Who was a bigger star? Eddie or Benoit?

[ChitownKnight]

I have been watching a lot of Smackdown from 2003-2004, and while Benoit was initially suppose to be an instant main eventer, I feel like Eddie had more focus/a bigger push after the summer of 2003. He beat Benoit in both of their one on one bouts (at vengeance and Christmas in Iraq) as well as having a better world title reign even though Benoit main evented Wrestlemania 20, and when Benoit returned to Smackdown, Eddie was in the world title picture while Benoit was in the US title picture. I feel like the Wwe saw more in benoit at first, but then realized that Eddie was the better total package

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Eddie could wrestle, cut promos, and do sketches.

Benoit could only wrestle.

At the end of their lives Eddie was booked in another main event angle with the possibility of winning the belt from Batista, while Benoit's star was declining and he was gonna be inserted in the dying wwecw.

Eddie also moved more merch than Benoit and had more crossover appeal. Smackdown had a big Hispanic demographic thanks to him.

[Deleted]

Eddie's personality and charisma put him on a different level compared to Benoit. Not that Benoit wasn't good at being a performer but Eddie just had something he didn't have that transcended the norm and put him in another bracket.

[Kyn]

Eddie. As others have said, he was the better all-rounder.

[Deleted]

There WAS a reason why Benoit was shuffled to ECW. And he was one if the reasons why 2004 was so awful at the gate.

[abjordans]

My heart says Eddie, but I lived through the entirety of their careers, I really do think Benoit was the bigger star.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Jan 25, 2018 0:15:16 GMT -5 @jdogindy said:

There WAS a reason why Benoit was shuffled to ECW. And he was one if the reasons why 2004 was so awful at the gate.

Best matches worst segments.

[GuyOfOwnage]

Jan 25, 2018 0:03:48 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Eddie could wrestle, cut promos, and do sketches.

Benoit could only wrestle.

At the end of their lives Eddie was booked in another main event angle with the possibility of winning the belt from Batista, while Benoit's star was declining and he was gonna be inserted in the dying wwecw.

Eddie also moved more merch than Benoit and had more crossover appeal. Smackdown had a big Hispanic demographic thanks to him.

I agree with everything except WWECW dying in mid-2007. At that point in time, they were still taking it relatively seriously, and they wanted Benoit to be the top guy and World Champion and eventually put Punk over as the next big star. It was quite obvious, even when he was only on 2 episodes of the show prior to what went down. So I'd say they were booked pretty equally towards the end of their respective lives.

[AlexaBliss4Life]

As a character, Eddie. Wrestler, Benoit. Can't really vote for one over the other though.

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

Eddie by a country mile.

He actually brought in big ratings with the hispanic market. Benoit never moved any kind of audience in a significant way.

[Woo]

Benoit was easily the bigger star. Their deaths make Eddie more fondly remembered now obvious, but during their lifetime Chris was always the bigger star.

Eddie was the better all round guy, but Chris was always pushed on a higher tier.

[Allie Kitsune]

Eddie was the bigger draw, ergo the bigger star in WWE (and strictly in WWE) terms.

I don't know enough about their Japan and ECW days to say who was bigger there. I'd assume Benoit was bigger in Japan, though.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Jan 25, 2018 0:20:40 GMT -5 GuyOfOwnage said:

Jan 25, 2018 0:03:48 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Eddie could wrestle, cut promos, and do sketches.

Benoit could only wrestle.

At the end of their lives Eddie was booked in another main event angle with the possibility of winning the belt from Batista, while Benoit's star was declining and he was gonna be inserted in the dying wwecw.

Eddie also moved more merch than Benoit and had more crossover appeal. Smackdown had a big Hispanic demographic thanks to him.

I agree with everything except WWECW dying in mid-2007. At that point in time, they were still taking it relatively seriously, and they wanted Benoit to be the top guy and World Champion and eventually put Punk over as the next big star. It was quite obvious, even when he was only on 2 episodes of the show prior to what went down. So I'd say they were booked pretty equally towards the end of their respective lives.

From a podcast I heard from Bruce Prichard, ECW died when Vince lost faith in Heyman. The line among the office was that Heyman already bankrupted one company and that if left to his own devices was gonna ruin wwecw.

[GuyOfOwnage]

Jan 25, 2018 0:37:06 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Jan 25, 2018 0:20:40 GMT -5 GuyOfOwnage said:

I agree with everything except WWECW dying in mid-2007. At that point in time, they were still taking it relatively seriously, and they wanted Benoit to be the top guy and World Champion and eventually put Punk over as the next big star. It was quite obvious, even when he was only on 2 episodes of the show prior to what went down. So I'd say they were booked pretty equally towards the end of their respective lives.

From a podcast I heard from Bruce Prichard, ECW died when Vince lost faith in Heyman. The line among the office was that Heyman already bankrupted one company and that if left to his own devices was gonna ruin wwecw.

I find that surprising, given that, yes, it felt like a miserable shell of a corpse when they had Lashley as champion, but when they drafted Benoit over and set up a potential Punk feud for the title, the brand almost felt rejuvenated in a way.

[Woo]

To add to my earlier point, which one had PPV title matches in their debut year, which one won a Royal Rumble, which one main evented Wrestlemania and when they both entered one and two in the 2005 Rumble which one lasted to the end?

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

Jan 25, 2018 0:58:47 GMT -5 Woo said:

To add to my earlier point, which one had PPV title matches in their debut year, which one won a Royal Rumble, which one main evented Wrestlemania and when they both entered one and two in the 2005 Rumble which one lasted to the end?

Oh sure, Benoit got a bigger push but Eddie was always a more popular and money making star for the company. During his run up to the title win he was a legit draw for Smackdown. Him and Rey were absolutely huge at that time for the show.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Jan 25, 2018 0:53:35 GMT -5 GuyOfOwnage said:

Jan 25, 2018 0:37:06 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

From a podcast I heard from Bruce Prichard, ECW died when Vince lost faith in Heyman. The line among the office was that Heyman already bankrupted one company and that if left to his own devices was gonna ruin wwecw.

I find that surprising, given that, yes, it felt like a miserable shell of a corpse when they had Lashley as champion, but when they drafted Benoit over and set up a potential Punk feud for the title, the brand almost felt rejuvenated in a way.

They were on a down spiral, after December to Dismember everything went to shit. Bruce even said that Vince even kept producing ECW only to fulfill their obligation with the Sci Fi network. It got that bad. Vince McMahon the ultimate workaholic became so dilusioned that phoned it in.

[mizerable]

Prior to his neck injury, it was Benoit...

However Eddie started proving he was a main event calibre performer while Benoit was out. His ladder match with RVD really made me rethink my position.

In terms of their big title pushes, yeah Benoit had more prestige to his road to the title as well as the main event and a longer reign...but Eddie's reign was more memorable. Benoit did all of jack shit during his reign.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Jan 25, 2018 1:20:49 GMT -5 mizerable said:

Prior to his neck injury, it was Benoit...

However Eddie started proving he was a main event calibre performer while Benoit was out. His ladder match with RVD really made me rethink my position.

In terms of their big title pushes, yeah Benoit had more prestige to his road to the title as well as the main event and a longer reign...but Eddie's reign was more memorable. Benoit did all of jack shit during his reign.

And apparently Eddie was gonna get another title reign during his feud with Batista so Vince still saw him as a main eventer, Vince soured on Benoit and he was never on the same level he was in 2004.

[Mozenrath]

Benoit was a big deal for longer, but I'd argue Eddie peaked higher, such as defeating Brock, something that, to this day, only a handful of guys have done in the grand scheme of things. If we're talking post-death, obviously Eddie with WWE, and Benoit has much more name value outside of it for- what do you THINK for?