Warrior's title reign vs Benoit's title reign

[Sephiroth]

I know Benoit is he who shall not be named, but when I look back at his run as champ I feel like there are some contrasts to Warrior's run as champ almost twenty years before. The generally accepted version is that Warrior's title run flopped in no small part because WWF was so busy building him up as the future champion that they forgot to build up a significant heel to challenge him for the title, so he ended up just recycling old feuds with guys he had already worked with like Rick Rude. By that same note, I think a big problem for Benoit's run as champion was that, again, WWE was so focused on building up Benoit as the destined champion that they forgot to build up a heel to challenge him. They tried to do a rush job on Kane with the Lita-pregnancy story to make the audience hate him, and tried to make him look like a threat by having him win a battle royal. But it just didn't work, especially since the audience had already seen Benoit vs Kane a dozen times over by then. Anyone agree?

[kingoftheindies]

It's a good point. Really from what I remember, the only other REALLY over heel on Raw at the time that was a single's wrestler was Orton. In theory they could have had a different member of Evolution go for the title each month, but they didn't.

But if you look at both brands at the time, there really was not many heels for the Main Event (which led to the JBL character being introduced).

With Warrior, it was a bit different with only a couple ppvs a year but with guys like Perfect, Earthquake, Ted Dibease, Rude, and Macho King there were a few credible heels. I find it funny that when Warrior returned in 92 is when they started to build more heels for him when he wasn't the champ with Pappa Shango, Taker, and Jake Roberts.

I think the bigger issue is now the wresting business is built more around tv than the house show circuit. I have no idea how Warrior was shown on TV as champ, but Benoit was treated as second class next to Evolution picking on Eugene. Even in his first PPV title defense it was more about Triple H/HBK fighting each other than him defending the title. From what I've seen thanks to the Network, Warrior was always treated like a big deal.

[Kevin Hamilton]

That's pretty much it. Benoit was clearly the world champion midcarder during the time, as HHH was still the 'main character'.

Warrior wasn't seen that way during his stint as champion.

[RowdyRobbyPiper]

Apr 17, 2014 10:28:26 GMT -5 Kevin Hamilton said:

That's pretty much it. Benoit was clearly the world champion midcarder during the time, as HHH was still the 'main character'.

Warrior wasn't seen that way during his stint as champion.

Sort of. The hot angle of summer 1990 was Hogan and Earthquake so, Warrior was playing second banana. Not quite as bad as Punk being overshadowed by Cena during the 434 day title reign, but not good for Warrior.

[HMARK Center]

Yeah, Warrior was always a big deal. I think what hurt him was that the Hogan/Earthquake feud was the hottest thing in mid-1990, and as you say, there weren't enough other heels built up to play off of Warrior.

With Benoit, it was a freaking travesty. The guy has the huge win, and IMMEDIATELY they follow it up by having him play second fiddle to Trips vs. HBK, then to Trips vs. Eugene, and his biggest role every week is acting as "Babyface #1-4 (as needed" against Evolution in tag matches...every single week/ Awful, awful, awful booking. Nobody cared when Orton became #1 contender, nobody cared when Orton beat him, it was a complete and utter waste; 2004 really hammered home to me what was so awful about that era of Triple H's run, as he didn't even have the excuse of being champion when he'd hog the spotlight and cut his incessant 20 minute promos.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Apr 17, 2014 12:53:59 GMT -5 HMARK Center said:

Yeah, Warrior was always a big deal. I think what hurt him was that the Hogan/Earthquake feud was the hottest thing in mid-1990, and as you say, there weren't enough other heels built up to play off of Warrior.

With Benoit, it was a freaking travesty. The guy has the huge win, and IMMEDIATELY they follow it up by having him play second fiddle to Trips vs. HBK, then to Trips vs. Eugene, and his biggest role every week is acting as "Babyface #1-4 (as needed" against Evolution in tag matches...every single week/ Awful, awful, awful booking. Nobody cared when Orton became #1 contender, nobody cared when Orton beat him, it was a complete and utter waste; 2004 really hammered home to me what was so awful about that era of Triple H's run, as he didn't even have the excuse of being champion when he'd hog the spotlight and cut his incessant 20 minute promos.

And yet Smackdown at the time was so incredible.

[Ben Wyatt]

Apr 17, 2014 12:53:59 GMT -5 HMARK Center said:

Yeah, Warrior was always a big deal. I think what hurt him was that the Hogan/Earthquake feud was the hottest thing in mid-1990, and as you say, there weren't enough other heels built up to play off of Warrior.

This.

The only other heel they had was Savage, who was feuding with Dusty Rhodes in what was a fairly lackluster feud.

[Hit Girl]

Warrior should have been pleased with his title reign

He got to be champion, sell a shitload of merchandise, while not having the pressure of being solely in the spotlight as "the guy"

[HMARK Center]

Apr 17, 2014 14:04:08 GMT -5 Vice honcho room temperature said:

Apr 17, 2014 12:53:59 GMT -5 HMARK Center said:

Yeah, Warrior was always a big deal. I think what hurt him was that the Hogan/Earthquake feud was the hottest thing in mid-1990, and as you say, there weren't enough other heels built up to play off of Warrior.

With Benoit, it was a freaking travesty. The guy has the huge win, and IMMEDIATELY they follow it up by having him play second fiddle to Trips vs. HBK, then to Trips vs. Eugene, and his biggest role every week is acting as "Babyface #1-4 (as needed" against Evolution in tag matches...every single week/ Awful, awful, awful booking. Nobody cared when Orton became #1 contender, nobody cared when Orton beat him, it was a complete and utter waste; 2004 really hammered home to me what was so awful about that era of Triple H's run, as he didn't even have the excuse of being champion when he'd hog the spotlight and cut his incessant 20 minute promos.

And yet Smackdown at the time was so incredible.

Well, to a point. I remember having a hard time sticking with SD once JBL won the title; that was the era when the Cruiserweight title was bouncing around between folks like Chavo Sr. and Jacqueline, when Booker T was nearly booked into becoming a voodoo man, and Angle couldn't wrestle for awhile.

Still, almost anything was better than the painful monotony that was Raw.

[Woo]

Warrior did have a credible over heel. The problem was that Hogan stole him and had the hot feud himself.

In the same way that HHH books himself against all the hottest acts in the company so he can get a rub from them- Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, John Cena at Wrestlemania XXII and now the Shield.

[Stu]

Don't think contrast is the word you're looking for. But point made.

[Sephiroth]

All good points made here. Earthquake really was THE choice for challenge Warrior for the title because he was still fresh and had been built as a monster at the time-guys like Savage, DiBiase, and Rude were all still top heels, but the audience had already seen them in the main event before. Warrior's reign should have been the start of something new and different, so Warrior vs Earthquake would have fit the bill perfectly.

By that same token, it really should have been Benoit vs HBK for the title. Shawn Michaels coming back to action was HUGE for the time, and if he had been coming back to be the first challenger for Benoit it would really have escalated Benoit's status as champion. Instead Benoit was playing second fiddle to HBK vs Triple H.

[YaakovLee]

Benoit was a great wrestler but a boring character.

Warrior was a boring wrestler but a great character.

I give Warrior's reign the edge due to him not almost ruining the industry like Benoit did.

[Deleted]

Hulk Hogan during Warrior's title reign felt more like John Cena during CM Punk's reigns.

There was no question who was the face of the company, but there was definitely a 1-A and 1-B situation.

[Unocal 76]

Warrior's reign was in an era where you only had 4 PPV's. Keep that in mind. He could only defend the title on SummerSlam considering Survivor Series didn't have singles matches yet.

[Renslayer]

Apr 17, 2014 15:06:51 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Apr 17, 2014 12:53:59 GMT -5 HMARK Center said:

Yeah, Warrior was always a big deal. I think what hurt him was that the Hogan/Earthquake feud was the hottest thing in mid-1990, and as you say, there weren't enough other heels built up to play off of Warrior.

This.

The only other heel they had was Savage, who was feuding with Dusty Rhodes in what was a fairly lackluster feud.

I wonder why they didn't pull Savage from the Dusty feud and pair him with Warrior. An extended Savage + Sherri vs. Warrior would've done wonders for Warrior's title reign