CM Punk Vs Chris Benoit

[KJ Stewart]

Apologies if the usage of Chris Benoit offends anybody, I just think that this would make a decent match. Plus, if we separate the "character" Chris Benoit from the man, I'm ok with it.

So, Punk Vs Benoit. Both at their best.

How do you think this would go down?

[Beadle]

Feats-wise, Punk craps all over Benoit. Seriously. Benoit did win the US Title and a Royal Rumble, which Punk hasn't, but other than that.... Punk wins convincingly.

From a purely subjective point of view though (which seems weird to say, considering I'm judging ACTUAL ABILITY, rather than the usual criteria of BOOKED achievements), Benoit was the better wrestler. His match at the Royal Rumble against Kurt Angle is still probably the best exhibition of mat-wrestling that the WWE has ever put on.

Of course, if you ask who is better on the mic, there is no comparison whatsoever. At all. Light-years apart in that capacity.

And, of course, in the criterion of "Who's the biggest psychotic fuck-head?" there is also only one answer.

[KJ Stewart]

Feats-wise, Punk craps all over Benoit. Seriously. Benoit did win the US Title and a Royal Rumble, which Punk hasn't, but other than that.... Punk wins convincingly.

From a purely subjective point of view though (which seems weird to say, considering I'm judging ACTUAL ABILITY, rather than the usual criteria of BOOKED achievements), Benoit was the better wrestler. His match at the Royal Rumble against Kurt Angle is still probably the best exhibition of mat-wrestling that the WWE has ever put on.

Of course, if you ask who is better on the mic, there is no comparison whatsoever. At all. Light-years apart in that capacity.

And, of course, in the criterion of "Who's the biggest psychotic fuck-head?" there is also only one answer.

Benoit did actually win the Heavyweight title twice in the WWE (from HHH and Batista). And 4 Intercontinental titles and 2 WCW Heavyweight United States championships.

[Beadle]

Benoit did actually win the Heavyweight title twice in the WWE (from HHH and Batista). And 4 Intercontinental titles and 2 WCW United States championships.

Oh I know. The famous "YOU TAPPED OUT!" chant to Trips, and the hug with Eddie in the ring when Eddie won the WWE title.

But Punk has a lot more titles than that. Particularly the big ones.

[KJ Stewart]

Oh I know. The famous "YOU TAPPED OUT!" chant to Trips, and the hug with Eddie in the ring when Eddie won the WWE title.

But Punk has a lot more titles than that. Particularly the big ones.

That's why I tend to use the term "at their best", as it really makes the number of accolades irrelevant. Unless someone had like 5 different titles at any one time, a WWE champion is a WWE champion and should be giving any other WWE champion a decent match.

If it's a ridiculously close match and there's NOTHING else to separate them, or the debate is "who was the most successful", that's a fine argument. But "at their best" can only be at one particular period really.

[Beadle]

That's why I tend to use the term "at their best", as it really makes the number of accolades irrelevant. Unless someone had like 5 different titles at any one time, a WWE champion is a WWE champion and should be giving any other WWE champion a decent match.

If it's a ridiculously close match and there's NOTHING else to separate them, or the debate is "who was the most successful", that's a fine argument. But "at their best" can only be at one particular period really.

Well in that case, "at his best", Punk currently holds one of the top ten reigns with the WWE Title. Benoit was a World Heavyweight Champion. No matter how they might try to protest otherwise, the WWE Title is the premier belt. The World Heavyweight Title is the "Something for the Other Top Guys to Fight Over" Belt.

That puts Punk on a higher standing.

And sure Benoit went over HHH & HBK, but the reign was not a long and dominant one. Punk has beaten pretty much EVERYONE in the top-tier of the WWE while holding the belt during this reign. Cena, Del Rio, Ziggler, Miz, Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry, Ryback and I think Orton and Mysterio (and possibly Sheamus too, IIRC) although those latter ones were on RAW/SD rather than PPVs.

But like I said, if it comes down to actual ability, I'd still give the nod to Benoit. But it doesn't. We do this stuff based on their dominance at their best, as booked. Punk has been more dominant than Benoit was; I don't think that's even arguable; and his belt has more prestige.

[The last dalek]

Well in that case, "at his best", Punk currently holds one of the top ten reigns with the WWE Title. Benoit was a World Heavyweight Champion. No matter how they might try to protest otherwise, the WWE Title is the premier belt. The World Heavyweight Title is the "Something for the Other Top Guys to Fight Over" Belt.

That puts Punk on a higher standing.

And sure Benoit went over HHH & HBK, but the reign was not a long and dominant one. Punk has beaten pretty much EVERYONE in the top-tier of the WWE while holding the belt during this reign. Cena, Del Rio, Ziggler, Miz, Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry, Ryback and I think Orton and Mysterio (and possibly Sheamus too, IIRC) although those latter ones were on RAW/SD rather than PPVs.

But like I said, if it comes down to actual ability, I'd still give the nod to Benoit. But it doesn't. We do this stuff based on their dominance at their best, as booked. Punk has been more dominant than Benoit was; I don't think that's even arguable; and his belt has more prestige.

Correct me if Im wrong but wasnt the WHC the top belt when he won it. It was the title on RAW at the time and the match were Benoit won it was the main event at that wrestlemania.

[Beadle]

Correct me if Im wrong but wasnt the WHC the top belt when he won it. It was the title on RAW at the time and the match were Benoit won it was the main event at that wrestlemania.

That's a fair point. I'll concede that one. :)

[Wjowski]

The only thing Benoit did better than CM Punk is steroids.

[Saitou Hajime]

IMO Benoit had a more quality reign despite being shorter and fighting lesser guys; he pinned and submitted Peak Triple H and Shawn Michaels multiple times, pinned and submitted Kane back when he was an actual monster, and held both the WHC and Raw tag team title simultaneously at one point (and even won the latter by himself a second time around). 3 years earlier he and Jericho took the tag title from the unstoppable Two Man Power Trip (and crippled one of them), and beat the Holy Trinity of the Attitude Era tag title scene in TLC, their signature match (and Benoit was even wrestling the match with injured ribs and came back to win it despite KOing himself earlier).

[KingEli]

Punk takes this. Despite benoit's accomplishments(WWF Triple Crown, WCW Grand Slam, Super J Cup and IWGP World Jr. Heavyweight Title), Punk is damn close to reaching a year with the WWF/E Heavyweight Title, something only Hogan, Savage, Bruno, Backlund, Pedro and Cena has done. And the WWE Title is 49 years old and Punk, somebody who just a "Indy guy" is about to join a club that includes 6 of the greatest of all time.

[Hiromi]

I... have a hard time seeing how Benoit loses this, for one reason. The Crippler Crossface is arguably the best submissive finisher in WWE/F history. Both in how easy it was to apply(he could reverse damn near anything into it) and with who he submitted with it.

[master of read]

it would be a epic match but going by overall feats, i'm giving this one to punk. but barely. he has a lot of wins over cena, which isnt a easy thing to claim.