Posted on 06/25/2007 3:53:58 PM PDT by HitmanLV
We are still awaiting further details, but PWInsider.com is extremely saddened to report that former WWE and WCW World champion Chris Benoit and his wife, former WCW and ECW personality Nancy "Woman" Benoit were both found dead today in Atlanta, Georgia. Obviously this will be a huge developing story in the days to come but at this point, we'd like to express our deepest condolences to the Benoits' family, friends, and fans at this time.
A meeting is currently ongoing at WWE TV and it is expected that tonight's three hour Raw will now be dedicated to Benoit's memory.
6:09 Update: WWE.com issued the following statement this afternoon:
"WWE is sad to report that Chris Benoit and his family have been found dead in their home. Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Tonight's Raw will be a tribute to Chris and his family."
As the post by lward99 relates, that was a rare storyline that ended up as a shoot (despite both participants attempts to minimize it forever after). Sullivan had problems with Pillman that spilled forth and had to be played like business as usual. While I don’t have any basis to believe Dave Sullivan had anything to do with this I’d consider the police writing all that off as kayfabe BS to be negligent.
My 25% unscripted goes to the leeway wrestlers are given for on-the-fly filler. Some, like Benoit, could be entrusted to fill a half hour with no script at all. Most need active direction and at least one practice session. Benoit was unusual for usually cutting time out for that no matter how low his opponent was on the roster.
I maintain that a murder-suicide or a suicide after finding one’s family dead is not characteristic of a man who’s gimmick was being unable to do a gimmick. Like John Wayne, Benoit was unable to act his way out of a wet paper bag without being himself. He had all the professional, social and employer support anyone could hope for so I just can’t see the scenario these initial reports are trying to illustrate. Also note that he attended a Catholic school...no suicide allowed.
I hope none of this is true, he really was one of my favorite wrestlers, but I am already hearing there was a note explaining everything....it also explains why they need to run tests since everyone appears to have died on a different day. The neighbors found the bodies, and the WWE appears to have also called the police based on weird text messages Benoit sent to some other wrestlers.
Benoit was a skilled wrestler and could tell a great story in the ring, whether given 10 minutes or 30 minutes, you are correct.
Any info coming out tonight is more likely rumor, innuendo, or downright speculation. I’ll just wait for more official news to come out in the coming days - wed may be big. I’m with you in that the ‘double murder-suicide’ doesn’t pass my instinctive gut test. But who knows?
If it is indeed a double-murder suicide, with Benoit killing his wife (the mother of his child) and then their child, the WWE is in the unenviable spot of having honored a killer, one who turned his rage on himself. A sleepless night in the WWE Inner Circle tonight - something like that has to be spun and quickly made to go away.
Hard to imagine either is likely. Wait and see.
bookmark
Sad as it may sound I wouldn’t discount that. “I just killed our son...come home and bury him” would make me drop a pay-per-view job. It’s starting to look like tragedy touches all in the wrestling world no matter how hard the participants strive. Benoit down under this shadow will hit all of them harder than anything before because he was the proof they could balance their atrocious work responsibilities with a positive family life.
All the more important for these guys to stand together to wring out of McMahon’s hide a policy of security in exchange for risking their very selves every other day while denied insurance. Vince ditched his crappy tasteless “funeral” when two real ones were thrust into his face since his faked death. How about preventing more, Mr. McMahon?
I had not considered that. the WWE will be in a hell of a spot if it works out that way. maybe, just maybe it was not chris, vince knew that this afternoon, and then decided to go ahead with the tribute. what do you think?
I just assumed the wrestlers insurance was thru the wwe BY NOW! damn. man vince is cold. (nothing we didn’t all know all along tho huh?)
Uh, this is what I heard from another website.
The wife was the first to die!
Sources in the Fayette County Police Department are now working under the theory that Chris Benoit killed Nancy on Saturday, son Daniel on Sunday, and then killed himself earlier today.
Benoit was found dead in his weight room. Nancy was found dead in the living room. Daniel was found dead in his bedroom, accordig t an unnamed source in the department.
Lt. Tommy Pope told ABC News “the instruments of death were located on the scene,” but didn’t specify what those were or where they were found. Pope said the department was not actively searching for any suspects outside the house.
http://www.impactwrestling.com/Content.aspx?ID=11883
They’re all independent contractors liable for their own health costs. Cuban-descended Konnan (lately of TNA) actually begged his fans for funds when he needed a kidney transplant. They came through for him but he was so ticked with TNA’s lack of help that he ditched that high-paying gig for a far less lucrative stint with a Mexican federation. Vince is just the example the rest of the industry is following.
Consider that Scrooge had Marley’s Ghost (plus the Holiday’s) to contend with. Vince McMahon has the ghost of nearly every wrestler who’s died since 1990. Brian Pillman, Big Boss Man, Owen Hart, Rick Rude, Bam Bam Bigelow, Curt Hennig, Eddie Guerrero, Sherri Martel and a legion of others who didn’t attain that level of popularity must weigh heavily upon his remnant of a soul. I wouldn’t accept his fortune and fame for that onus. It’s not worth it.
Thanks...your article is one of the better news stories out there. Have you heard anything else since this story was last published?
Now that several news reports incl. FNC have reported a murder suicide “angle,” it is clear that SubGeniusX was prescient and right.
Your fake outrage is unwarranted, technomage.
It just occurred to me that the WWE had two guys on the agent payroll who they could have sent after Chris when he didn’t show up for the house show: Dean Malenko and Arn Anderson - neither of whom he could have refused entry. Woulda, coulda shoulda ... that should have been the first move when the company’s example of dependability ditched a show for mysterious reasons. Then again; Benoit was so good and solid that his only dive off the grid would hardly be anticipated to end up the horror it turned out to be.
I agree completely. I was such a huge fan of the then WWF back in the 80s and 90s. So many of my favorites are now dead. Most of them in their 40s due to drugs or depression. Ravishing Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, The British Bulldog, Brian Pillman, Miss Elizabeth (this one really hurt!!), Sensational Sherri, Bad News Brown, Hawk from the Legion of Doom, Eddie Guerraro, many others....not to mention someone like Owen Hart who died for a cheap stunt.
HBO had a great documentary on this a couple years ago. McMahon could care less. He uses his employees until he doesnt need them anymore.
The strain that this sport probably puts on the body and mind is probably something we will never understand. Who knows what drove Benoit to kill his wife and son. Just a sad story all around. He was one of the best.
Yes, it is all scripted. However, a Title run — even scripted — is sort of a big deal. You’re carrying the standard for whatever brand you’re wrestling for, and have to “step up,” so to speak.
Please post any late breaking details when you get them. The presser may or may not make the news on the big three, CNN, and Fox. This is all too weird at the moment. What is it that could have made some one snap like this?
The only one still standing is Mattress Mac. This is where he made his fortune. Mac and McMahon are pees in a pod.
One of my sons was at the match where Owen Hart died.
I cannot believe the rumors that Cris would kill his family, I would rather believe it was possible his family was held hostage for him to throw a match and it got out of control and they died, the real killers staged it to look like a murder/suicide.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.