The names of wrestlers whose deaths are believed related to the use of steroids reads almost like a second WWE Hall of Fame.
Tonight, on World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) program, WWE chairman of the board Vince McMahon did something he rarely does. He apologized. Well, at least he more or less did. The words "I'm sorry" were never actually spoken. But the dead serious tone of McMahon's voice spoke volumes.…
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26 - nick
i sure hope wwe looks in the mirror and bans steroids, come on,they gotta do something, im sick of hearing pro wrestling&steroids in the same sentence , vince better do something fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
27 - Rob
Chris, Nancy and Daniel paid a terrible, terrible price for all that is wrong in the Pro Wrestling industry, in the VinnieMac/WWE era. In the past, top-name stars were allowed to pace themselves as there health issues demanded--and that often meant not appearing every week. (That actually added to their overall popularity, making them more appreciated, because getting to watch them was rarely taken for granted. Promoters knew to take care of their moneymakers, instead of running them ragged until they were wasted and used up for short-term profit. Wow, doesn't that sound like a certain president's administration that we all know?)
I remember the Kevin Sullivan/Chris Benoit feud back in the WCW, that led to Nancy/"Woman" and Chris becoming a couple in real life. I can't imagine what Sullivan's going through now.
The thought of Benoit roaming around his house for a whole weekend, awakened out of his drug induced madness, realizing the terrible thing he'd done, with Nancy's and Daniel's bodies staring at him -- it's something out of a horror movie, a nightmare. The question now is, will Wrestling wake up too? Will Vince? Will all the other wrestlers on anabolic crap? Wake up! Drugs turn you into something other than a human... Chris Benoit was a secret Jekyl-&-Hyde, a time bomb that he couldn't stop from ticking anymore. This time the explosion took with it 2 innocents as well as the 1 guilty. I can only say that Benoit's placing Bibles with the bodies indicated he had woke up from his Mr. Hyde rampage and was in a kind of shell-shock by his remorse (and not real sure what to do--except to exact the death penalty upon himself). Only God knows how to sort this horrible mess out... we should let Him. Thanks.
28 - nick
well yes the mr mcmahon death angle is over!!! and there just douing wrestler vs wrestler story lines meaning feuds over belts and feuds over pride etc,
and benoit will never be said on wwe tv ever again for about 10 yrs atleast& no wwe hall of fame or cnn and fox news will go crazy on vince mcmahon&wwe etc
29 - Paul
I agree with David,
Benoit broke the most sacred of trusts, that being his obligation to his family. He deserves no tribute, no pity and no mercy. If it was indeed a chemically induced rage he is the one who chose to introduce those chemicals into his body.
Where was his close friends and family when his family needed them,
regardless of his wrestling contribution to life,
He will only be remembered for this cruel and cowardly act.
Nobody knows what mental state he was in, when he carried out this vicious act.
RIP his wife and child
30 - Brian
THE END for VINCE McMAHON's phoney CIRCUS
This should do it folks. How many of you will continue to support these meathead Steroid monsters with their 22-inch biceps and their brains (and testicles) the size of a PEA??
Vince McMahon ruined Professional Wrestling. Everyone knows and accepts that now. But everyone goes along with it. WHY? Because it's fun entertainment? Well it used to be more fun before Steroid Vince turned wrestling into a big Joke.
McMahon's business was built on Anabolic Steroids. A few guys over the years, Billy Jack Haynes and others, dared to speak the truth and got banned. More have blown their brains out, or wound up like Curt Hennig dead on coke and roids. These guys are idiots.
WWE SUCKS!! The END OF McMAHON WRESTLING!!
31 - nick
fans still support it, if you saw wwe's ecw there was a ton of fans there and ratings will tell how the benoit raw did,
the end of wrestling is now?? uh never, of course the show will go on,
32 - nick
fans will always enjoy wwe, just how things go,
33 - nick
vince mcmahon will never be put out of business, congress wont step in and get rid of steroids etc in this wwe entertainment world, and president bush or any president wont do anything to wwe, pro wrestling has been going on for 100 years or more and another 100 yrs it will go on,
this is over?? i doubt it
34 - nick
chris damino, who is in missouri on 590am and he runs a show in atlanta, said vince mcmahon has conducted him self in a sick way the last 24 hours, and vince mcmahon should be a shamed of him self and should take a long look in the mioor(mear), how do you all feel about this???
i dont think this situation will cause pro wrestling to go out of business,
if pro wrestling was cut off tv or anywhere, it would be coverd by millons+
35 - David
We all think we know what happened, but the truth is, its only several days into the investigation. The truth is, no one knows what really happened. The only one that does is the family that was killed and what I believe is the suspect that commited the crime, I personally no matter how much I try, I cannot see Benoit as a killer, He loved the game too much loved life too much he would never do anything to screw it up. Let alone kill his family.
If he did do it, and thats a big if. It doesnt surprise me, the stress of the industry at the moment, is too much, he worked his heart and sole into what he loved and he got nothing practically in return. He was beaten, injured, and chair shots to the head, may be some of the reason thay he may have snapped. I am just surprised that it took this long for someone just to snap, if anyone here is to blame for the deaths of Chris Benoit, Nancy Benoit, and Daniel Benoit, it is Vince himself for driving Chris to do it. For years he has been by hero, and he is going to be still my hero, as he is the image that I feel is the perfect role model for anyone.
As for who done it.. Not Benoit, and I feel what they did to him on ECW, and SMACKDOWN was completely unjustified. He broke his body, his mind working and entertaining the fans and this is the thanks he gets when he goes. Vince should be ashamed of himself. He made Benoit the latest Victim in his long and illustrius career of destroying peoples lives. Hope he is happy, just wander who his next victim is going to be. If he keeps up with the antics and the way he runs things, its going to be more then Benoit who is going to snap, and next time it may be worst then just home. And snap at work, either backstage or on stage.
RIP Benoit, the latest victim of Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
36 - Daniel
I have a comment on what this person said on the very bottom of this page Chris didn't snap he had this whole thing planned out for weeks and he's lucky he's dead because if he wasn't the Dead Man would have something to say about that
37 - nick
chris damino, who is in missouri on 590am and he runs a show in atlanta, said vince mcmahon has conducted him self in a sick way the last 24 hours, and vince mcmahon should be a shamed of him self and should take a long look in the mioor(mear),
38 - Natasha Brewer
I have been an avid fan of wrestling for some time now.. and as tragic and devasting that this news is. After watching MANY media reports & the tribute that was aired, and listening to chavo guerrero's final words about chris. Personally i beleive that Chris had this planned out..
For One Last week he had Chavo for a stay at his house, which Chavo even admitted was surprising, and out of character. Also after the murders Benoit was text messaging Chavo (and another individual) physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane, Fayetteville Georgia. 30215."
Text message 2, also sent at 3:53 a.m. to the two co-workers, read, "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open."
Text message 3, sent to the two co-workers from Nancy Benoit's cell phone at 3:54 a.m., read, "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia 30215."
The same message was sent to the same two co-workers from Nancy Beloit's cell phone at 3:55 a.m.
Chavo was his friend, yes but why text message somebody ALL the way in texas. It's almost as if that he wanted Chavo to be the one to go there
or something bizarre like that.
Meh.. Maybe I read too much into things?? but i do know for one thing that a "roid rage" does not span over the course of 3 days. If it WASNT planned, then I think that his wife.. possibly roid rage, his son??? Desperation i'd assume.
But if this comes out and there is no steroids in his system then what?
No one will ever know. We can write all the assumptions we want on message boards all over the interent, but at the end of the day we will never know, and it will (if it has not already) become a media blitz focusing on everything besides the fact the three people died that weekend, each in a utterly horrifying matter.
( i dont care what anyone says.. suicide is horrible)
btw in NO way am i condoning what he did.
i just think that there was a HUGE reason behind it.
R.I.P
CHRIS BENOIT
NANCY BENOIT
&&
DANIEL BENOIT
your family and friends are in my prayers.
39 - sr
According to our local bias crap paper which is owned by the larger crap paper the NY Times, they did a survey on World Wrestling Fan's. They stated that 60% of the fans own one or more pit bulls and watch Jerry Springer at least three times a week. I thought this was interesting info.
40 - Jerry
Great article sir. Definitely struck a chord with everyone. I wrote a piece myself and yet, I still feel conflicted with all this. I'm just curious how the WWE will go on from here.
41 - Glen Boyd
Jerry,
I read your article, and I thought it was also quite good. The way you related this to your own personal experience growing up watching wrestling (as I did) struck a very resonant chord with me, as I'm sure it did with others who read it.
And by the way, you are not the only one who feels conflicted about all of this. After writing a glowing article on Benoit, and then learning the horrific reality of what really happened a day later -- this had everything to do with writing this followup.
It's hard when you spend years and years thinking of a "performer" in a certain, positive light -- only to wake up one day and discover that this may have not been the person you thought he was all these years.
Imagine how it is for kids -- and their parents -- who may have looked up to this "performer" as a role model.
Theres just no way to sugarcoat what Benoit apparently has done, regardless of whatever is still to come out in the way of his state of mind or "motive." Nothing I hear over the next few days, weeks, and months is going to shake the horror off of this despicable act.
As a fan, and as a writer, that is what is hardest for me to get a grip on. Making sense of something this incomprehensible.
Thanks for the article and the comment Jerry.
-Glen
42 - nick
vince mcmahon will be on the today show tommorow(thursday) and will answer all questions on death of benoit etc, (well i belive he will answer all questions, )
hope everyone watches it,
43 - nick
im a huge wrestling fan and i sure dont watch jerry springer,!!!! NO NO NO
44 - rick
I find it funny that when Bobby Cutts is accused of killing his family he is a bastard and monster when Chris Benoit is accused of killing his family he is considered a nice person and family guy, and then when the black community points out the difference they are accused of being cry babies. If Chris Benoit deserves support then so does Bobby Cutts.
45 - nick
well benoitv was a nice person but we know that was all an act, like it was scripted kinda, but benoit had mental problems, he was sick in the mind, sad he threw his hall of fame carrewar down the drain, sad
46 - nick
this world is messed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
47 - nick
i fnd it funny when people say that this will bring down the wrestling world , we all know many deaths have happened in wrestling and wrestling is still going strong, get real!!!
48 - BizzyMomma
Well I guess we all have our own opinions and are most certainly entitled to them. I too am a UK based fan, my humble opinion is that first of all Thank God for small mercies that Daniel was sedated BEFORE he was killed, if Chris did do that then at least he showed some compassion for his son.
So many rumours and theories being thrown around still, myself, I feel that this was a set up, roid rage DOES NOT last a whole week-end, a few minutes yes, days NO!
We will most likely never know what happened that week-end, the 3 people who really know have taken that to their graves with them, but sorry folks, I feel there is a lot more to this tragedy than is being made public.
49 - JNance
Benoit was an incredible talent; and I have a real problem with the theory that he killed his family. I hope that the wrestling world never forgets this tragedy, and maybe it will force WWE to take better care of the athletes and performers, so no one else has to die prematurely.
Rest in peace, Nancy, Daniel, and Chris Benoit.