Chris Benoit - 5 years on.

[air_raid]

(even when I was a smarky-smark-smark, I never thought the Ganso Bomb was ever necessary)

 

I know I'm late to this party, but the Ganso Bomb - the first Ganso Bomb - was a fuck up, not a planned spot. Which makes Musawa (and Muto) completely retarded for saying "wow, that looked like it could kill you, let's do that" when planning it later on.

 

Oh, you didn't know what we're talking about?

[Carbomb]

(even when I was a smarky-smark-smark, I never thought the Ganso Bomb was ever necessary)

 

I know I'm late to this party, but the Ganso Bomb - the first Ganso Bomb - was a fuck up, not a planned spot. Which makes Musawa (and Muto) completely retarded for saying "wow, that looked like it could kill you, let's do that" when planning it later on.

 

Oh, you didn't know what we're talking about?

 

I meant both, though I know the first was indeed a fuck-up.

[thicko]

It's not the same. When you listen to Michael Jackson records you aren't being exposed to the visual image, or even the sounds, of his father caning him for fucking up his dance steps, which is what was responsible for his loss of a childhood. However, when you watch Chris Benoit's wrestling matches you're watching him bouncing his cranium off of the canvas, turnbuckles, ring posts and steel chairs. You are reliving his physical deconstruction, knowing that every rough bump you watch him take in that ring played a part in scrambling his brain to the point where he flipped and started sending text messages to Chavo Guerrero. That's why Benoit matches make for such horrifying viewing now.

 

See to me, anyone that thinks like that whilst watching a Benoit match is a little bit sick. Certainly sicker than someone who thinks 'well that was an entertaining match, I'd like to see it again'.

 

Just been having a conversation in the pub about internet forums and how some people can't see their opinion as opinion and not fact. This thread came up in the conversation.

 

As far as Benoit goes, if a match of his comes on, I can watch it. I wouldn't actively seek one out, but I don't generally look for anything in particular, I'll watch whatever DVD I've chose to purchase next. It does disappoint me when they cut him out needlessly though. I haven't seen the Jericho doc that someone referenced earlier, but on the Batista set, they show his Royal Rumble win but they cut Benoit's elimination out. Is there any need for that? He's in the ring, and then he's not. Just don't show the footage at all, or start at a later point if you're going to hack at it.

 

One thing I do love about this thread is seeing KingPitcos and Carbomb argue. That could go on a while....

[Loki]

Ah, the old "I was just in a pub, and someone mentioned the UKFF" line. Which never happens, please help me God I hope not anyway.

[Arch Stanton]

It's not the same. When you listen to Michael Jackson records you aren't being exposed to the visual image, or even the sounds, of his father caning him for fucking up his dance steps, which is what was responsible for his loss of a childhood. However, when you watch Chris Benoit's wrestling matches you're watching him bouncing his cranium off of the canvas, turnbuckles, ring posts and steel chairs. You are reliving his physical deconstruction, knowing that every rough bump you watch him take in that ring played a part in scrambling his brain to the point where he flipped and started sending text messages to Chavo Guerrero. That's why Benoit matches make for such horrifying viewing now.

 

See to me, anyone that thinks like that whilst watching a Benoit match is a little bit sick.

Each to their own and all that, but that's plain ridiculous.

[tiger_rick]

Ah, the old "I was just in a pub, and someone mentioned the UKFF" line. Which never happens, please help me God I hope not anyway.

Surely not beyond the realms of possibility that people know like-minded people is it? I don't know anyone as sad as me but other people might.

[waters44]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but I've just received the DK WWE Encyclopedia (published in 2009 - written by Brian Shields and Kevin Sullivan) and there is half a page spread dedicated to Chris Benoit.

[Warrior]

Just seen this while looking for a decent book on Benoit (is there one? There didn't seem to be much...)

 

Chris Benoit - Silent But Violent

 

So, can anyone read Italian?

[Gladstones Bitch]

CHRIS BENOIT - SILENT BUT VIOLENT - VOLUME 1

 

Michele K. Pose

cover of Clare Roscini

with contributions by Luca Celauro, Bogazzi Alessandro, Thierry Gerbore (part of the site WorldofWrestling.it) and Sara Gilardi

 

 

Chris Benoit is one of the most controversial figures in the history of pro wrestling.

Sample with its unique technical capabilities, has reached the absolute heights of success in Japan as in America. Then he came out from the register of the discipline of gold and crashed in the group of murderers killing his wife and son before taking his own life in one of the most controversial incidents of crime news sport in 2007.

 

In "Volume 1" definitive anthology dedicated to him let's find out where did your passion for the fight, who has inspired, such as coaches and as we have forged is made off in a hyper competitive environment to close with a rich summary containing the results of the early career shedding light on some inconsistencies that are often found scattered throughout the web.

 

And 'the Chris Benoit least known by fans, who admires the "Dynamite Kid" Tom Billington, which goes to show that the Calgary Stampede offers every Saturday in Edmonton (Canada) in the hope of meeting its myths, that just comes loaded with an adult dreams and hopes in the gym first and then the Hart family in the strict New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo.

 

The years of the majors are far apart, the glory in the WWE and WCW is yet to come (and will be treated in subsequent volumes, with earthly experience to the fatal conclusion of the athlete).

There is no blood, sweat, privation, perseverance and determination. From that of a plebeian ranks in hopes to realize dreams and remote drives and become the king of the fight.

 

Through the description of the environment, colleagues, associations, historical contexts and with clues, hints and allusions to everything that revolves around these areas, here is a collage that only allows us to go back in time to immerse ourselves in not only personal stories of Canadian wrestler but also a better understanding of what for many is the time most talented saturated with regard to the category of Junior Heavyweight.

[Richie Freebird]

Ah, the old "I was just in a pub, and someone mentioned the UKFF" line. Which never happens, please help me God I hope not anyway.

Surely not beyond the realms of possibility that people know like-minded people is it? I don't know anyone as sad as me but other people might.

 

It happens all the time at pubs in the immediate vicinity of wrestling shows.

[David]

I see that Nancy's sister has spoken out lately on Benoit's behaviour before the whole thing happened;

 

Speaking on the nine year anniversary of the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide, on WWE icon Chris Jerico’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, Toffoloni discussed the horrific event that took place. In her first real interview since the tragedy occurred, she said she wanted to clear up the misinformation that has circulated since her sister and nephew’s passing.

 

Toffoloni revealed that in early spring of 2004, three years before the murders took place, she noticed “changes” in Benoit. Although she drew attention to the fact that Benoit loved her sister, she highlighted that he was aggressive towards her (which she believed was brought on by the pressure put on him to win at WrestleMania 20) and this was the trigger to the volatile deterioration of their relationship.

 

Speaking about Benoit’s behavioural change in the build up to the cataclysm that tore her family apart, Toffoloni said:

 

“What really became noticeable was a little bit more of — like a sense of — unsafeness and paranoia for the family. He’d just would like, be constantly checking the alarm at night, constantly be checking things, and for himself. Like when we would go to the gym and do things like that, he would take different ways every time, different routes, The way we would go in the morning is not the way we would go after dinner, and never ever before had that been.

“He used to be fairly laid back about stuff like that, there was never any issue like that, so when it did start happening I noticed immediately. It was a huge personality change, not crazy-huge where everyone else would notice, but people that was around him a lot would notice. I didn’t really understand what was happening and to be frank, I still kind of look back on it…was it a precursor to everything that happened — I don’t know.”

 

Although Toffoloni had previously stated that her sister was “brutalised” by Benoit as a result of his “roid rage”, she doesn’t disregard the idea that concussions could have played a huge role in his mental state. Furthermore, she revealed in the programme how the death of his close friends and neighbours – Eddie Guerrero, Ray Traylor and Johnny Grunge – took a toll on his behaviour.

 

During the podcast, Toffoloni mentioned how Benoit became increasingly paranoid the more famous he became after winning the World Title at WrestleMania XX. She continued:

 

“I think that it [drug abuse] was a huge contributing factor to what happened. The autopsy said so, I had seen it prior to that — the alcohol and medication, not just the steroids but everything else that had been going on — it was a huge factor.

“I know that everyone talks about the concussion issue with Christopher, maybe that played a role as well, the autopsy never said he had Alzheimer’s, that he couldn’t find his way, the things they are saying related to concussions wasn’t Chris and wasn’t anything I observed ever. That guy could get in and out of an airport in eight minutes flat, and I mean any airport.

 

“It wasn’t that, it was a combination of a lot of things. A huge boulder of weight from loss and grief, I think it was a ton of medication altering his body chemistry, his brain chemistry, alcohol, everything that was going on at that time. I know there were issues in the house that he was having, again, with himself. Struggling inside with things that are privy to he and I, and my family and my sister, that I wouldn’t put on blast for anyone to know.

 

“But that coupled with the facts of what I know from being there immediately after that weekend, and seeing everything, it wasn’t the act of someone with brain damage. It wasn’t, it’s impossible for that to have been the case. I understand the necessity to want to put it on something and say, ‘this is why he did it, this is the reason right here.’ Because the daily pain of not knowing why and not really knowing what happened, is crippling.

 

“I can’t put it on any one thing; it was a combination of many things, outside factors, and an inner struggle that he had been going through for quite some time after Eddie and everyone else…he almost had this look in his eye — it wasn’t more of who’s next, it was more of, am I next — in his eyes.”

 

One of her most unsettling statements was that Benoit had Google searched for the easiest way to break someone’s neck prior to the murders.

 

[WyattSheepMask]

The podcast is worth a listen, and it has been mentioned in the podcast thread already. It's just under 1hr40mins but well worth the time