Chris Benoit dead

[C/WMark Please!]

Sky Sports will be replacing their replays of Monday night

[Finlay]

The Daily Record ran the story today as well. They used comments made by Dean Malenko on the 'tribute' RAW from Monday night. They quoted Malenk as saying Benoit was known as "Houdini" as he would "drift in and out of converstions". Made Benoit sound like a man who was on the edge. Which sadly he obviously was.The link to the abc story where it states Benoit could have killed his son with a wrestling chokehold is very sad. It goes on to mention Daniel had wrestling figures and a toy Championship belt in his room. It just struck me then that it is possible, like countless others, Chris Benoit was Daniels's hero too

Edited June 27, 2007 by Finlay

[Bus Surfer]

Hard to take it all in really. Just a massive shock.I was just reading some random unrelated Wrestling forums and I found a little list of just a handful of wrestlers that have died over the last few years.Sorry if this is very well known, I'm pretty much out of touch, but it kinda hit home to me how big a problem it all is.

Ravishing Rick Rude

[Kenny McBride]

Taking people off the road won't help. That's the reason that some people suggest TNA has a worse recreational drug problem than WWE - the guys just have too much spare time. The only thing that will help most of those issues is serious regulation including random zero-level testing and medical suspensions for injured wrestlers. Regular counselling would make a difference for a lot of guys too, as the psychological impact of being "on" 24/7 is seemingly pretty tough.

[FireBrand]

Hard to take it all in really. Just a massive shock.I was just reading some random unrelated Wrestling forums and I found a little list of just a handful of wrestlers that have died over the last few years.Sorry if this is very well known, I'm pretty much out of touch, but it kinda hit home to me how big a problem it all is.

Ravishing Rick Rude — Died at 40 of an apparent heart attack in 1999, a bottle of prescription pills for his bad back at his side. The autopsy report said he died of "mixed medications." Rude was an admitted user of anabolic steroids.Louis Mucciolo, a.k.a, Louie Spicolli — Died in 1998 at age 27 when he suffocated on his own vomit after ingesting massive amounts of Soma and alcohol. Investigators also found an empty vial of testosterone, pain pills and an anti-anxiety drug at the scene.Brian Pillman — An admitted user of steroids, he died of a heart attack at age 35 in 1997 on the morning of WWF's In Your House: Badd Blood pay-per-view event.Rick "the Renegade" Williams — Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 33 after being released from his World Championship Wrestling contract in 1999."Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig — Found dead of a cocaine overdose at age 44 in his motel room on April 10, 2003, the morning of a match. Hennig's father maintained that steroids and painkillers contributed to his death.Rodney "Yokozuna" Anoa'i — Died of a heart attack in 2002 at 34.Davey Boy Smith, "The British Bulldog" — Died of a heart attack at age 39 on May 17, 2002. An autopsy report indicated that past steroid use had likely played a part in his death.Michael "Road Warrior Hawk" Hegstrand — An admitted steroid user, he died of a heart attack at age 46 in 2003.Michael Lockwood, "Crash Holly" — In 2003, at the age of 32, he choked to death on his own vomit after ingesting 90 painkiller pills.Jerry Tuite, "The Wall" a.k.a. "Malice" — Died at age 36 in 2003 of an apparent heart attack in his hotel room.Raymond "Hercules" Hernandez — Dead of heart failure in 2004 at age 47.Ray "The Big Boss Man" Traylor — Found dead of a heart attack in 2004 at age 42.Eddie Guerrero — After a long battle with painkillers, he was found dead of a heart attack by his nephew in his hotel room at age 38. The first person his nephew reportedly called was Guerrero's best friend, Chris Benoit.Chris Candido — Died in 2005 at age 33 from a blood clot after breaking his tibia and fibula and dislocating his ankle in a pay-per-view event.Owen Hart — Fell to his death at age 34 in 1999 when the rigging that was lowering him into the ring malfunctioned.And then there's the story of the Von Erich wrestling family.Wrestling patriarch Fritz Von Erich, nee Jack Adkisson, had five wrestling sons: Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris.David died in a hotel room in Tokyo at the age of 25 in 1984 just as he was embarking on a three-week pro wrestling tour of Japan. The official cause of death was acute enteritis, severe inflammation of the intestines.Three years later, Mike committed suicide by overdosing on the tranquilizer Placidyl at the age of 23. After David's death, Mike had suffered a series of setbacks including a serious shoulder injury that had left him severely depressed.Devastated by the deaths of his older brothers and frustrated by his own limitations as a wrestler, the youngest and smallest brother, Chris, shot himself to death at the age of 21 in 1991.Two years later, Kerry, who had battled a long addiction to painkillers, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 33, leaving eldest brother Kevin as the only survivor of the sport that had defined his family.And now Chris Benoit, his wife and son have been added to the long, unbearably sad list of victims claimed, in part, by the brutal chemical calculus that is professional wrestling.There is no arguing that the physical capabilities of these massive men can provide awesome theater. When Hulk Hogan lifted the 500-pound Andre the Giant and dropped him to the canvas, it was legitimately hugely thrilling.But keep in mind there is a price these impossibly engorged specimens are paying for your entertainment.And the price for many of them is their very lives.

Didnt mention Mike Awesome, and I guess theres a load more that never made the list to.Sounds stupid to say but WWE should close it's doors for a while, Like 6 months. Give everyone some proper time off to get their heads sorted and for all this alledged substance abuse to be stopped.

The chilling thing about that list is the amount of deaths due to heart problems,there are a fair few scuicides too. All these post 1980's would indicate a huge rise in pressure and steriod abuse so it seems.

[JohnnyChimpo]

Taking people off the road won't help. That's the reason that some people suggest TNA has a worse recreational drug problem than WWE - the guys just have too much spare time. The only thing that will help most of those issues is serious regulation including random zero-level testing and medical suspensions for injured wrestlers. Regular counselling would make a difference for a lot of guys too, as the psychological impact of being "on" 24/7 is seemingly pretty tough.

I know someone mentioned it before, but what would you think about having an off season? Like the Premiership or any other sport really. Say the three months in between Summerslam and Survivor Series for example. I the context of actual sports, the "season" should finish at Mania and come back in time to build for Summerslam - but that wouldnt work cause there would be no point in cutting off at Mania when the ratings are generally the highest. Even if they were to alternate which show was having its off season. ECW could stop at Wrestlemania for example, Raw at Summerslam and Smackdown at Survivor Series. They would have to take the brands seriously though and not allow inter brand jumping. Like, its not good taking Raw off the air for 3 months only to have Cena and HHH jump to Smackdown for the off season. I havnt put much thought into it, but does anybody think it would work?

[HiroNakamura]

off seasons and such are such a waste of time being discussed... unfortunately these days, money is more important than life or death people

[seph]

Taking people off the road won't help. That's the reason that some people suggest TNA has a worse recreational drug problem than WWE - the guys just have too much spare time. The only thing that will help most of those issues is serious regulation including random zero-level testing and medical suspensions for injured wrestlers. Regular counselling would make a difference for a lot of guys too, as the psychological impact of being "on" 24/7 is seemingly pretty tough.

I know someone mentioned it before, but what would you think about having an off season? Like the Premiership or any other sport really. Say the three months in between Summerslam and Survivor Series for example. I the context of actual sports, the "season" should finish at Mania and come back in time to build for Summerslam - but that wouldnt work cause there would be no point in cutting off at Mania when the ratings are generally the highest. Even if they were to alternate which show was having its off season. ECW could stop at Wrestlemania for example, Raw at Summerslam and Smackdown at Survivor Series. They would have to take the brands seriously though and not allow inter brand jumping. Like, its not good taking Raw off the air for 3 months only to have Cena and HHH jump to Smackdown for the off season. I havnt put much thought into it, but does anybody think it would work?

Disregarding the obvious reason it won't happen for just a second that's a sound shout provided the wrestlers aren't roped into switching brands (as you say)- however the WWE would again be no slave to a force-of-circumstance where all of the main-eventers of one brand will be completely twatted whilst another was taking a break. They'd also make sure they can guarantee that only ONE brand will be off at any particular time, and - somewhat boneheadedly - neither of the two active brands will benefit from the slack time the 'resting' brand, even if it was a '2-night, 2-part' Raw where pretty much everybody the brand can get TV time (even if it's just promos).The obvious reasons it won't happen- Vince loves squeezing cash out of everything he's got. If any one of the brands weren't profiting at any one time he'd rather can it altogether than give it 3 months off to freshen things. Also, this is three months- ONE FULL QUARTER of a year that the shareholders will see a big fat blank space representing one brand....

[JohnnyChimpo]

off seasons and such are such a waste of time being discussed... unfortunately these days, money is more important than life or death people

Yeah and its a waste of time to discuss what way the invasion angle should have been booked, whether or not is was morally right or wrong for Vince to do a murder storyline, what tactics the England team should use and what might have been going through Benoit's head in his final hours. Cause its not gonna change any of it. But we still discuss them. In other words, fuck off.

[JohnnyChimpo]

Taking people off the road won't help. That's the reason that some people suggest TNA has a worse recreational drug problem than WWE - the guys just have too much spare time. The only thing that will help most of those issues is serious regulation including random zero-level testing and medical suspensions for injured wrestlers. Regular counselling would make a difference for a lot of guys too, as the psychological impact of being "on" 24/7 is seemingly pretty tough.

I know someone mentioned it before, but what would you think about having an off season? Like the Premiership or any other sport really. Say the three months in between Summerslam and Survivor Series for example. I the context of actual sports, the "season" should finish at Mania and come back in time to build for Summerslam - but that wouldnt work cause there would be no point in cutting off at Mania when the ratings are generally the highest. Even if they were to alternate which show was having its off season. ECW could stop at Wrestlemania for example, Raw at Summerslam and Smackdown at Survivor Series. They would have to take the brands seriously though and not allow inter brand jumping. Like, its not good taking Raw off the air for 3 months only to have Cena and HHH jump to Smackdown for the off season. I havnt put much thought into it, but does anybody think it would work?

Disregarding the obvious reason it won't happen for just a second that's a sound shout provided the wrestlers aren't roped into switching brands (as you say)- however the WWE would again be no slave to a force-of-circumstance where all of the main-eventers of one brand will be completely twatted whilst another was taking a break. They'd also make sure they can guarantee that only ONE brand will be off at any particular time, and - somewhat boneheadedly - neither of the two active brands will benefit from the slack time the 'resting' brand, even if it was a '2-night, 2-part' Raw where pretty much everybody the brand can get TV time (even if it's just promos).The obvious reasons it won't happen- Vince loves squeezing cash out of everything he's got. If any one of the brands weren't profiting at any one time he'd rather can it altogether than give it 3 months off to freshen things. Also, this is three months- ONE FULL QUARTER of a year that the shareholders will see a big fat blank space representing one brand....

Yeah, your right. Of course your right. They would never do it and all. And I can totally see where you coming from. But if the government where to set up say, some sort of a regulation commission or governing body for wrestling - outside of Vince McMahon - then they might not have a choice in the matter.Obviously in a complete theory - they shouldnt have a problem with making sure there is only 1 brand in an off season at a time. Say it went like this. Wrestlemania - King of the Ring (just an example); Smackdown would be in down season for 3 months.Summerslam - Survivor Series; Raw would be off for 3 months.Survivor Series - No Way Out; ECW would be off for 3 months. ECW would miss the Royal Rumble,. but they would all be active before Wrestlemania. If the governing body was to regulate that a draft could only occur once a year at a pre-determined time, like the January transfer window in football, it would stop Vince from hotshotting wrestlers from show to show. If Raw was damaged by injuries, it would be the same as Man United being damaged by injuries and they would just have to deal with it. They cant go out and borrow players from other teams, so Raw shouldnt be able to borrow from Smackdown. They would have to wait til the transfer window. Like i said, its all theory and would probably never work. But I'd be interested to hear the opinions of some other people on it.

[Cisne Pequeno]

Taking people off the road won't help. That's the reason that some people suggest TNA has a worse recreational drug problem than WWE - the guys just have too much spare time. The only thing that will help most of those issues is serious regulation including random zero-level testing and medical suspensions for injured wrestlers. Regular counselling would make a difference for a lot of guys too, as the psychological impact of being "on" 24/7 is seemingly pretty tough.

I know someone mentioned it before, but what would you think about having an off season? Like the Premiership or any other sport really. Say the three months in between Summerslam and Survivor Series for example. I the context of actual sports, the "season" should finish at Mania and come back in time to build for Summerslam - but that wouldnt work cause there would be no point in cutting off at Mania when the ratings are generally the highest. Even if they were to alternate which show was having its off season. ECW could stop at Wrestlemania for example, Raw at Summerslam and Smackdown at Survivor Series. They would have to take the brands seriously though and not allow inter brand jumping. Like, its not good taking Raw off the air for 3 months only to have Cena and HHH jump to Smackdown for the off season. I havnt put much thought into it, but does anybody think it would work?

Disregarding the obvious reason it won't happen for just a second that's a sound shout provided the wrestlers aren't roped into switching brands (as you say)- however the WWE would again be no slave to a force-of-circumstance where all of the main-eventers of one brand will be completely twatted whilst another was taking a break. They'd also make sure they can guarantee that only ONE brand will be off at any particular time, and - somewhat boneheadedly - neither of the two active brands will benefit from the slack time the 'resting' brand, even if it was a '2-night, 2-part' Raw where pretty much everybody the brand can get TV time (even if it's just promos).The obvious reasons it won't happen- Vince loves squeezing cash out of everything he's got. If any one of the brands weren't profiting at any one time he'd rather can it altogether than give it 3 months off to freshen things. Also, this is three months- ONE FULL QUARTER of a year that the shareholders will see a big fat blank space representing one brand....

Yeah, your right. Of course your right. They would never do it and all. And I can totally see where you coming from. But if the government where to set up say, some sort of a regulation commission or governing body for wrestling - outside of Vince McMahon - then they might not have a choice in the matter.Obviously in a complete theory - they shouldnt have a problem with making sure there is only 1 brand in an off season at a time. Say it went like this. Wrestlemania - King of the Ring (just an example); Smackdown would be in down season for 3 months.Summerslam - Survivor Series; Raw would be off for 3 months.Survivor Series - No Way Out; ECW would be off for 3 months. ECW would miss the Royal Rumble,. but they would all be active before Wrestlemania. If the governing body was to regulate that a draft could only occur once a year at a pre-determined time, like the January transfer window in football, it would stop Vince from hotshotting wrestlers from show to show. If Raw was damaged by injuries, it would be the same as Man United being damaged by injuries and they would just have to deal with it. They cant go out and borrow players from other teams, so Raw shouldnt be able to borrow from Smackdown. They would have to wait til the transfer window. Like i said, its all theory and would probably never work. But I'd be interested to hear the opinions of some other people on it.

Unfortunately there are a couple of issues with that:1) Pro-wrestling, as much as some people believe, is not a sport and will not be treated in the same way. Do movie actors and playwrights take time off for a season? Only if they don't have anything to do, entertainment never stops.2) There's no possibility of having a "transfer window" as unlike your metaphor of the Premiere League, all 3 "teams" (ECW, SmackDown!, RAW) are basically the same team (more like the 1st team, reserves and the U21s at a particular club).3) Vince would lose money, and he's not down with that!

[Rob Lowe]

CHRIS BENOIT'S PERSONAL DOCTOR SAW HIM THE FRIDAY BEFORE HE DIED, SAID HE DIDN'T SHOW ANY SIGNS OF DISTRESSby Dave Scherer @ 4:41:00 PM on 6/27/2007AccessNorthGa.com has posted the following Associated Press story on their site: Professional wrestler Chris Benoit met with his personal physician hours before he allegedly killed his wife and son and then hanged himself in his basement, the doctor said Wednesday."He was in my office on Friday to stop by just to see my staff," said Dr. Phil Astin of metro Atlanta. "He certainly didn't show any signs of any distress or rage or anything."Authorities say Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son Daniel and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself with a weight-machine pulley over the weekend. No motive was offered for the killings, which were spread out over the weekend and discovered Monday.Astin, who said he was Benoit's longtime friend and physician, said he had prescribed testosterone to Benoit because he suffered from low amounts of the hormone. He said the condition likely originated from previous steroid use. He would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed the day of the meeting."I'm still very surprised and shocked, especially with his child Daniel involved," said Benoit. "He worshipped his child."Investigators said Benoit's 43-year-old wife was strangled Friday with what appeared to be a cable in an upstairs family room, and her feet and wrists were bound and there was blood under her head, indicating a possible struggle. Daniel was probably killed late Saturday or early Sunday, and his body was found in his bed, the district attorney said.Before the killings, the family was struggling with how to care for the child, who suffered from a rare medical condition called Fragile X Syndrome, an inherited form of mental retardation often accompanied by autism, said Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for World Wrestling Entertainment."Him and Nancy were clearly struggling about this whole issue, about how to take care of Daniel," said McDevitt."I don't know what he confronted when he went back into the house," he said. "No one really knows that. We'll have to see. Clearly this issue of the son was a stressor on both of their relationships for some time."District Attorney Scott Ballard said the autopsy indicated that there were no bruise marks on his neck, so authorities are now assuming he could have been killed using a choke hold. "It's a process of elimination," he said.Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs may have caused the muscle man nicknamed the "Canadian Crippler" to kill his wife and child and then himself.The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., issued a news release Tuesday evening saying steroids "were not and could not be related to the cause of death" and that the findings indicate "deliberation, not rage." It also added that Benoit tested negative April 10, the last time he was tested for drugs."The drugs they had found in there, including the steroids, were all pursuant to legitimate prescription. We know they know which doctor prescribed it," McDevitt said. "There's no question, none of these drugs are out there, none of these drugs came from Internet pharmacies."While steroids can cause the paranoia and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage," the drug is also associated with deep and lengthy bouts of depression."Just as you have the extreme high of when you're on steroids, you can get the opposite," said Dr. Todd Schlifstein, a clinical assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine. "You can have a dramatic difference in mood swings. You can feel there's no hope, there's no future."

pwinsider.com

[WHERES LEROY]

I think people are barking up the wrong tree with this talk of sabbaticals and off-season periods. The answer is as simple as less house shows, and less travelling.

[Van Dammer]

All talk of cutting the companies schedule is pointless as 1. They would never consider it in the first place and 2. Thye would never be allowed to do it due to tv deal etc etc etc. The only way the problem will ever be sorted out is if a company like the WWE put a complete ban on steroids, which I dont believe they will. They need to do something to change the public's perceptio that wrestlers must be 6'5 and 280lbs of muscle so that in the future wrestlers will not be expected to become that. Unfortunately the conversationa bout this came up after Eddie's death and virtually nothing was done then, I expect nothing to cange because of this or maybe a small quick fix such as the wellness prgram.

[Dirty Eddie]

The money-losing issue really isn't one. In the scenarios we are looking at Vince is either being pressured into doing something by the press or having Government regulations brought into place.Vince would take a hit from the TV stations that pay for fresh TV every week, and live revenue would be lost, but I would imagine that most wrestlers could handle being on a lower "down-side" wage for 3 months, as the travel/accomodation fees will stop and they will get a good rest. If they wanted to, they could even pre-tape a month's TV (for one Brand of course) at the end of their' season, so the show would only be off the air for two months.Happy employees work harder, pissed off, burnt-out, doped up ones don't.I'm sure the share-holders could handle minimal fall in short-term dividends if it meant less high-profile wrestler deaths in future, and a generally less heartless and sleazy public image.