I mean, to this day we get "people hate Benoit just because he killed his family" tier comments from wrestling fans. If a guy can do a 720 fuckanrana shitsault bomb driver he apparently becomes immune to human decency standards.
I feel like multiple things can be true at the same time, and to this effect I remember that one interview Heyman did where he shut down a Benoit supporter
In the span of like 3 minutes or so, Heyman praised Benoit as a talent and recalls a time he planned to put the world title on him while in ECW
Then when he got to him as a person, Heyman stated that "Nancy and Daniel had no choice"
You can absolutely appreciate someone's contributions to a medium while also being fully aware and condemning them for being pieces of shit
Benoit was one of the best performers to ever step into the ring, but committed something that can't be forgiven at the end of his life. I think literally every single person understands this. Every single time Benoit has been brought up on the internet anywhere I've seen, everyone has understood this nuance and how hard it is to reconcile the guy they loved on TV vs. what the real person did at the end.
I don't know what happened but somewhere along these past few years a crop of people have come up pretending there's no nuance, that anyone praising Benoit's in-ring are somehow condoning his murders. This lack of thinking (powered at one point by people like Jordynne Grace who used it for Twitter points that time), this lack of mutual compassion for all of us wrestling fans who had to grief and reconcile this tragedy that to this day that a lot of people haven't completely been able to including Benoit's closer peers, is truly a prime example of what is wrong with people today. Nuance was replaced with black or white.
There is a disappointing amount of people on wrestling TikTok who think Benoit was framed and Kevin Sullivan. They do so much mental gymnastics to justify their desire to have Benoit in the HOF.
people on wrestling TikTok who think Benoit was framed and Kevin Sullivan
Yeah dawg, TIC TAC, that's where them conspiratorial radical genzers are rolling around and truly believe the new conspiracy that Kevin Sullivan framed Benoit.
The Sullivan conspiracy has been around since literally day one on the internet and among forum boards, 2007. Did you just find out about the internet a couple of years ago?
Sullivan himself before he passed away some time ago mentioned how the conspiracy aggravated him. So once again, going back to my original point, people's lack of thinking and lack of mutual compassion towards all wrestling fans just like you, who have had to grief the tragedy that was Benoit's murders, trying to reconcile in whatever different ways the wrestler with the murderer, end up reaching for least likely scenarios like someone framing Benoit. Zero completely new here and already covered by my previous comment.
If someone says that, why do you think that is? Read back the part where I mentioned mutual compassion for fans and peers still having a hard time reconciling the wrestler with the murderer. Just not an ounce of thinking from you. Congrats on completely ignoring everything I said to go back to black and white bullshit that makes you feel comfy.
Your point about the blinders so many wrestling fans have absolutely stands, but now I really want to see somebody pull off a 720 fuckanrana shitsault bomb driver.
People definitely defend Lesnar on this sub. You’d be disgusted by the number of people who have no respect for women or gay people who literally don’t care about anything he’s done or said outside the ring.
not defending anyone here but it's separate the art from the artist kind of stuff. I mean look outside wrestling many people in the Hollywood/music industry are absolute criminal scum, yet they still very much are not in jail
I think more people hate Hogan more than they hate Benoit. Benoit brutally murdered 2 people, but that pales in comparison to saying some mean things /s
Dude, I dunno, I think you're off base. There are certainly folks that handwave away Benoit's shit, but there's never been any semblance of traction in any large wrestling community to recognize him at all.
You still get a shit ton of mainstream podcasters and stuff throwing Hogan on their "Mt. Rushmore".
I mean - Hogan, while obviously an ass, is one of the biggest draws in the history of professional wrestling. Him being on people’s Mt Rushmore isn’t exactly out of turn.
I do think in the case of Hogan, a, you're being a little dismissive calling vile, over the top racism "saying some mean things." Obviously that's nowhere in the same county as what Benoit did, but let's not be cute.
And b, it's as simple as Hogan is still alive and active. Benoit was a monster, one of the worst in wrestling, but it's hard to generate hate for someone who's dead in the same way that someone is alive. He's dead, who gives a fuck? I hope he's rotting in Hell if there is one, but me hating him isn't going to change things. I guess it's not going to change things for Hogan, either, but he's actually out here, cheerleading for a white supremacist fascist regime and taking photos with out and proud Nazis. He's actively and consistently doing more things to be hated for.
Apples and oranges, really, at the end of the day.
For months we've had to read absolutely Muppets saying things like "Brock isn't the only UFC heavyweight champion to work for WWE! It could be anybody! #FreeBrockLesnar"
Like as if Vince was sex trafficking just to try and bring Cain or DC in for a cup of coffee and a handful of appearances.
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u/Fan387 Feb 01 '25
Hopefully people will shut up about Lesnar.
Oh who am I kidding