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Erik Watts recently recalled how former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit used to get ready for his matches in WCW.
Watts, the son of legendary promoter Bill Watts, wrestled for WCW between 1992-1994 and 1998-1999. He faced Benoit several times during his first run with the company, most notably in 1993 at a series of untelevised live events.
In an interview on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Watts said Benoit once kicked a wall backstage to psych himself up before a show:
"One night we were getting ready to go out and wrestle and he literally was kicking the cinderblock wall of wherever we were at, the Atlanta Dome, or whatever. And when I say he was kicking the dog s**t out of this wall, I'm like, 'He's gonna kick the brick.' He was warming up and I said, 'Hey, big guy, I hope you don't do that with me out there,' and he goes, 'Brother, you gotta warm up like it's a street fight.'" [18:16 – 18:39]
In 2007, Chris Benoit's wrestling legacy was tarnished forever due to the events surrounding his death. After failing to appear at a WWE event, it emerged that the Canadian killed his wife and seven-year-old son before taking his own life.
Chris Benoit tried to help Erik Watts
Before his death, Chris Benoit was widely viewed as one of the world's greatest wrestlers. In 2023, WWE icon The Undertaker even listed his former opponent on his Mount Rushmore of small guys in the wrestling business.
Erik Watts added that Benoit's unique pre-match preparation mirrored his intense in-ring style:
"That's how he was in the ring. Then all of a sudden, when he popped out, the kindest guy in the world. Matter of fact, when I went to Germany, it was Franz Schumann and [Fit] Finlay and these guys that knew that me and Benoit were friends. They stayed in communication, and Benoit told them, 'This kid's the true deal. He wants to learn.'" [18:42 – 19:04]
The highlight of Benoit's wrestling career came in 2004. After winning the Royal Rumble, he defeated Shawn Michaels and Triple H in the WrestleMania 20 main event to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
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