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When he was 12 Chris Benoit moved to Edmonton, Alberta from Montreal, Quebec. While growing up there, Benoit became fascinated by wrestling. Which led to the summer of 1985 when Benoit went to Calgary to learn under Stu Hart.
December 1985 was when Benoit made his pro debut in a tag match were Benoit and Rich Patterson defeated Karl Moffat and Mike Hammer. A year later Benoit and Ben Bassarab went on the capture the Stampede Tag Titles from Wayne Farris and Ron Starr. Unforunitly they quickly lost the belts to Wayne Farris and Cuban Assassin. But Benoit became tag champs once again with Keith Hart before leaving Stampede wrestling for Japan in late 1986.
Benoit started wrestling in New Japan in January 1987, but near the end of that year Benoit's business relationship with New Japan came to an end, so Benoit returned back to Stampede Wrestling.
Apon returning to Stampede wrestling Benoit teamed with Johnny Smith, who when turned on Benoit started feuding with him over the British Commonwealth Mid Heavyweight Tile. Between March 1988 and July 1989 Benoit would hold the tile four times. Benoit also won the tag titles again, this time with Lance Idol, and then later with Beef Wellington. Benoit stayed with Stampede wrestling until it went under in December 1989.
Benoit returned to New Japan on February 10, 1990 as a masked wrestler named Pegasus Kid. Six months after returning to New Japan Benoit defeated Jushin Liger for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. However around three months later Benoit lost the title back to Liger.
In March 1991, went to Mexico and while working for the Universal Wrestling Alliance he won the WWF Light Heavyweight Title from Villano III. In the meantime in Germany Benoit and David Taylor won the CWA World Tag Titles. After losing the WWF Light Heavyweight Title back to Villano III, and having to vacate the CWA World Tag Tiles when Taylor got hurt and was unable to wrestle, Benoit returned to New Japan.
On June 16, 1992 Benoit teamed with his former partner Beef Wellington form Stampede wrestling in the NWA World Tag Team Tournament hosted by WCW. However Benoit and Wellington was defeated by the team of Jushin Liger and Benoit's future Horseman partner Brain Pillman. After their lost Benoit once agian returned to New Japan.
After the tournament satisfied with Benoit's performance WCW signed Benoit to a one year contract, that started in January 1993. But Benoit's commitments with New Japan took proiorty over WCW so Benoit was mostly used as a jobber.
However between May 25 and June 15 1993, Benoit competed in the Top of the Super Junior Tournament. In the finals Benoit defeated El Samurai to win his first Top of The Super Junior.
On April 16, 1994 Benoit, wrestling as the Wild Pegasus ever since he lost his mask, competed in the first ever Super J Cup to determine the best light heavyweight wrestler. Benoit defeated Black Tiger(Eddy Guerrero) to advance to the semifinals where he defeated Super Delfin. In the finals Benoit defeated The Great Sasuke, in a classic match that Benoit has said, that it was the hardest night of his wrestling career.
In 1994, wanting to wrestle in the US, Benoit signed a contract with the WWF. But Benoit was only used as a jobber, so he started wrestling on the independents where he was offered a spot with ECW, where he was also able to wrestle for New Japan at the same time.
November 19, 1994, Benoit earned the name Crippler when he ingured Sabu. Sabu suffered a fractured vertebrae, and bruising of the spinal chord. And later Benoit powerbombed Sabu off the top rope, onto a table with Rocco Rock lying on the table. Later Benoit teamed with Dean Malenko to go after the tag titles.
On February 25th, Benoit and Malenko defeated then tag champs Sabu and Tasmaniac. Also later that year Benoit, and Malenko joined forces with Shane Douglas to form the Thriple Threat.
On April 8, 1995 in a three way dance between Tasmaniac and Rick Steiner, Public Enemy, and Benoit and Malenko, Benoit and Malenko lost the titles to Public Enemy. A few months later in September Benoit and Malenko jumped to WCW where they started teaming together like they did in ECW, but WCW felt that they had to much talent to be teaming together so they broke them up.
Soon after that Benoit joined the 4 Horsemen, which at the time consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Brian Pillman. Benoit's job was basicly to keep a eye on Pillman. But when Pillman left WCW, in a middle of a feud with Kevin Sullivan, Benoit took Pillman's place. This feud lasted well into 1997, because at the end of 1996 it became know that Woman and Sullivan were married, but WCW played an angle were Benoit was suppose to have an affair with Woman. The feud finally ended at Bash at the Beach 97 when Benoit beat Sullivan in a retirement match.
Around the end of the year in 97 Benoit started a feud with Raven, when Benoit almost won the TV title from Saturn, but the Flock interferred. But to get to Raven Benoit had to go through each of the Flock members. Benoit finally faced Raven in January at Soul Out. Benoit finally won the battle after Raven passed out in the Crippler Crossface. After the match however the Flock tried to jump Benoit, but he was saved by former tag partner Malenko.
In February Benoit went after DDP and the US title, but of course Raven had to get involued in all of their matches. Finally at Uncensored there was a three way dance between the three of them. Unfortuneally DDP ended up winning and it looked liked Benoit's push was over.
Around April Benoit started wrestling against Booker T for the TV title. In the first two matches the time limit ran out. So Benoit and Booker T met at Spring Stampede in a match without a time limit to deternmine the winner. During the match it looked like Benoit was going to win since he had the Crippler Crossface on Booker T and he was tapping out, but the referee was knocked out. As Benoit was getting the referee up Booker T nailed him with the Harlem Sidekick to the victory. But that however wasn't the end to the Benoit/Booker T feud.
Benoit won the TV title at a house show, but a day latter he lost it back to Booker T. But one day after that Benoit once agian won the title at the Profiles in Pain pay-per-listen show. But once again the next day at another house show Benoit lost the title back to Booker T. A day after that on Nitro Benoit caused Booker T to lose the title to Fit Finaly. The next week Benoit defeated Booker T in a match to decide who was going to get the title shot at Slamboree. However during the match Booker T came to ring side and caused Benoit to lose to Fit Finaly. After that Benoit and Booker T had a best of seven series to decide who would get the title shot against Finaly at the Great American Bash.
For most of the series Benoit lead, but somehow they became tied going into the seventh match. Before the match however Bret Hart offered Benoit a spot in nWo Hollywood. The match was a hard one, but near the end it looked like Booker T was going to win, until Bret Hart came down with a chair, and hit Booker T with it. The ref didn't see it so he started counting Booker T out, but Benoit who did see it told the ref what happened. As a result Benoit lost the match on a DQ. But it wasn't the end yet. Later in the show Booker T came out and said he didn't want to win the match that way and wanted one last match with Benoit to decide the true winner of the best of seven. Benoit and Booker T faced off at the GAB and the winner would face Finaly later that night for the title. Booker T won the match in another hard battle and later when on the reclaim the title.
The next night on Nitro Benoit called Booker T to the ring to congratuate Booker T, but a jumpy Stevie Ray got mad at Benoit and jumped him. As Booker T tried to pull his brother away, Mongo, who was out for months with a ingury, ran to the ring to save Benoit. The reformation of the 4 Horsement had begun.
However Benoit was suppose to go to Japan at the beginning of July until August, but a few weeks before he was suppose to leave, Benoit wrestled against Bret Hart. In that match Benoit hurt his elbow, and was forced to miss his Japan tour. Benoit was not seen again until August 31, when he and Mongo tried to convince Arn Anderson to reform the 4 Horsemen.
After that Benoit was not seen again until September 14, 1998, a day that will go down forever in the history of wrestling since it was the reformation of the 4 Horsemen, and the return of Ric Flair who was not seen since April when he was sued by Eric Bischoff and WCW. Since that time Benoit has appeared with the Horsemen when ever they were on.
Benoit hopes to return to the ring sometime in November.
