Chris Benoit dead

[Chris]

I've only just thought of something else - WWE pulling all of Benoit's merchandise is only hurting his kids in the long run isn't it? They won't be getting royalties from it and at the end of the day it wasn't their fault at all!

Can't see many people wanting a murderers merchandise.Needle Marks? If true this is just getting weirder and weirder

[edgecrusher]

I hope Vince doesn't apologize for the tribute. It was the right thing to do, with what was known at the time, and Benoit gave a HELL of a lot to that company. It's not fair to ignore all of that, and it seems only right to let the wrestlers voice their thoughts. Even now, I doubt many of them would turn around and condemn him. I imagine the majority fall into the 'can't figure it out, he just wasn't like that' category.

[Tequila_Boy]

The growth hormone thing may be innocent as my friend has been having them for years having suffered cancer as a child. He was always undersized and never really started puberty until he had the injections. Its very possible that they were medically performed under instructions of doctors.

But at 7 years old?

[Marc Ambush Solo]

Current mood: crushed "Roid Rage" and BenoitLike everyone else, I am shocked to hear about the Benoit family. There have already been many moving commentaries written. However, I would rather comment on another part of the story. I've always felt that "roid rage" label was a media cop out to sensationalize a story or blame it on something.A roid rage is a flash of heat, like a child's temper tantrum. It a quick outburst of violence or aggression and usually leaves as fast as it arrived. It certainly does not last an entire weekend.--When Phil Hartman's wife killed him and then herself not long ago it was never called roid rage.--There are a lot of athletes (and people) who take steroids. Most of them manage to not kill family members.--Is anyone investigating Bobby Cutts Jr for roid rage? He's accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend. But he's not a wrestler (he's a cop) - so no...they're not.--PITTSBURGH PA. March 2007, George Terry, A retired custodian fatally shot his wife and two sons in their sleep, then turned the gun on himself, police said Thursday. As far as I know, he was not investigated for steroids."Wrestling" = "Steroids" to the general public. And "Steroids" = "Bad". That's the light it's been painted in.A few facts: Anabolic Steroids have used for numerous medical purposes including stimulation of bone growth, appetite, puberty, and muscle growth. They have been used for prisoners of war to help them grow. For bone marrow stimulation, for children with growth failure (dwarfs), stimulate appetite, stimulate libido, testosterone therapy, fight many age related problems and bring on stalled puberty. The most widespread medical uses of anabolic steroids are used to help people with chronic wasting conditions, such as cancer and AIDS. Despite rumors and heresy, no scientific evidence has shown any long-term serious health defects from proper use of anabolic steroids. If someone's a violent, controlling person, using or not using steroids isn't going to change that --- or make them murder another. (That's like assuming that everyone who has ever used cocaine is an ATM robber or prostitute.) I believe it's much deeper than that.As someone who escaped a bad relationship that was very much headed in this direction, I know now that many entertainers have two personalities: the public/TV persona everyone knows and the private version few will ever. I am not defending legal or illegal drugs. What I am questioning is why we can't look at things deeper and for what they really are, instead of giving them a sensational LABEL or placing blame elsewhere. RIP Nancy & Daniel Benoit. April Huntermyspace.com/therealaprilhunterwww.AprilHunter.com

[KRS]

The growth hormone thing may be innocent as my friend has been having them for years having suffered cancer as a child. He was always undersized and never really started puberty until he had the injections. Its very possible that they were medically performed under instructions of doctors.

But at 7 years old?

As I understand it, my friend had the injections as soon as possible to avoid permanent growth problems. So maybe if the child was undersized until the age of 5 or so, the doctors may have advised that a hormone treatment was beneficial.I don't know though, I am just giving my ideas - they could have been administered by Benoit for all I know. However, I don't think that that is the immediate/only likelihood.

[FireBrand]

People are fragile no matter how many muscle or wrestling moves they have and when you are treated like an item rather than a person by a giant multi-national company something or indeed someone will break.Now Benoit did kill his family and that is a horrific fact but I honestly believe that some of the blame has to rest of the companies he worked for and there working regimes.Don't get me wrong it's obvious that people who are under pressure won't all resort to murder when things get too much but unfourtunly some don't have a safety valve. I find it highly unlikely that if Benoit was taken care of by the WWE or even WCW(who knows how far back his problems really go back) then he would not have done such a frightful thing.Benoit was a great wrestler but I don't know what he was like outside the ring,from what I can gather he was a decent bloke. The thing is he killed a seven year old boy and personaly I find that hard to come to terms with,maybe time will help I don't know.One thing I know and that is Pro-Wrestling cannot be as intense as it currently is and not expect something else will happen. There needs to be a massive investigation of the whole sport from top to bottom.

[edgecrusher]

Well, it's been well publicized that pressure's been building for a long time and morale's been really low. Still, unless Benoit took the move to ECW REALLY personally, I can't see how he was hit any harder than anybody else. It's really eerie that this happens just when he was due for the ECW title, I might add. Similarities with Eddie's death, though not quite as ironic in that Eddie was due to win the belt that very night...

[DJ Kris]

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will apologize for the three-hour USA Network tribute to pro wrestler Chris Benoit that aired Monday night, sources said.The WWE and USA Network have received complaints about the tribute, which was hastily produced after Mr. Benoit, his wife and their son were found dead in their Georgia home Monday afternoon.

He has absolutely nothing to appologise for regarding that show. Aside from Chris Benoit the performer deserving a tribute, the facts were not known at the time, so to complain about or to appologise for something that was done prior to these facts coming out is just wrong.As for the roid rage, I think WWE's statement is fair, the media seem to be using roid rage in circumstances that just don't fit.Anyway I'm tired, it's been yet another late night and regardless of how some feel, personally I think this is a very tragic and sad situation where 3 people needlessly died.

[Van_Dammer]

This is a really horrific and tragic situation. There's just so much about it that's really unsettling and hard to comprehend, as others have already said.I can't help but think about what's occured in the wrestling over the last few weeks. First, WWE start an angle in which Vince McMahon dies, which is followed by a real-life death; Sherri Martel. Despite this, they continue to run the angle and give little attention to Sherri's death, whilst Vince's supposed death is given a full-on creepy tribute that makes a mockery of previous ones. Then, a show that is meant to a fictional memorial ends up being a real memorial when not only a member of the active roster is found dead, but also his wife and child. Now, the bizarre and disturbing details of this case have just made it worse.Fuck knows what Benoit's motive or frame of mind was, but this is a tragedy involving the death of three people, including a seven year old boy. I think anyone who watched FOX News' coverage will agree that their style of reporting is absolutely horrendous. They've done nothing but sensationalise this story.

Edited June 27, 2007 by Van_Dammer

[Mikey Freedom]

24 hours ago i was in shock, thinking how could this happen...I don't know what to think about this now....and I know i'm going to go to work tomorrow as the only wrestling fan in the place and i wil get asked about it.Sucks to be a wrestling fan.....

[The Dart]

Similarities with Eddie's death, though not quite as ironic in that Eddie was due to win the belt that very night...

Well, I imagine Benoit was scheduled to win the ECW title at Vengeance. There's a major difference in the 2 deaths. Benoit chose to die. Guerrero didn't. Eddie's was tragic for him and his family. This is just tragic for Benoit's family. Guerrero died after kicking a habit that nearly killed him just a few years earlier, but in the end caught up with him. Benoit's was possibly a slefish cowardly death, after he did something he regretted which he may have done in a mentally unbalanced state. But to be in that position, where you'd kill anyone, let alone your 7 year old son, it doesn't just happen. It must build up. If he was having problems and let them brew and get worse, then it was entirely his fault. Can't blame WWE at all. Can't blame VinMahon at all. Can't blame Woman.

[The Fireball]

I think anyone who watched FOX News' coverage will agree that their style of reporting is absolutely horrendous. They've done nothing but sensationalise this story.

It was rediculous following that press conference. They took little bits out of context and then it seemed like they played a very loud game of chinese whispers, passing the little bit of info around and making it bigger and bigger until it had no resemblence to what was actually said and then decided that was fact. Edited June 27, 2007 by The Fireball

[FireBrand]

Similarities with Eddie's death, though not quite as ironic in that Eddie was due to win the belt that very night...

Well, I imagine Benoit was scheduled to win the ECW title at Vengeance. There's a major difference in the 2 deaths. Benoit chose to die. Guerrero didn't. Eddie's was tragic for him and his family. This is just tragic for Benoit's family. Guerrero died after kicking a habit that nearly killed him just a few years earlier, but in the end caught up with him. Benoit's was possibly a slefish cowardly death, after he did something he regretted which he may have done in a mentally unbalanced state. But to be in that position, where you'd kill anyone, let alone your 7 year old son, it doesn't just happen. It must build up. If he was having problems and let them brew and get worse, then it was entirely his fault. Can't blame WWE at all. Can't blame VinMahon at all. Can't blame Woman.

I suppose you are right the key question being did he seek help for his troubles?If he did and it was denied or not enough was given then there are more questions to ask other people,if he didn't and like you suggest he kept it all in the buck stops with him.I just think that someone should have at least been on hand in the WWE who can tell the danger signs of what stress can bring in a job like that. Then again he could have been offered help and refused it....I think I will stop speculating and just wait.

[edgecrusher]

If he was having problems and let them brew and get worse, then it was entirely his fault. Can't blame WWE at all. Can't blame VinMahon at all. Can't blame Woman.

That's very debatable. There's a million and one ways that WWE can be seen to shoulder some of the blame. The immense pressure put on workers to hang through injuries for example, guaranteeing lives of constant pain/painkiller usage, the insane road schedule etc. etc. not to mention that its hard to think of taking time off if there's bills waiting. So I wouldn't say that's a fair comment. Anyway, I think this started with Eddie's death. Unless there's been some MAJOR family problems that have just never really seen the light of day, and he's been having difficulties with his marriage, Eddie's death was the last really traumatic event that happened, and it's not like he ever took time off to grieve properly. Anyway, I'm exhausted and have work on the morrow. I've speculated and all that jazz. Contributed or something. Good luck dealing with this, you horrible lot. And I mean that affectionately.

[Kenny McBride]

Let's not forget that when Nancy filed for divorce in 2003, she apparently alleged domestic violence then. Saying it all stemmed from Eddy Guerrero's death is stretching it on that front.Lots of people have high-pressure jobs. Lots of people deal with immense physical pain. But how many coal miners with black lungs, crippled with arthritis and wondering where their next meal is coming from, for example, killed their wives and kids?I agree that people with mental health problems should get all the help anyone can give them. But just saying that someone has a mental health problem doesn't excuse criminal actions, particularly not acts of extreme violence towards other people. Was Benoit really so far gone mentally that he didn't know what he was doing? It's impossible to be sure, but the evidence that's out there suggests not. So making excuses is lame and wrong.For the record, I don't think I'll have any problem watching Benoit matches in future and recognising his talent. But at least I'm honest enough to know that just because I thought he was a great wrestler doesn't mean he's turned out to be any less of a scumbag. I hate to ruin the illusion for you kids, but 99% of wrestlers ARE complete scumbags. That's how the business works. Not all are murderers, but most are nasty pieces of work. They get paid to be nice to you when they sign autographs. They get paid to put on a character every time they step out their front doors. That's why you rarely see the scumbag side. But until you realise that it's ALWAYS there, you can't claim to have any mature understanding of what the business is or what it does to people.