WWE: Hard Knocks - The Chris Benoit Story [DVD]

First of all, this is about Chris Benoit the wrester & not about the man who did what he did. I do not support what he did. With that said, this is an excellent DVD of a great wrestler. The story & matches were great. He had it all, the skill, expertise, & talent and this video shows all of that. Highly advised for the wrestling fan. Do not advise if anyone thinks this supports what he did to his family. I hope anyone who reads this review can keep the 2 separated.

I would have to agree with an earlier reviewer who was able to separate the participants from the product. Honestly....most of the movie stars in Hollywood are NOT nice people, some criminals , some drug abusers/pushers, wife beaters, and on and on....oh and murderers as well. When a review of a movie or music album is done its on the value of the album , at least it should be ...not the quality or lack of same of the musician or actor or director. Roman Polanski is a child rapist....there is NO doubting that ...yet he has made some brilliant movies that many people have enjoyed and it doesn't dismiss what a loser he is as a person. Thank goodness I've never had my head scrambled to the point of even contemplating the actions that Mr Benoit took that horrible weekend, but taken on its own as a documentary of a driven athlete and a series of many of his matches ...this is a stunning collection. I'm sure a psychologist viewing this would be able to see traces of something brewing in his over emotional reactions to returning to the Hart dungeon and other events such as his strange modeling himself from his own body to the wrestling style of Dynamite Kid....but as I said, veiewed for what it is its spectacular in comparison to most of the other artist profile DVD sets by WWE which feature superficial bios and repetitive and usually boring matches.

Chris Benoit will forever be remembered as a controversial figure. Chris murdered his wife and son but this dvd is about his contribution to wrestling before his brain started to affect rational actions and judgement. I find it unfair to judge this dvd based on his horrific acts, after all I believe the character and man depicted on this disc was not the same as the one who committed the awful acts, although knowing what happened this dvd is a bit hard to rewatch since you know what type of monster he became in the end of his days. If one were to judge the dvd, then it contains some of the best matches ever in wrestling history. Chris Benoit was a talent in the ring, he has the technical skills and can tell a story like no other. The wrestling matches include some of the best ever seen in WWE. Without detailing every match, the matches vs Kurt Angle were some awe aspiring moments and would be worth the price of this dvd alone.

What a steal of a dvd

Aside from the tragic inicident that occurred in the summer of 2007, the late Chris Benoit has to be remember being one of the greatest & most aggressive technicians that has ever stepped inside the square circle. From the presentation you will hear from Chris Benoit himself, family & friends, his wife Nancy, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, & from the late great Eddie Guerrero among others. IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH (AUGUST 19, 1990) Vs. JUSHIN "THUNDER" LIGER - Benoit was under the mask here as he wrestled under the name 'Pegasus Kid' and was the challenger for Jushin Liger's JR. Heavyweight Title. Early in the match, Benoit & Liger seemed to be feeling each other out with nice mix up of submission wrestling with counters. Benoit & Liger eventually started to change things up and started to wrestling more of a mat based, ground, chain-wrestling styled match with a few high-flying and big impactful moves. Benoit and Liger gave one hell of a title match for the good 15 minutes they were out there. Benoit wins his first IWGP Title after delivering a tombstone piledriver following up with a leg drop from the top rope onto Jushin Liger. Afterwards, signs of respect is given from both competitors with a hand shake. 4.75/5 WCW SUPERBRAWL '93 (APRIL 21, 1993) Vs. TOO COLD SCORPIO - Man, what athleticism did Too Cold Scorpio bring to this match.Scorpio brought out very interesting and innovative moves to the match where you just have to appreciate. The beginnings of the match went a little slow but man as the match went on, Scorpio and Benoit did almost everything you could think of in the 20 minutes they were given. Scorpio's flashiness mixed in with Benoit's aggressive and rugged style blended in well and this match was a wrestling clinic. At 19:59 of a scheduled 20 minute match, Too Cold Scorpio defeats Benoit with a quick roll up as Benoit went for a german suplex. 5/5 SUPER J CUP TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS (APRIL 16, 1994) Vs. BLACK TIGER (EDDIE GUERRERO) - Benoit was wrestling here as 'Wild Pegasus' after losing a mask match during his stay in Japan. In the early minutes of the match, Benoit and Tiger kept the match at a steady pace with a few submissions and grapples. The closing moments of the match, Benoit and Tiger delivers some big time moves and around the 12 minute mark, Benoit counters a dive from Tiger off the top rope with an arm drag take down and in one slick move, Benoit gets the pin and the win and advances to the finals of the Super J Cup Tournament. 4/5 SUPER J CUP TOURNAMENT FINALS (APRIL 16, 1994) Vs. GREAT SASUKE - What a great match this was being the final match of the tournament and even better knowing this is essentially Benoit's and Sasuke's 3rd match of the night. And in retrospect, Benoit's style in this match seemed much better then in his matches against Jushin Liger and Black Tiger. This match has a little bit of everything from submissions, grappling, counters, high-flying offense, suplexes, and nearly everything in between. Benoit even uses the Sharpshooter at one point in the match. After putting on a wrestling clinic, Benoit defeats Sasuke after delivering a gutwrench suplex from the top rope in this classic match from Japan. 5/5 NOVEMBER 2 REMEMBER (NOVEMBER 5, 1994) Vs. SABU - This is the infamous match where 40 seconds into it, Benoit tosses Sabu in the air with Sabu landing directly on his head. The match is quickly stopped due to Sabu suffering a broken neck. That landing will surely make you crinch. No Rating ECW DOUBLE TABLES (FEBRUARY 4, 1995) Vs. AL SNOW - I don't know if it was Benoit or what but Al Snow looked absolutely great in this match. Benoit and Snow were pretty much wrestling an even style match in the beginning until Benoit takes advantage and begins to dominate Al Snow. Snow was playing the underdog role as he would not stay down after whatever Benoit was dishing out on him. Snow took some hard punishment in this match but he kept battling back. Another good match and definitely a sleeper match for sure. Benoit wins after delivering a Dragon Suplex for the pin. 4.25/5 WCW MONDAY NITRO (OCTOBER 16, 1995) Vs. EDDIE GUERRERO - This match was kept short(under 10 minutes) but man did these two just went at it for the 8 minutes they were out there. Benoit and Guerrero wrestled one heck of a fast paced match mixed in with high-flying offense. This is a very good television bout where Benoit and Guerrero mostly focused on the high-flying offense and suplexes. Benoit again gets the win with the Dragon Suplex over Guerrero. 4.25/5 WCW GREAT AMERICAN BASH '96 (JUNE 16, 1996) FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE MATCH: Vs. KEVIN SULLIVAN - Entertaining match where these two fought more in the men's bathroom then actually around ringside! Both men brought intensity to the match and that was exactly what this match is based on. This is just an intense brawl that is barely fought inside the ring. The ending was a bit too weak with Benoit suplexing Sullivan off a table placed on the top rope. Too short to show any variation or creative, innovative spots but this match is still one heck of an entertaining bout. 3.5/5 WCW GREAT AMERICAN BASH '98 (JUNE 14, 1998) BEST OF 7 SERIES FINAL MATCH: Vs. BOOKER T - Their whole series was a great one and this final match is no exception.This was a good match consisting of traditional wrestling blended in with a good amount unorthodox counters and moves. Benoit does a fantastic job wearing down and isolationg certain body parts of Booker T's. Both wrestlers were reaching the penicle of their careers here and it showed in this match. This match is pure awesome and these two deserved every cheered from the fans they recieved after the match ended. 4.75/5 WCW MONDAY NITRO (OCTOBER 4, 1999) OWEN HART TRIBUTE MATCH: Vs. BRET "HIT-MAN" HART - Even though the circumstances surrounding this match weren't the best, this match was a true wrestling clinic. The opening of the match, it seemed the two were feeling each other out but as the match continued you can see how more aggressive and technically sound this match became. As the match grew more down to the wire, the style of the match changed into much more of a chain-wrestling, ground based match as both Benoit and Hart were looking for the opening they needed. With all due respect, Benoit taps to the Sharpshooter allowing the 'Hit-Man' to get the win. 5/5 [Match also available on "Bret Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be"] WCW SOULED OUT '00 (JANUARY 16, 2000) WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Vs. SID VICIOUS - With this match surrounding Benoit's problems with WCW at the time and his departure shortly after this match from WCW, this World Title match is often overlooked by many. It's actually a very good big man vs small man match, though very different in style from Benoit's World Title match against Kane from 2004. Benoit did a great job targeting and making the legs of Sid's the focal point of the match by chopping and cutting down this monsterous Red Wood Sid was. At the same time, Benoit did a heck of a job selling the power moves by Sid adding more drama to the match. Definitely a forgotten and underrated match but the at 15 minutes in length, Benoit wins the title after making Sid tap out to the Crippler Crossface. 4.5/5 BRIAN PILLMAN TRIBUTE SHOW (MAY 26, 2000) Vs. WILLIAM REGAL - Only wrestling for 2,000 fans, Benoit and Regal wrestled like if they were competing at WrestleMania. Benoit's and Regal's style match up very good and like what Dr. Tom Pritchard said on commentary, these two matched up hold for hold and move for move. Essentially, just a wrestling clinic. Hard to describe this one as these two just virtually matched up every single hold applied onto each other. Just a true wrestling match that everyone has to appreciate. 5/5 RAW (JUNE 11, 2001) STEEL CAGE MATCH: Vs. KURT ANGLE - What a mind blowing match this is! Like what Bret and Owen Hart did at the '94 SummerSlam, Angle and Benoit did the exact same thing here. They made people forget that a Steel Cage Match is usually a bloody massacre. Instead of having a bloody bout, Benoit and Angle took what they normally do in a match and absoluting upgrading those moves and using the cage to do so such as Benoit german suplexing Angle from the top rope, Angle missing a moonsault from the top of the cage, and Benoit delivering his flying headbutt from the top of the cage. Besides the outstanding and breath taking cage spots, Benoit and Angle did portray their excellent mat and ground based technical wrestling they are known for. For what it's worth, this match did not disappoint one bit. 5/5 ROYAL RUMBLE '03 (JANUARY 19, 2003) WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Vs. KURT ANGLE - Bottome line is, this match is just a 20 minute classic. By far this is the absolute best Benoit/Angle match ever! Benoit and Angle were bringing their best stuff and previously like they have done in the past, Benoit and Angle kept the pace of the match fast with matching up hold for hold with a few new counters and reversals along the way. Just a modern day classic bout between two of the greatest ever!! 5/5 [Match also available on "History Of The WWE Championship"] WRESTLEMANIA XX (MARCH 14, 2004) WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Vs. TRIPLE H Vs. SHAWN MICHAELS - Oh my, what an outstanding and tremendous bout this was and what heart and desire all three of these men gave in this match as well. This triple threat title match is undoubtfully one of the greatest ever. Without of the doubt, all of the elements in this match is what made this particular World Title match memorbale of one of the best. Just a sensational World Title match and a great effort put forth by all 3 competitors in the match. The finish was capped off very well and the post-match celebration is something that everyone will remember. 5/5 I really enjoyed this two disc set on the "Rabid Wolverine" Chris Benoit. I felt Chris was great inside the ring and I felt he was heck of a fighting champion and everything he did in the ring I really appreciated. The 15 matches selected did an excellent job portraying how Chris Benoit carried himself inside the ring and they all are really great in their own, individual way. Two matches I would recommended to be included would be Benoit's matches against The Rock from "Fully Loaded '00" and against 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin from "Smackdown" in 2001. But other then that, I undoubtfully enjoyed this. I really recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Chris Benoit anf of his work he did inside the ring.

Wrong unstable formate.UMD instead of dvd

Well,like everyone else I was shocked when i heard the news. I have been a wrestling fan since i was just a little girl and was a huge Chris Benoit fan. The DVD itself is great i loved it personally. I do think its awful at what people are selling the DVD for Just because of what happened. Also, when everything comes out in the end is when some people will be surprised. I do think he was a good man that for whatever reason made a choice to do what he did to his family and himself. I think what happened was awful and should NOT have happened. Even if you loved chris or hated him this DVD was wonderful.He was a great wrestler and I am sure will be missed.His skills in the ring were amazing and won't be duplicated ever.

Zügige Lieferung. Ware wie beschrieben. Für ein Fan ein muss

Hard Knocks consists of a documentary describing Chris Benoit's rise up the pro wrestling ladder plus 15 of his matches spanning just as many years, from his time in the Japanese federations in 1990 right up to Wrestlemania in 2004. The documentary contains lots of interviews with Benoit's family and his WWE colleagues Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko. He comes across as a really nice guy and it's interesting hearing how dedicated he was to making a career in grappling at a very early age. He idolized the Dynamite Kid and from the clips it's amazing how similar their ring styles are - they even look alike. Of the matches, I liked the two early Japanese shows the best, against Jushin Liger and Eddie Guerrero. These were the days when Benoit wrestled under the name Pegasus Kid and Eddie appeared as Black Tiger. You've got the option of alternative commentaries on these bouts so you get to hear Benoit commenting on his own moves, together with Malenko, who also wrestled at the same time in Japan. Overall, this is a good value DVD with a nice balance between documentary footage and whole matches.

Produit conforme, vendeur sérieux. Merci !

Auf dieser DVD wird die 18 jährige Karriere des Kanadiers nachgezeichnet. Chris Benoit wird weitestgehend als einer des besten technischen Wrestler heutzutage angesehen.Dies ist die wahre Gesichte hinter dem Aufstieg des Mannes,in einem Business das er seit seiner Kindheit liebt.Sie zeigt die Rückschlage und glorreichen Momente seiner Reise,untermalt mit Kommentaren der Leute die sie mit ihm erlebt haben und die ihn kennen. VOn den Anfängen in Kanada,Japan und Mexiko,zu ECW und wCw und schließlich WWE.Chris Benoit gehört der Respekt von Wrestlingfans auf der ganzen Welt.Und den hat er sich verdient. Ich hatte das Glück schon mal die amerikanische DVD beschnuppern zu dürfen und kann nur sagen... Wahrscheinlich eine der besten DVD's ever,zusammen mit der Ric Flair Collection. Die Kapitel gliedern sich wie folgt: The Early Years - New Japan - ECW - WCW - WWE - The Injury - The Comeback - Royal Rumble 2003 - Royal Rumble 2003 - Wrestlemania XX Der Hammer sind aber die Extras,die zu 95% aus absoluten Spitzenmatches bestehen. Z.B. Pegasus Kid (Benoit) vs. Jushin Liger IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match (Tokyo, Japan - 19.08.90) Alternativer Kommentar: 1. Michael Cole & Tazz. 2. Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Todd Grisham Zusätzlich dazu einige Features aus den WWE-Sendungen,die nicht unbedingt neu sind,aber dennoch einen Blick wert sind,sei es um sie nochmal zu sehen oder um sie überhaupt mal zu sehen ;-) Alles in allem eine DVD die jedem Wrestling-Fan ans Herz gelegt werden kann.

Even though the dvd focuses on a murderer's life, and throughout the documentary there are parts where you have to cringe because of what is said about Chris and his influences in life, the dvd still informs everyone leading up from his early life up until his peak when we won the world heavyweight championship at wrestlemania 20. But you have to remember, just because he killed his wife and son, doesn't mean you have to automatically hate this guy. yeah what he did was totally not justifiable (despite sufering from CTE), but this guy lived one hell of a risky life. When he was 19 years old, he moved to Japan not knowing how to communicate with any Japs or anything. Then during his time with ECW, he was almost banned from entering the US because of Paul Heyman, but he still continued to wrestle for the company. Then when he was in WCW, he was put in a position to rebel against the ENTIRE industry because of his real-life rivalry against the head booker of WCW, and it paid off because on his last day in WCW he won his first world heavyweight championship. And lets not forget the company that made Benoit a superstar, his time in WWE was unbelievable. He won multiple championships (Singles and Tag), he broke his neck after years of straining it, he then became the 2nd man in history to win the Royal Rumble after entering at Number 1., and then he (Along with Eddie Guerrero) made a moment which has now been erased from WWE History, where both of them held the world titles after WMXX (Which was my personal favourite WrestleMania moment ever). If you actually wanna be entertained by the most technical wrestler in history, then you will love the 15 matches on the dvd, and if you wanna learn about his life leading up to his second world title reign, then you will love the documentary. Otherwise, if you still hate this guy for what he did in the last 3 days of his life, then by all means don't but this dvd, but it's still worth watching despite what he did anyway (the only tip i have is you might wanna look away when Nancy Benoit is giving her interview lol)