel wrestler that was meant to be hated. Eddie (then spelled Eddy) was a hated heel that oozed the type of callous arrogance that made fans hate him. Two decades later, it’s clear why this match was special then and is still special today.įirst, there’s the background of this match. Their match would be rated 4.75 stars and was the only one that would break the four-star plateau that evening. On a card that featured nine matches with names such as Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, Macho Man, Lex Luger and others – it would Mysterio and Guerrero that easily stole the show. Back then, this was the third match on the card and featured two men that weren’t prominently placed on the WCW Monday Nitro platform, but that didn’t stop them from stealing the show. ![]() Thanks to the availability of the WWE Network, reliving the match from Octois a few short clicks away. Halloween Havoc 1997 featured a mask versus title match that helped cement these two men as two talents to watch then and would follow them as one of the best pairings in professional wrestling history. This weekend, we celebrated the 21st anniversary of a match that, upon a look back, is one of the first moments that the North American market was blessed with the greatness that would forever be Eddie Guerrero versus Rey Mysterio. Throughout history, there are several monumental moments in the professional wrestling industry. WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 gifted us with an instant classic between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio that still stands the test of time.
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