John Morrison Reflects on Unexpected ECW Championship Win Amidst Chris Benoit Tragedy
Former WWE star John Morrison, previously known as Johnny Nitro, has recounted the surreal circumstances surrounding his ECW Championship victory at Vengeance: Night of Champions in 2007. The pay-per-view event was dramatically altered when Chris Benoit was unexpectedly absent, ultimately leading to Morrison’s unanticipated title win.
The Last-Minute Opportunity
The 2007 Vengeance: Night of Champions event was originally slated to feature a match between Chris Benoit and CM Punk for the vacant ECW Championship. However, Benoit did not appear at the event. Speaking on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Morrison detailed how he found himself thrust into the main event. He was initially at the arena as a standby performer with no scheduled plans. Around 3:00 PM, rumors began circulating that Benoit had not arrived. By 5:00 PM, Morrison and Kevin Thorne (Mordecai) were summoned to a meeting with talent relations, where they were informed that one of them would likely replace Benoit and win the championship to avoid disappointing the audience.
A Mix of Hope and Uncertainty
Morrison described the ensuing two hours as a period of anxious anticipation, hoping Benoit wouldn’t demonstrate up so he could seize the opportunity. “I spent the next two hours pacing, hoping that Chris Benoit does not show up,” he recalled. “I walked out to the parking garage a couple of times, just to observe if I saw a car coming. I didn’t.” He continued to wrestle with the possibility that Benoit might still appear and the opportunity would be taken away.
Winning the Championship
Benoit did not appear, and Morrison went on to wrestle and defeat CM Punk. “I win the ECW Championship, and it was one of those,” Morrison said. “This morning, I thought I was just coming to this pay-per-view to eat catering and hang out, didn’t really have anything going on TV storyline-wise. To tonight, now ECW World Champion, the writers are all asking me questions. They’re going to start writing the show around me and, holy crap, this is the best night ever.”
The Weight of Tragedy
The joy of the victory was short-lived. The following day, news broke regarding the tragic events involving Chris Benoit, his wife, and his son. Morrison expressed the profound sense of guilt and confusion he felt knowing his career advancement came as a result of such a devastating tragedy. “Then the next day, we obtain the news about Benoit and what happened. I felt like crap. I felt so guilty just for being happy with something that came to be because of the tragedy we’ve heard about and talked about ad nauseam,” he stated. He acknowledged the difficulty of reconciling his professional success with the immense loss and suffering experienced by the Benoit family.
A Confusing Legacy
Morrison reflected on the confusing nature of benefiting from such a tragedy, even though he had no involvement in the events. He remembered Benoit as a respectful figure who appreciated his passion for wrestling. “It’s still tough for me to be happy about how everything came about. I’m happy that I got that match and my career took a huge turn upwards because of everything. It’s just a very confusing thing to benefit from a tragedy, even if you really had nothing to do with it.”
Source: sescoops.com