warning this is a very dark what if thread

[Azrael Cain]

If Benoit had indeed shown up to perform after having committed murder, then he would have been one cold motherfucker. That would be sociopath level action right there, which would put in question the entire life of Chris Benoit, his entire sanity for that matter, and no Steroid Rage defense or excuse could even begin to excuse such action.

shafe_41 hits the nail on the head fairly well with the scenario, I think, and so does cool_guy. There is absolutely no way (unless he suffered an episode of disassociation) that Benoit would've performed at his typical level. Something would've gone wrong in the ring, and Punk would've been in a hell of a lot of danger. I am sure that Benoit's behavior would be erratic backstage as well, which would give him up long before he even got out for the match.

This is a fairly difficult what if, because it puts into question the character of Chris Benoit as a person, not as a wrestler. I did not know Chris personally (no one here did, I am sure), but I'll go out on a limb and say that from all the years of watching him, you could see in his eyes that something was changing inside of him. It was subtle yet noticeable, you know? I, for one, can separate Benoit the Wrestler and Benoit the Man, and can understand, if not forgive, his actions. They were horrendous, but no more horrific than any one of us is capable of. I will not turn away from the ugliness of a person, just as I will not turn away from the beauty of one. Benoit had his demons and succumbed to them; but one evil deed does not ruin a legacy of years of hard work and entertainment, just like a good deed in a life of evil does not grant immediate forgiveness or adoration.

I think, though, that the scenario is also too far fetched. He wouldn't have come to work as if nothing was wrong. He wouldn't have been able to carry on with his typical performance, or probably even walk into the arena without either snapping or breaking down (again, unless he went manic and had a disassociation episode, and just a random question, but does steroid rage give you the ability to cognitively black out enough to not remember? I seem to remember reading somewhere it does) and he would've been sent home, where he would've presumably killed himself anyway.

 

[ThePeoplesChampion]

Wow this is a amazing thread kudos to the author

Now lets say he went to night of champions so many things could of happened....if he was still mad he could of truely hurt cm punk or worse which would have security take him out....WWE was the people who called the cops so it might have taken a day or too to find out the wife and kid was dead so imagine he would be on sci fy as the Champion then this big investigation starts and WWE would suspend/fire him....Sci Fy could of been disgusted bout having a killer as champion sci fy is owned by the same people as USA so they could of pulled the plug possible and WWE could of been hit hard....Careers would have changed Morrison would of got the big push halting his career cmpunk might have quit or worse if benoit was still in that mood...another thing lets say they found out he killed them while he was wrestling WWE would of called the local police and waited till after the match pending if he was truly harming cm punk...like someone else said they dont want it looking like a storyline as vince was "killed". A lot of questions....maybe the only wrestling company would be tna big stretch though.

and to big daddy fool above me sounds like u have a lil roid rage lol....calm down every one has a Opinon...granted it wasnt just the roids and it was the multiple upon multiple concussions the roids didnt help the matter to it also...

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

This is a bit off topic here but...

Why do people treat WWE like some sort of wild wild west where they can do whatever they want. "The boys in the back" just can't beatdown someone, whether they committed murder or not. That's assault brotha! There are laws to deal with and "well I was mad at him and he deserved it" isn't a viable defense. Like I stated previous, WWE is a public company and would have tons of repercussions to deal with is that happened. They have to follow the law and rules just like everyone else.

Also as previously stated by many people, steroids do not give you brain damage.

Also, I'm sorry but I don't buy the "roid rage" story. I understand if steroids increase some sort of violent nature and makes people snap faster, but no, I don't believe that it would lead to a multiple murder of this sort. Perhaps a start and he felt he was screwed and had to "finish it" but not the whole act.

 

[MikeKillam]

I don't think that WWE would let him wrestle...
Let's say he didn't kill himself.
Let's say he tries to show up...
first of all, I don't think he could. The person to report the crime is the first person to be held as the primary suspect in all murder cases. Unless it's obvious. Now, maybe he hid the bodies and didn't tell anybody...
Yeah, he could have flew out to Night of Champions...but do you think he would have? Right after killing his family, do you think he was going to show up to a WWE PPV?
I doubt it.
He had a mental breakdown. He snapped.
He didn't really plan this whole thing out. And in doing all of this, he probably killed himself after realizing what he had done...like really realizing it.
I'm not at all standing up for Benoit, or saying he had no control.
He just had a breakdown, and I don't think there's any way he would have shown up to work that night.

On a really bad lighter side...
which is aweful...
It would have sparred us the two hour Benoit tribute show...

 

[Big Daddy Fool]

and to big daddy fool above me sounds like u have a lil roid rage lol....calm down every one has a Opinon...granted it wasnt just the roids and it was the multiple upon multiple concussions the roids didnt help the matter to it also...

The person who made the original statement stated it as a fact and it wasn't his opinion. I have no problem with people's opinions, it just bothers me when people pass off inaccurate information as fact. Which is what he did. I wasnt the only one to point it out either nwoevolution did as well. Not to mention the results from the tests on his brain. His erratic and uncharacteristic behavior, journal entries and increasing paranoia is something common with people who have brain damage and not steroid use.

To touch on something ztwhite said about him not committing suicide might be a good thing. I agree. While it would not of been good for the WWE it would've been good when it comes to why he did what he did. I think you make a great comparison with Lee Harvey Oswald. It would have been a more conclusive ending to a horrible tragedy.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

I can't get over how balsy this thread is. I mean, this is something that COULD HAVE HAPPENED! If Benoit will kill the two people closest to him, what makes you think he wouldn't try to cover his ass by wrestling that night?

If Benoit wouldn't have offed himself and actually participated that night, I'm certain a few things would have happened.

The WWE gets crucified
Face facts. The WWE didn't know what was wrong with Benoit. That doesn't prevent the media from spinning wrestling into a vicious lifestyle that has cost many their lives. It would have seriously damaged the reputation of Pro Wrestling in general and especially the WWE. I can see Vince McMahon doing spin control on the whole thing. It would have been Vince's worst nightmare.

Benoit: The Nutjob
Chris Benoit would have went down as the most fucked up wrestler that has ever lived. A man who killed his son and wife, and THEN wrestles for the title that night? He would go down in the annals of wrestling history as one of the sickest people to ever step foot in the business.

No CM Punk
Something like that would affect the opponent in the ring like crazy. CM Punk may have quit the business after that incident. He would be forever known as the opponent Benoit faced after he murdered his family. Anything Punk would have done or would do would be overshadowed. Sad, too.

The WWE may go bankrupt
Follow me on this. WWE manages to let a pro wrestler who murders his family wrestle that night. Investigations follow, feature stories are done, and the WWE is forever tainted for creating monsters and managing to not see that Benoit was sick and needed help. Many fans would be turned off by the product and not want to be associated with anything Benoit had a part of. It's different now, because Benoit killed himself and didn't let anyone know what was going on. If he was alive, there's no way the WWE would be as big as it is today. And possible bankruptcy isn't an impossible thought.

These are just thoughts. It's sickening to think of what would have happened if Benoit were to wrestle that night. But, it would have been the most historic night in the WWE's history. And most infamous moment in Pro Wrestling history.

 

[klunderbunker]

It would indeed be a horrible mark on the face of the WWE and while I don't know if it would end them, it certainly would put them on the brink of it. I could easily see them going on hiatus for a good while if nothing else. There's never been anything in the business quite like this. The backlash of it already was devastating as it still hasn't recovered and likely never will. It certainly would have boosted TNA to the top wrestling company in the country, as with no competition they would be the only alternative, if the business as a whole wasn't shut down.

It's a scary thought that it could have happened, but this is something else that was a distinct possiblity: what if Benoit had gone into the ring on PPV and in front of say twenty thousand people and killed someone in the ring?

 

[BrammaBull]

The only thing i can say is that if Beniot had wrestled that night he would still be alive and therefore accountable for his actions, that would be the only benefit of the entire situation.

 

[makeitvab]

Now this is going to sound horrific but after reading several possibilities of what may have happened..but it sounds like what did happen was best case scenario.

Now keep in mind i have no sympathy for that sick fuck, yes he wsa brain damaged but killing 1 member a day is just sick and methodical. If anything the looney toon should've offed himself at thought of wife leaving him and his son not being 100% normal. You never hurt anyone else for your feelings.

But to imagine the world with not only the events that did transpire but possibility of him killing/injuring punk in the ring, causin WWE to hit a landside in lose of ratings, punk to retire/be fired due to no one getting over his match with a psycho..glad it turned out how it did.

Now I think personally if he was wise enough to show upto the show, that would hurt WWE WORSE then the fact that he killed himself. He kills himself oh its brain damage which yeah wwe may've helped cause but still not entirely their responsibility. Now not going through proper psychological evalutation of someone who is able to murder their wife and *i believe* 9 year old son then show up to put on an entertainment show to win a fake belt? That guy right there is fucked up mentally and shouldve been spotted.

Sorry if this was a bit incoherent...had quite a few shots of vodka atm.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Ive seen a few folks mention something I hadnt thought of.

The incredible amount of extreme danger CM Punk wouldve been in. Think about it. Benoit had completely snapped, and gone off the deep end by this time. Murdered two people. Just did it. Who knows if he continues, and snaps on Punk in the ring? Maims him? Cripples him? Murders him? THAT. Would have possibly ended WWE. That the negligence in dealing with its competitors got two innocents, and preformer badly hurt, or killed, on live television. What does he do backstage? Kill his close friends? Why the fuck not? He murdered his WIFE AND SON. Who fucking KNOWS were this guy is at mentally after commiting these crimes. I cant even begin to comprehend what it wouldve done to the buisness as a whole, along with WWE.

 

[RawIsRamsey]

An arrest mid-match would have made it look fake, despite the on-coming press. There would always be doubt.

As for the situation, it would create the worst PR situation the WWE has ever had to deal with, even worse than the steroid scandal from the early 90s. Granted, it already has created a terrible PR sitation, but this would have made it much worse.

Needless to say, Lord Voldemort would be behind bars and probably blacklisted from every promotion in the world...or he'd be working Puerto Rico with Super Invader...they have something in common...

 

[Chill]

Well, it would have been his arrest followed by a long spell in a sanitarium probably...though had Benoit not killed himself I couldn't have seen him going on to Vengence as though nothing had happened...I still think he would have no showed tbh.

 

[stingerlegends]

Okay, I seem to remeber reading that Benoit had actually ordered the PPV at home and that Daniel may have been killed AFTER that. So if Benoit had got on a plane to make it to the PPV, Daniel might still be alive as well. I want to believe that Benoit still had compassion and that the death of Daniel (if not Nancy) was what drove him to suicide. Due to what I've read about the time frames, Nancy may have been killed in a fit of insane rage. The marriage was in trouble at that point, but who knows the real trigger? If Benoit comes around and is numb after that point, realizing that he would going on Death Row, then in his sick mind he Mercy kills Daniel, and continues spiraling until he kills himself. So if he felt up to going to the PPV, Daniel may still be alive.........and anything else people have mentioned may or may not have occurred. But everyone missed this, so I had to include it.