By Chris Walters on March 20, 2004 at 8:04 PM EST

The following is from The Calgary Sun:

CONGRATS, CHRIS: I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Chris Benoit for winning the WWE world heavyweight championship last weekend at Wrestlemania XX.

I remember Chris when he was just a little kid hanging around the Stampede Wrestling dressing room in Edmonton.

Chris idolized The Dynamite Kid and, when Chris first broke into the business, Dynamite thought enough of him to give him his wrestling boots. And there's no doubt Chris still has them, too.

For all the years I've known Chris, he's exemplified a dedicated work ethic. I have respected him as a wrestler for a long time.

Besides, he's also an all-around good guy in a business where it's easy to forget from where you came.

Chris deserves everything he gets because he earned it.

With Benoit holding the world championship, I can't help but be impressed with the direction the WWE is going.

I've always felt after exhausting the shock-value aspect, the only place the company could go is back to what built WWE in the first place -- realistic, skilful wrestling.

And there's nobody who does that better today than Chris Benoit.

Long may you run, my friend.

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