[OFFICIAL] Chris Benoit Thread- Keep it all in Here!

[Judah's Lion]

Triple Naitch summed it up pretty perfectly. those that got to see him live at shows or on tv will remember one of the best technically sound and intense wrestlers of all time with too-many-to-count incredible matches under his belt. but everyone else, whether they're a fan of pro wrestling or not, and even those aforementioned fans that remember his ring greatness, will always ALWAYS remember the manner in which his life ended.

people all around the world that have never seen a single wrestling match know his name, and for the obviously negative reasons.

Mark Madden, a huge Benoit fan, has said that he should never and will never go into the WWE Hall of Fame. who would induct him? what would anyone be able to say about his legacy?

Benoit is, however, in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. he was inducted before the tragedy occurred. there was a vote taken to see if he should be removed but it was decided that his induction would stand, at least for now.

all of that said, Benoit will never be forgotten. can't be. the talent and the tragedy are both too great.

 

[UFOcalling]

Unfortunately, tragedy is a big part of the human experience. September 11th, 2001 - Pearl Harbor - John Hinckley, Jr. assassinating John Lennon - any one of us could list a seemingly infinite number of sad stories that will never be "forgotten". The same goes for Chris Benoit's last few days on this planet, along with the horrific acts that ended his wife & child's lives.

It's already been said in earlier posts that life goes on. It's not that you forget these terrible events, it's that you try to learn from them and move on. If it's possible, you try to forgive. Don't get me wrong, forgiving someone for something doesn't make what they did any less horrifying - or justify their actions in any way - it just makes you "okay" enough to move on.

Obviously I didn't know Chris Benoit, or his family. I can't even pretend to know how the surviving members of that family managed to piece their lives back together after that, either. Those people must be made of solid steel. All I know is that I did my best to "forgive" Chris Benoit for what he did (for my own sake, even though I know that sounds very strange, sappy - and kind of selfish). I didn't know the guy at all...but it's true, and "forgiving" Benoit is the only real way I can watch an old Benoit match without focusing on his final actions. Again, I'm not condoning what he did, or trying to justify his last acts of viciousness in any way, shape or form. I just try to operate from the mindset that Chris Benoit must have been mentally ill during his last few days alive. I'm only basing that opinion on how his colleagues expressed their opinions of what happened. Everyone said that this was so out of character for Chris, the only explanation is that he wasn't himself in those last days. I'm not saying that out of disrespect, nor am I trying to label Chris as "crazy"...it's just that from everything I've heard from his former coworkers, friends and loved ones it's not something they would have ever imagined.

Every time I see old footage of Benoit, or hear his name I try to remember how much I enjoyed watching his wrestling matches and just how good he was. I try not to think about what he did in the end, because I believe that it wasn't him. Again, I can't pretend to know what was going through Chris' head on that last weekend. I just try to hold on to the belief that if he was in his right mind he never would have done those things. It's not that I try to forget what he did, I just tried to forgive him (as corny and selfish as that sounds).

 

[George Steele's Barber]

This forum has a search function. Search on Benoit and you will see he is very much remembered. Probably remembered more than other guys who were much better professional wrestlers.

Tell us more about your connection to Farrah Fawcett Mac Swagger.

 

[Soulblazed]

As others have said, obviously Benoit will be remembered for his numerous accomplishments both within wrestling along with the way he killed himself/his family. With that being said, even though he'll never be in the Hall Of Fame, he'll be remembered as one of the greatest wrestlers without a doubt.

For anyone who seriously is trying to forget about Chris Benoit, just remember that his son David Benoit is still trying to get into pro wrestling and with any luck he might actually find success despite being named Benoit.

 

[pepentorresHHH]

Now before everyone starts bashing me for saying a positive from Chris Benoit hear me out....

Yes the last 24 hours in the life of Chris Benoit were horrible enough that a whole family was destroyed, a man with a first ballot bid into the hall of fame career will never join the HOF, and the industry underwent an gigantic amount of scrutinity and left a stigma that can still be felt to this date.....

But didnt the business change for the best since 2007? The WWE has an amazing health program and even better wellness policiy that has helped countless wrestlers that have wrestled,wrestle and will wrestlr on the company. People like Ziggler, Christian, and others now get the proper treatment they need and the time away that will let their bodies will their injuries instead of being rushed back without being 100%. Also the wellness policy has detected conditions that put superstar's lifes in future danger. MVP discovered he had a rare heart condition that could habe killed him if he hadn't caught it early. Edge was able to know for sure he needed to retire before getting crippled. We also have to imagine a wellness policy developed decades ago could have helped people like Eddie Guerrero, Test, etc

Again what Benoit did was awful but were his crimes bigger than the shining light and change that his case brought to the Industry?

 

[Shark Boy]

What he allegedly did was horrific and completely a shock to everyone. I do think his "striking from the record" was well deserved.. and yes, those crimes do out shine the positives that came from it. I'm sure these changes, that you have mentioned, within the WWE would have happened nevertheless and I do not believe that the "incident" was worth it. Not by any means.

Inotherwords: His entire family being murdered and his suicide should not be praised for The benefits that WWE have developed since the event. Not even a little bit.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Probably a bit of both when it's all said & done.

For instance, when Nancy Grace was talking about Warrior's death a few months back, the tragedy of the Benoit family was touched on. I don't believe it was dragged back out and gone over in depth, that may have actually required some actual journalism and work to put together rather than the quick sensationalism that's more her style, but it was still mentioned. Her approach seems to be: any wrestler that's died in the past 15 years has been because of steroid use. As a result, any reporter who does a story regarding the death of a well known wrestler, steroids are going to be brought up. It's a short jump from there to bringing in the Benoit murder/suicide because it's the worst case scenario.

It'll always be something of a black eye to pro wrestling because it's something that could have possibly been prevented had WWE officials simply not turned a blind eye. As long as you were able to do your business when it counted, the company didn't give a damn what the wrestlers put into their bodies or how much they put into their bodies. However, some positivity has come about as a result of a tragedy; it's an unfortunate truth that a major tragedy usually has to take place before any genuine changes are made for the better. The Wellness Policy not only checks for drugs, but also for injuries and illnesses that can affect the wrestlers and the company itself. The fact that they were able to detect MVP's heart condition is reason enough for its existence.

However, I don't think it was a wake up call to wrestling as a whole. One of the big advantages of being WWE is that whenever there's some sort of mainstream media coverage involving pro wrestling, WWE is always the company that's front & center. In the Benoit situation, however, it turned out to be a disadvantage due to WWE easily being the biggest boy on the block. As bad as things were in the WWE regarding drugs and trauma to wrestlers, they're still every bit as bad, or worse, in most other wrestling companies. To my knowledge, TNA & ROH don't have drug tests; I might be wrong on that and, if so, my bad. You know that these small indie companies don't test the wrestlers and, as a result, they're able to slide under the radar. It's part of why WWE ultimately build the Performance Center in which they wanted to get wrestlers out of whatever "bad habits" they may have picked up on the indie scene. So if some huge tragedy comes about again at some point down the line involving a wrestler, multiple wrestlers, their families, etc. WWE may very well still be the one catching some flack even if the wrestler or wrestlers involved don't even work for them or haven't worked for them in years.

When Congress was considering regulating WWE after what happened with the Benoit murder/suicide, I think it genuinely scared Vinnie Mac and that's a good thing. Somebody like Vince, who is essentially the master of his own universe, needs a good scare every once in a while.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I read somewhere that 90% of the changes WWE have done in the last few years may not have happened if the Benoit situation had never happened.

WWE is PG because of it. It got serious about drug testing because of it (look at Batista this time around to his previous stint to see the difference). It stopped moves that affect the head, because of the findings on Benoit's brain. And so forth and so forth.

Even moving away from the "attitude era" is part of it. WWE may have had to stop its edgy storylines, because of the PR mess the company was in because of the Benoit murders, so, to entice sponsors, it had to make it more family-friendly. Even some of its charity work is probably partly a way to repair their image after the tragedy.

Also, I noticed that, between June 2007, and all of 2008, there was an 18-month period where no wrestler died of a drug overdose. It was almost a wake-up call to the wrestlers to stop using. It was no longer the "victimless" crime it had been perceived to be.

I don't agree that WWE got targeted because it is the biggest fish. There were stories that Benoit was out of contract, and headed to TNA. According to "Power Slam", Benoit had failed Wellness THREE times, which should have lead to his sacking. But, Vince, who had lost Kurt Angle to TNA, Chris Jericho a free agent and Benoit out of contract, was worried that it would be a "WCW-style" poaching of his talent again, re-signed Benoit.

If Vince had let Benoit go to TNA, if the murders happened, then TNA would be in the news instead. They had taken on a guy who had a drug history, and hadn't done due diligence, whereas WWE would be off the hook, as they released a worker who violated their Wellness Policy, and "washed their hands" of him. The media couldn't then criticise WWE for doing what many percieved as the right decision. Benoit in TNA, and then doing the murders, would have got media scrutiny and maybe even the bad publicity would have lead to the eventual ending of TNA.

 

[Pedigree1]

No us hardcore fans will never forget Chris Benoit! I cant believe its been 7 years already,it truly doesn't seem that long ago. True the only way we can see him is on the Network or the Older DVDs that had him on it,before the tragic events unfolded.. He was one of the greatest single technical wrestlers to ever step foot in a ring.. The man made magic and was a great story teller..

I have no idea how the families moved on after that horrible incident occurred. They must be made of steel,because i dont know if i would have the same forgiveness. I really wanna believe that he wasn't in his right mind when all this happened.. None of us will know,what he was thinking or even feeling that night.. I do miss him as a competitor and while he will never be in the HOF we can watch him on the network or the older DVDs before he got taken out

 

[No Count Pup]

Benoit does not deserve any accolades. Who cares if he was a great wrestler? His name should get dragged through the mud. That comes with the territory. He murdered his family.

Even if we are to waste our time commenting on him as a performer, let's not sugar coat. He had a chance at the main event, and bombed miserably. You know what was forgotten long before his death? His world title run.

Putting on good matches does not a great wrestling performer make. There are literally thousands of wrestlers in the world who can put on high quality matches. Watch NXT, ROH, TNA, NJPW, and the indies. They can tear the house down. But does that make them the elite wrestlers of the world? No. It means they have mastered one aspect of being a wrestler. Same goes for Benoit. He had notable deficiencies...

The Rabid Wolverine didn't draw, couldn't talk, and had tons of dangerous addictions.

I know that many people aren't religious. With that said, I hope he's not in Hell. I don't wish that on anybody. On this side of existence, though, he burned too many bridges to elicit homage.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

No, I'm not going to give the WWE credit for its vaunted Wellness Policy. The WWE got scared by the Benoit murder/suicide, and rightfully so. Their response, however, hasn't been that of a company doing soul searching about how they treat their talent and the physical toils they go through. Instead, it's about covering their corporate asses from potential lawsuits and government intervention.

It seems to me that if someone gets a concussion in the WWE, particularly multiple concussions, they are on an shit list. The unspoken policy is more likely that if you get concussed, you are a liability...not a talent that needs to be healed. Case in point: folks like Ziggler and Christian, mentioned previously.

Sorry, this is still at heart, the company that wanted its wrestlers to do steroids in order to achieve the right "look" for the television sets of America, and they aren't truly going to change no matter what "corporate policy" they put in place. Any change they undertake is because they feel they have to under the threat of punishment.

 

[Shark Boy]

I read somewhere that 90% of the changes WWE have done in the last few years may not have happened if the Benoit situation had never happened.

WWE is PG because of it. It got serious about drug testing because of it (look at Batista this time around to his previous stint to see the difference). It stopped moves that affect the head, because of the findings on Benoit's brain. And so forth and so forth.

Even moving away from the "attitude era" is part of it. WWE may have had to stop its edgy storylines, because of the PR mess the company was in because of the Benoit murders, so, to entice sponsors, it had to make it more family-friendly. Even some of its charity work is probably partly a way to repair their image after the tragedy.

Also, I noticed that, between June 2007, and all of 2008, there was an 18-month period where no wrestler died of a drug overdose. It was almost a wake-up call to the wrestlers to stop using. It was no longer the "victimless" crime it had been perceived to be.

I don't agree that WWE got targeted because it is the biggest fish. There were stories that Benoit was out of contract, and headed to TNA. According to "Power Slam", Benoit had failed Wellness THREE times, which should have lead to his sacking. But, Vince, who had lost Kurt Angle to TNA, Chris Jericho a free agent and Benoit out of contract, was worried that it would be a "WCW-style" poaching of his talent again, re-signed Benoit.

If Vince had let Benoit go to TNA, if the murders happened, then TNA would be in the news instead. They had taken on a guy who had a drug history, and hadn't done due diligence, whereas WWE would be off the hook, as they released a worker who violated their Wellness Policy, and "washed their hands" of him. The media couldn't then criticise WWE for doing what many percieved as the right decision. Benoit in TNA, and then doing the murders, would have got media scrutiny and maybe even the bad publicity would have lead to the eventual ending of TNA.

I think your perception of the current state of WWE and how it relates to the Benoit incident is spot on. You make some valid points..

However.

Before I state my opinion..I would like to say, I'm sure that this is a debate that millions....and millions of fans, wrestlers, promoters, etc have rambled on about since the event itself, took place.

I have to make it clear.. In my head at least. Benoit was a psychopath and had way more issues under the surface. Steroids are a very, very, very small part of what was wrong with him..especially when it comes to what he did. It just so happened that he was a pro wrestler, it just so happened that he was heavily involved in the abuse and the distribution of growth hormones and said steroids.

Not saying that you stated the opposite. Just saying...

Saying that Benoit did what he did because he was on steroids. Is like saying Charles Manson did what he did Because he was on acid.

 

[Pedigree1]

Wow tough question to answer.. Maybe like JH said a tad bit of both,I dont think it was necessarily the wake up call,but had that not happened I dont think the Wellness Center would be here today.. Smaller companies like TNA and ROH,as far as I know dont have Drug Testing and if they do,there like the Bodybuilding federation,when they test only one guy a year..

It went PG partly because of it,no more chair shots to the dome and hell even congress stuck their nose in it.. Its good,because WWE is now somewhat regulated,and safer. I didnt know that Benoits contract was up,if he signed elsewhere that would have been the end of that company IMO.. No other company besides the WWE could have survived that horrible incident. The WWE barely survived it

 

[d_henderson1810]

It's been 7 years ago yesterday that the late Chris Benoit did the unthinkable. The man murdered his wife Nancy and his son Daniel right before killing himself in their home in a suburb of Atlanta, GA. Chris Benoit shook the wrestling world in just hours. 2 years before the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett on June 25th. Chris Benoit was the one making the news that day. Now as we remembered the legecy of the late great Eddie Guerrero this pasted Monday night on RAW. Have we as wrestling fans forgotten about the living legecy of Chris Benoit?

We all see that the WWE is still trying to. Now the only time that we can see Chris Benoit is on the WWE network.

There was a celebrity autospy show on my TV last night, where they were discussing Michael Jackson's death, and what could have caused it, based on autospy records. They also re-enact what THEY think happened.

There are going to be other eps in coming weeks, dealing with Whitney Houston and others.

Well, I would like to see one on Chris Benoit. That would be fascinating. I don't feel like the cops gave the whole story to the public, so it would be interesting, especially the re-enactment scenes.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Unfortunately, tragedy is a big part of the human experience. September 11th, 2001 - Pearl Harbor - John Hinckley, Jr. assassinating John Lennon - any one of us could list a seemingly infinite number of sad stories that will never be "forgotten". The same goes for Chris Benoit's last few days on this planet, along with the horrific acts that ended his wife & child's lives.

It's already been said in earlier posts that life goes on. It's not that you forget these terrible events, it's that you try to learn from them and move on. If it's possible, you try to forgive. Don't get me wrong, forgiving someone for something doesn't make what they did any less horrifying - or justify their actions in any way - it just makes you "okay" enough to move on.

Obviously I didn't know Chris Benoit, or his family. I can't even pretend to know how the surviving members of that family managed to piece their lives back together after that, either. Those people must be made of solid steel. All I know is that I did my best to "forgive" Chris Benoit for what he did (for my own sake, even though I know that sounds very strange, sappy - and kind of selfish). I didn't know the guy at all...but it's true, and "forgiving" Benoit is the only real way I can watch an old Benoit match without focusing on his final actions. Again, I'm not condoning what he did, or trying to justify his last acts of viciousness in any way, shape or form. I just try to operate from the mindset that Chris Benoit must have been mentally ill during his last few days alive. I'm only basing that opinion on how his colleagues expressed their opinions of what happened. Everyone said that this was so out of character for Chris, the only explanation is that he wasn't himself in those last days. I'm not saying that out of disrespect, nor am I trying to label Chris as "crazy"...it's just that from everything I've heard from his former coworkers, friends and loved ones it's not something they would have ever imagined.

Every time I see old footage of Benoit, or hear his name I try to remember how much I enjoyed watching his wrestling matches and just how good he was. I try not to think about what he did in the end, because I believe that it wasn't him. Again, I can't pretend to know what was going through Chris' head on that last weekend. I just try to hold on to the belief that if he was in his right mind he never would have done those things. It's not that I try to forget what he did, I just tried to forgive him (as corny and selfish as that sounds).

Hate to be pedantic, but it wasn't John Hinckley jr who assassinated John Lennon. Mark Chapman was Lennon's killer. Hinckley tried to assasinate Ronald Reagan.

 

[swamprat37]

Most fans my age will always remember "The Canadian Crippler" or "The Rabid Wolverine" for his great matches, the intensity he put into them, the passion he had for the business.
I loved watching Benoit's matches, they were always hard hitting and entertaining, from his snarls with he hit his chops, how painful he made the cross-face look, even his snot-rockets before the flying headbutt. When I watch his matches I too try to remember just how much I enjoyed it, so far I've been able to watch one match when he won the title and Eddie came out to congratulate him.
He was a great wrestler,horseman,and champion, and for me at least made the matches look more painful for the other guy than they likely were. I miss The Rabid Wolverine and The Canadian Crippler, but the man behind it all went out a monster, and many fans will be unable to look past the monster, and see the wrestler he once was.

We won't forget, but like others have said we will, and have moved on.


.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Triple Naitch summed it up pretty perfectly. those that got to see him live at shows or on tv will remember one of the best technically sound and intense wrestlers of all time with too-many-to-count incredible matches under his belt. but everyone else, whether they're a fan of pro wrestling or not, and even those aforementioned fans that remember his ring greatness, will always ALWAYS remember the manner in which his life ended.

people all around the world that have never seen a single wrestling match know his name, and for the obviously negative reasons.

Mark Madden, a huge Benoit fan, has said that he should never and will never go into the WWE Hall of Fame. who would induct him? what would anyone be able to say about his legacy?

Benoit is, however, in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. he was inducted before the tragedy occurred. there was a vote taken to see if he should be removed but it was decided that his induction would stand, at least for now.

all of that said, Benoit will never be forgotten. can't be. the talent and the tragedy are both too great.

The ONLY way Benoit would ever get into the WWE HoF is if, by some unbelievable turn of events, evidence emerged which cleared him.

Then, not only would he be guaranteed to go in, he would be rushed to be in (maybe even a year out from the HoF) because, if Vince didn't, then the media and the public would want to know why a now-innocent man, who is now a victim rather than a villian, has not gone into the HoF pronto. So, there would be public pressure to "right the wrong" and there would be a lot of scrambling to rectify any injustice that is percieved to be have happened to Benoit's reputation, as well as the pressure on the investigating police to answer some questions.

It won't happen, but nothing other than that will put him in, and in that instance, his induction will be announced the next day, not in the lead-up to the next WM.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

You can never fully justify WWE's treatment of Benoit but you can certainly understand it.

There are facts that came to light after, that would not have done so if not for Chris Nowinski that mitigate (not EXCUSE) what happened. There was never a full investigation, it was "a closed case" so to speak and the police seized that opportunity to draw a line and so did WWE.

I wrote a main page column hours after this broke and one a few days later and many facts still hold true.

No one actually KNOWS what happened, it is entirely possible that the only murder committed was Daniel's...it is assumed based on what was seen that Chris strangled both... event to the base allegation the "Crippler Crossface" was used to murder his son.

The facts are Chris went to his doctors, went home and something happened.

Now the other crucial piece of comparative evidence that so many ignore....

There are 2 "killers" in the WWE HOF... one is Jimmy Snuka, a judge made a civil judgement stating so and there are long standing attempts to reopen the case but more crucially is the case of Verne Gagne. The man who was the AWA lynchpin, who asked Sheik to break Hogan's leg, who was considered one of the top 10 workers and shooters of his era...

Sadly, Verne's life did not end well, he got sick with dementia and at aged 82, KILLED his nursing home roomate. This is fact, it's on record it happened.

Now look again at Benoit's medical evidence... he had the brain of an 85 year old with dementia. If Benoit had not died, he would have been acquitted or sent to a hospital on the grounds of diminished responsibility as we call it in the UK, same as Gange was never convicted... or rather, the trial would have taken long enough for the truth to be apparent.

The only true difference between Benoit and Snuka and Gagne is a child was involved. Some might say he had some "moments of clarity" and that is where the argument that Daniel was his only "murder" he then had another for his suicide.

But the reality is WWE jumped on what they were told at the tme and that was their line... he was dead, tribute... he murdered people... disown... he was braindamaged, deny... because the truth taints them in reality. They shoulda coulda woulda known... if this had happened in the NFL or somewhere else... but it happened on their watch, to one of their guys so they are in this horrible place of never being able to accept the truth and market to children, which is their core business, nor actually seperate 48 hours of a now proven "incompetent" man from the remainder of his life.

It's so tragic it will always hurt the business... now they know SO much more, they COULD have helped him, it SHOULD have been prevented but it took this to have what we have for sports and life in general. I got my 2nd severe concussion and one that caused a permanent disability barely a year after Benoit's passing... it HAS filtered through to the real world that they matter... maybe not enough, but I know I am not the same man I was prior... with the hits Benoit took no way he is culpable, even if he did the acts... same as Verne...

Jimmy... yeah that's one for a different time... #originalOJ

 

[d_henderson1810]

I think your perception of the current state of WWE and how it relates to the Benoit incident is spot on. You make some valid points..

However.

Before I state my opinion..I would like to say, I'm sure that this is a debate that millions....and millions of fans, wrestlers, promoters, etc have rambled on about since the event itself, took place.

I have to make it clear.. In my head at least. Benoit was a psychopath and had way more issues under the surface. Steroids are a very, very, very small part of what was wrong with him..especially when it comes to what he did. It just so happened that he was a pro wrestler, it just so happened that he was heavily involved in the abuse and the distribution of growth hormones and said steroids.

Not saying that you stated the opposite. Just saying...

Saying that Benoit did what he did because he was on steroids. Is like saying Charles Manson did what he did Because he was on acid.

1) The media said it was steroids. So, even if it wasn't, Vince had to fix the Wellness Program for perception's sake.

2) Some say it was steroids. Others say brain-injury.

What if it was both?

How do the presence of steroids affect a damaged brain like Benoit's? Maybe the combination of the two together caused it to happen. No-one tested for both, so there should be tests run to see if a combination of both causes something like this to happen.

3) I bet my bottom dollar that if Benoit had lived, and faced trial, his lawyer would use either the steroid defence or the damaged brain defence (and plead insanity).

4) 11 times the amount of testoserone that lives in the human body was found in Benoit's body at the autospy, meaning that he was using stuff which increased testosterone.

5) Vince denied it was steroids, but then, he would, since steroids being the reason would point to the laxness of the Wellness Policy.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

1) The media said it was steroids. So, even if it wasn't, Vince had to fix the Wellness Program for perception's sake.

2) Some say it was steroids. Others say brain-injury.

What if it was both?

How do the presence of steroids affect a damaged brain like Benoit's? Maybe the combination of the two together caused it to happen. No-one tested for both, so there should be tests run to see if a combination of both causes something like this to happen.

3) I bet my bottom dollar that if Benoit had lived, and faced trial, his lawyer would use either the steroid defence or the damaged brain defence (and plead insanity).

4) 11 times the amount of testoserone that lives in the human body was found in Benoit's body at the autospy, meaning that he was using stuff which increased testosterone.

5) Vince denied it was steroids, but then, he would, since steroids being the reason would point to the laxness of the Wellness Policy.

It wouldn't have been a defense... Benoit would have been seen as he was and the biggest "scandal" wouldn't have been roids but how WWE and Vince etc didn't see the issues/signs. That's why it's convenient for them to just take the original line the police did.

He was using stuff to increase Testosterone because of previous roid use, not current... it shrinks your balls and maybe a BIG part of the problems with Nancy were based around that. Again, we don't KNOW anything, they were a private couple... for all we know he might have been desperate to keep her happy or she might have been fearing for her life with him... anyone can say anything after their gone... that's the whole point.

Sad and perverse as it sounds, the world at large is a better place for the Benoit case. Concussion is now taken not only seriously, but EXTREMELY seriously in all aspects of life, it wasn't before. WWE tightened up it's wellness policies so the wrestling business is cleaner, leaner and not afraid to do what is required (Christian) and it raised awareness of looking out for your friends and their mental health... Benoit's closest friends ALL said "we never saw it or would belive it" at first but over time have come to the conclusion, the signs were there, just not seen, missed or not allowed to be by the man himself... If someone bangs their head these days, it's serious and checked, if a wrestler or sportsman gets a concussion, they are out of the game for a period of time, not just the game... it's a Pyrrhic victory for sure, but it has made a difference.

 

[No Count Pup]

Actually, the world would be better if the young Benoit boy and his mother were still alive. Nobody's life is worth a few stupid wrestling changes.

Chris Benoit, his young boy, and his wife are not martyrs. Chris Benoit is a murderer, and his family were the victims. His crimes were cold blooded assaults on those who couldn't defend themselves.

WWE did the smart thing and distanced themselves from Chris Benoit. That was just as good and important as instituting a wellness policy.

Wrestling fans are passionate people. They don't only watch, they personalize what they see. Wrestlers become like family. When the media tore Chris Benoit apart, a healthy dose of wrestling fans took offense as if it was their blood getting chastised. But let's burst that bubble. These are entrepreneurs on TV, leveraging their unique skill set to carve out a living. Nothing more than that. Wrestlers are not family. Sure, we should celebrate when they achieve a dream. They embody the human spirit just like everybody else. However, when they commit a grisly act, we should not hesitate to call them out on it either.

Chris Benoit's actions weren't for the greater good. They were heinous crimes that snuffed out human lives. Let's not sugar coat it.

 

[UFOcalling]

Hate to be pedantic, but it wasn't John Hinckley jr who assassinated John Lennon. Mark Chapman was Lennon's killer. Hinckley tried to assasinate Ronald Reagan.

You're absolutely right. I mix them up all the time, just because of the (relatively) similar time frame I guess. It doesn't take anything away from the overall tone of what I was saying, but yes; I f_ed up on that.

 

[BenChillin]

Thanks to Benoit we have the whole "concussion awareness" thing and drug test thing in EVERY sport now.

Big Impact. POSITIVE IMPACT.

Crazy right?

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Thanks to Benoit we have the whole "concussion awareness" thing and drug test thing in EVERY sport now.

Big Impact. POSITIVE IMPACT.

Crazy right?

Right...Chris Benoit did that.

To hell with Junior Seau, Ray Easterling, Jim McMahon, Chris Nowinski, Ted Johnson, and others. It's all because of Benoit.

 

[Headman]

I don't think there's any positive to arise from this situation that couldn't or wouldn't have come anyway. With all the talk of concussions in the NFL it was only a matter of time before all athletically based industries would have to agree to self regulate or risk being regulated by a governing body. I don't see this in the same light as the steroids scandal that forced Vince's hand to be proactive in testing and such. I think this was something that was coming regardless.