Kurt Angle on Insight with Chris Van Vliet talking about Chris Benoit. He said WWE told him to pretend Benoit never existed. “I did it for a while. But what that did for me is it took away all my best matches. It was rubbing on my legacy.” “By... saying Chris Benoit no longer exists is saying I never had those matches. I had my best matches with that kid.” He didn’t stop there. Angle called Benoit the best in-ring worker he ever shared a ring with. He put him right next to Brock Lesnar as one of his two greatest rivals. Their program ran for years. The chemistry these 2 shared was unmatchable.. Ankle Lock into Crippler Crossface back into Ankle Lock into Angle Slam. “Nobody compared to us.” He was clear about the rest of it too: “I don’t condone what he did. What he did was 100% wrong. It’s unforgivable.” He’s just not willing to erase the matches that defined a big part of his own career. Kurt Angle #InsightWithCVVshow more

@ChrisVanVliet Kurt Angle is absolutely right from his POV. It is not only Benoit who got erased but also many achievements of other people.

@ChrisVanVliet Benoit is arguably one of the top 5-10 best in ring worker ever. You are right others shouldn’t have to put their own great work on the back burner.

Exactly, you can condemn what Benoit did without pretending those matches never happened, Angle is talking about his own career and the matches that helped define it, I feel like WWE should never have erased him from history because even when they did, it didn’t take away the fact that he was great in the ring.

@ChrisVanVliet Yeah I get you want to distance themselves from the tragedy but they are hurting others work in the process.

@ChrisVanVliet You can condemn what happened while still acknowledging the wrestling legacy and incredible chemistry they had in the ring. Tragic and complicated history 💔

@ChrisVanVliet Tge chemistry was right there fr

@ChrisVanVliet I’m glad Kurt stood on business. We all get what happened was a massive tragedy but wrestlers should be able to mention there in ring work without feeling like they will be “cancelled”

@ChrisVanVliet

@ChrisVanVliet Chris Benoit the Wrestler, Phenomenal In-Ring Talent. Chris Benoit the Person...we don't need to speak of him.

@ChrisVanVliet That is so true he had such good chemistry with him

@ChrisVanVliet

@ChrisVanVliet What america did to natives, we2, etc. You cant erase history just because you dont like it.

@ChrisVanVliet Their 2003 Royal Rumble match for the WWE Championship is sooooooo good! And @RealKurtAngle was a classic act for leaving the ring at the end and letting Benoit get that standing ovation from the crowd!

@ChrisVanVliet

@ChrisVanVliet You can’t just separate a wrestler’s actions in the ring from who they are in real life, especially when they’ve been involved in such a horrific crime.

@ChrisVanVliet I will die on this alone but erasing him is not something that should be allowed. Benoit's Legacy should have been preserved, and im not defending what he did, but the doctors examined his head and he was beyond any damage they could have ever imagined. simply put, it wasnt HIM

@ChrisVanVliet I mean Heyman’s remarks said it best

@ChrisVanVliet Good, he's right glad he's saying this publicly

@ChrisVanVliet He's not wrong about the Rumble match being an all-time great. Only match I've watched where you the hear an audible exhale/gasp from the crowd because they didn't want it to end and were stunned it did. Exciting as hell...

@ChrisVanVliet People who socialised with Ted Bundy “but he was such a good laugh on a night out”

@ChrisVanVliet Agree wid Kurt. What Benoit did was a disgrace, but you can’t erase him from the archives

@ChrisVanVliet Despite what he did, you cant erase him from history of course what he did was wrong but keep in mind there're people who have done just as worse as he did and people still talk about them EX:Adolph Hitler

@ChrisVanVliet You can respect the Art of an individual and still acknowledge the downfalls and terrible things they've done.

@ChrisVanVliet Mannn

@ChrisVanVliet Because of what he did WWEvault and other official channels have to be very selective and careful about 2002——2006 era stuff which sucks because I’d binge Smackdown 6 era of Smackdown like it’s nothing

@ChrisVanVliet I respect Angle but he’s making it about himself. The deaths of Nancy and Daniel should come first and have more wait than wrestling matches. Angle wouldn’t be saying that if Daniel and/or Nancy were related to him.

@ChrisVanVliet No lies detected. I have said it before the two greatest rivalries I’ve seen from a pure wrestling aspect, both involved Benoit, one with Angle and the other with Booker T. I’ll never take that away from him. But man… what a pos for what he did.

@ChrisVanVliet I get it But Benoit was a murderer. I mean, I’m not talking positively about an actual murderer.

@ChrisVanVliet Hmm.. Angle was released from WWE in 2006, almost a full year before Benoit did what he did. and he didn't return to WWE until 2017. He missed the immediate fallout. Maybe he was referencing their guidelines for his Hall of Fame speech? Maybe he also meant his 2017-2019 stint.

@ChrisVanVliet Quite right

@ChrisVanVliet Chris did a very horrible thing but I don’t agree with erasing his in ring legacy because of it. We don’t have to hero worship him but it’s not bad to acknowledge him.

@ChrisVanVliet Angle’s legacy has zero to do with that scumbag Benoit. Don’t care how good he was at wrestling, he failed at life - end of story

@ChrisVanVliet "I know he mercilessly murdered his wife and child but he could fake fight really well with me!"