Erased! The Tragic Story of Chris Benoit

WrestleMania XX was the peak of Chris Benoit‘s career. After ‘Mania, Benoit would team with Edge and win the World Tag Team Titles (Raw Tag Team Titles) and be a double champion. After title defenses against Triple H and Kane, Benoit would lose the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2004 to a young up and coming superstar with tons of potential, Randy Orton. Benoit And Orton wrestled a great match, and Benoit put Orton over clean, allowing Orton to deliver the first ever RKO “Outta Nowhere!” to become the youngest World Champion in wrestling history. Benoit would continue to be pushed near the top of the WWE card after he lost the World Heavyweight Championship. He competed in the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21, and was on the brink of winning before being pushed off the ladder by the eventual winner Edge. Benoit would recapture championship gold in WWE after winning the U.S. Championship. Benoit is one of the greatest wrestler’s to ever wear WWE‘s version of the prestigious strap, and his name would enhance the belts lineage, but once again WWE won’t acknowledge it because of their stance as a company on Chris Benoit. Despite still being a huge WWE star, Benoit’s life took a huge blow after the death of his close friend Eddie Guerrero. The two men had traveled the globe together and were like brothers, many people close to Benoit say he was never the same after Eddie’s death. Benoit had even been said to be losing his mind a bit after Eddie’s passing. He was rumored to have been writing Eddie letters as if he was still alive all the way up to the time of his own death. With his friend dead, and with nagging injuries, Benoit would take some much needed time off from WWE to heal. He would return from his brief break, and recapture the U.S. Title shortly after. Benoit might not have been the same person emotionally after his friend’s death, but he hadn’t lost much in the ring. He would go on to have a feud with MVP for the U.S. Title that would raise the value of the belt and would solidify MVP as a star. The two clashed for the U.S. Title at WrestleMania 23 with Benoit coming out victorious, it would be Benoits final WrestleMania match.