Chris Benoit Dead - Toxicology results released

[luke-o 0]

Does anyone know if TNA's said anything about the situation yet? Or it's stars who knew Chris? Angle, Christian, Rhino etc.

[Guest Hasbeen2]

They need to get their act together on listing the wrestlers with drug and/or steroid problems and those that passed away due to accidents, cancer or such reasons.

[Guest George's Box]

Guess you should change the whole "rest in peace" line in your sig then.

 

No, because before all this happened, he was a decent human being. Unforgiving people don't understand there are things in this world that can damage your brain and make you do sick, crazy things, even though you were basically a good person.

 

You're judging him on his actions, the murder of his wife and child which he obviously did under an insane state of mind. I refuse to believe Chris Benoit, in a rationale mind, would never willingly or joyfully do something so heinous which is probably why he killed himself when he came to. PROVE ME WRONG!

 

Oh, Douchebag.

 

What's next? Will you end your post with: Wolverines got wings Cole, wolverines are gonna fly.

Hey Bob...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FUCK YOU!!!!!!!

[Breakpack 0]

I think WWE should lighten up on house shows.Or at least get a few more guys to do them.Another way to keep from house show attendance from being low? Have title changes at house shows.Acknowledge it on TV .Don't make any show a placeholder.Make either fewer live events,or have the manpower to cover them.Too many bumps will kill our favorite wrestlers.Lighten the load.

[garfieldsnose 0]

So Benoit died because of too many bumps. Gotcha.

[Guest Hasbeen2]

All of this whining to each other about unimportant stuff is probably causing people not to even check the threads.

[Breakpack 0]

So Benoit died because of too many bumps. Gotcha.

 

I didn't imply that.

 

Just adding thoughts on the potential ways to improve their job lifestyle of current wrestlers.

[sluggo 0]

you know this dampers Edge and Christian making fun of Benoit's theme song a few years ago

 

herecomeschrisbenoitandhesreallymad

 

herecomeschrisbenoitandhesreallyangerrrrry

[Mecca 0]

I enjoy how we have issues like terrorism and being in stupid ass wars and we have senators worried about baseball and wrestling..........good priorities.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Well this really comes as no surprise.

 

 

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS GEORGIA SENATOR SEEKING INFORMATION ON WRESTLING FOR POTENTIAL HEALTH COMMISSION HEARINGS

by Mike Johnson @ 11:12:00 AM on 6/30/2007

 

The Associated Press has released an article on the series of young deaths in professional wrestling, noting "loopholes" in the WWE Wellness policy and that Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson has instructed his staff to begin gathering information into whether the Health Commission should be looking into the industry. Lance Storm and Road Warrior Animal, among others were interviewed for the article, which reads:

 

Dying young a sad chapter in wrestling's scripts

 

PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer

Saturday, June 30

ATLANTA — Everything is planned. The high-flying moves. The outlandish story lines, The crackpot characters.

 

One thing isn't in the script: the staggering number of pro wrestlers who die young.

 

Chris Benoit was the latest, taking his own life at age 40 after killing his wife and son in a grisly case that might be the blackest eye yet for the pseudo-sport already ridiculed as nothing more than comic books come to life, a cult-like outlet for testosterone-ragin' young males to cheer on their freakishly bulked-up heroes.

 

But the tenacious, grim-faced grappler known as the "Canadian Crippler" was hardly alone in heading to an early grave.

 

The very same weekend Benoit killed his family, the body of old tag-team partner Biff Wellington (real name: Shayne Bower) was found in his bed, dead at 42. A couple of weeks ago, former women's champion "Sensational" Sherri Martel passed away at her mother's home in Alabama. She was 49.

 

And on it goes.

 

Mike Awesome (Michael Lee Alfonso in real life) was found hanged in his Florida home in February, the apparent victim of a suicide at 42. "Bam Bam" Bigelow was 45 when a lethal cocktail of cocaine and benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety drug, stopped his already ailing heart in January.

 

And on it goes, dozens and dozens of wrestlers meeting a similar fate over the past two decades. Some died with drugs flowing through their veins. Others tried to clean up but belatedly paid the price for their long-term abuse of steroids, painkillers, alcohol, cocaine and other illicit substances.

 

How many more must pass through the morgue before everyone stands up and shouts: Enough's enough?

 

"From my 17 years in the business, I know probably 40 to 45 wrestlers who dropped dead before they were 50," said Lance Evers, a semiretired wrestler who goes by "Lance Storm" when he's in the ring. "It's an astronomical number."

 

Then, he added in a voice tinged with anger and sadness, "I'm sick and tired of it."

 

———

 

Over the years, there are been numerous proposals to put wrestling under some sort of oversight, be it at the state or federal level. Those ideas usually have fallen on deaf ears, largely because the powers-that-be, be it the old-time regional promoters or WWE owner Vince McMahon, the guy who largely controls the sport today, don't want the government telling them how to run their business.

 

Jim Wilson, who parlayed pro football into a ring career, says he was blackballed when he began pushing for a wrestler's union. Since then, he has written a book about his experiences and kept up the push to rein in those who govern the sport.

 

Although Wilson's battle often has been a lonely one, he says Benoit's death might reinvigorate the cause.

 

A union could be a useful tool for cleaning up the sport. It might lead to a pension plan, improved benefits, more stringent health and safety guidelines and a revamped pay structure that would allow wrestlers to spend more time at home without risking a pay cut.

 

Now, most top wrestlers get a guaranteed salary, but the bulk of their income is based on how often they compete. That leads some to feel they must get in the ring while injured, often with the aid of painkillers and other numbing chemicals.

 

And much like rock stars, plenty of wrestlers have fallen victim to excessive partying, alcohol and drug dependency, and marital problems during grueling stints on the road.

 

"My longest run was 79 days in a row without a day off," said Joe Laurinaitis, the wrestler known as Road Warrior Animal and father of Ohio State football star James Laurinaitis. "It's not as bad now. They've got good guys running the WWE. Still, we need to take a look at it when things like this (the Benoit murder-suicide) are happening. Guys are still overworked."

 

That's why Wilson's calling for Congress to hold hearings on the wrestling industry, much like it investigated doping in professional sports and just this past week heard from ex-NFL players who believe they're being shortchanged on their pensions.

 

"In those other sports, they aren't dropping like flies like they are in the wrestling business," Wilson said. "Now is the time to push for legislation nationally."

 

He's already spoken with U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who instructed his staff to begin gathering information on the issue to determine if a hearing before the Health Committee might be warranted.

 

Isakson said his main concern is steroid abuse.

 

"I'm not going to start speculating on federal regulation of wrestling," he said. "The issue is anabolic steroids, which are a significant problem and are known to cause significant difficulties. It's a health issue that's appropriate for us to discuss, regardless of the profession."

 

———

 

Steroids and other muscle-building drugs long have been an accepted part of the wrestling culture, allowing the biggest names to pump up to ungodly proportions that wouldn't be possible through natural means.

 

Granted, nobody comes right out and tells a wrestler he or she should take steroids. But all one has to do is attend a match in person or watch one on TV to realize some of these physiques just aren't plausible without help from a syringe.

 

"Somebody says you need to put 25 pounds on your upper body," said Larry DeGaris, who teaches sports marketing at the University of Indianapolis and moonlights on the independent wrestling circuit as "The Professor" Larry Brisco. "Well, if you have an athletic background and have been around sports for a while, you know there's only one way to do that. Nobody needs to tell you. It's just a tacit understanding."

 

Steroids were found in Benoit's home, though investigators haven't determined if they played any role in the brutal killings of his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son.

 

World Wrestling Entertainment, which employed Benoit and holds a virtual monopoly grip on the industry, was quick to point out that this tragedy — apparently carried out over an entire weekend — doesn't come with the classic signs of 'roid rage, the violent, unpredictable outbursts that can be caused by someone who abuses steroids.

 

A top anti-doping expert agreed but said it's too early in the investigation to draw any firm conclusions.

 

"I can paint any number of scenarios that explain this without invoking 'roid rage," said Dr. Gary Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency. "'Roid rage tends to be impulse control. This event happened over two or three days. It has the earmarks of some calculation."

 

The WWE also was quick to announce Benoit had passed his last drug test in April, part of the organization's "Wellness Program" that was put in place after the death of star Eddie Guerrero two years ago.

 

But Wadler doesn't sound all that impressed with the WWE's testing procedures. He's especially troubled that the WWE refuses to discuss the program in any detail.

 

Both Evers and wrestling journalist Bryan Alvarez, who've seen guidelines for the program, report two troubling loopholes:

 

— A wrestler can pass the doping test with a testosterone to epitestosterone ratio of 10:1, more than double the WADA standard. Under WADA rules, athletes are in violation starting at 4:1; the average ratio is 1:1.

 

— A wrestler who tests positive can be excused if he produces a doctor's prescription and a medically justified reason for taking the drug in question.

 

———

 

There's no justifying that happened at the Benoits' suburban Atlanta home last weekend.

 

Alvarez, who covers the sport extensively for the Web site www.wrestlingobserver.com, has some inkling of the demons that might have overtaken the wrestler.

 

He said Benoit never got over the 2005 death of Guerrero, a former WWE champion and four-time tag-team titleholder who was 38 when he died of a heart attack, perhaps caused by the alcohol and drug abuses that friends thought he had beaten.

 

"Chris' closest friend in the world was Eddie Guerrero," Alvarez said. "He could cry to him. He could tell him everything. After Eddie died, I talked to Chris. He was broken man."

 

Last year, another of Benoit's wrestling buddies, 263-pound Mike Durham (known in the business as Johnny Grunge), died at 39 from complications cause by sleep apnea, a condition that often affects larger people such as wrestlers and football players.

 

"It was about this period of time that people started noticing weird behavior, paranoid behavior, which would indicate (Benoit) was using a lot of drugs," Alvarez said. "He was alone. He was on the road a lot, having to perform at a high level, having to look a certain way. I think the drug use escalated, and his whole world basically fell apart."

 

Laurinaitis knows what a lethal potion it all can be.

 

His friend since childhood and longtime tag partner, Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand), died from a heart attack in 2003. Just 46, Hegstrand had battled alcohol and drugs, in addition to using steroids, Laurinaitis said.

 

"I used to watch him sometimes and just shake my head. I would think, 'Oh my God, what in the world is he doing? Why is he doing that?"' Laurinaitis said. "I saw quite a few guys go down that path."

 

Now, they're all gone.

 

Benoit. Guerrero. Hawk.

 

Martel. Bigelow. Awesome.

 

Not to mention Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig, Big Boss Man, Hercules, Crash Holly, Davey Boy Smith, Miss Elizabeth, Terry Gordy, "Gentleman" Chris Adams, Yokozuna, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Louie Spiccoli, Brian Pillman, Eddie Gilbert, Buzz Sawyer, "Quick Draw" Rick McGraw, Gino Hernandez and much of the Von Erich clan.

 

All dead before they were 50 — and that's just a sampling of an ever-growing list.

 

"It's gotten to the point that just about every show in the country is starting with a ten-bell salute," said DeGaris, the professor and wrestler, referring to the traditional farewell to a fallen competitor. "You kind of look at some of the old pictures, and you're the last man standing."

 

He's right though. I can't disagree with him on anything.

 

The only way for professional wrestling to get any better, is if it stops COMPLETELY and then is started up again. It is a highly unregulated business.

 

[Enigma 0]

Does anyone know if TNA's said anything about the situation yet? Or it's stars who knew Chris? Angle, Christian, Rhino etc.

On Monday, TNA had a "We send our condolences to Chris Benoit" message on the web site but then removed it when the details came out.

[Downhome 0]

http://chrisjericho.com/

 

 

There are places I'll remember ~ All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better ~ Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments ~ With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living ~ In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers ~ There is no one compares with you

And these memories lose their meaning ~ When I think of you as something new

Though I know I'll never lose affection ~ For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

[Mecca 0]

How come no one brings up just the wrestling in general? Beating the shit out of your body year round for 20 years isn't gonna do wonders for your life expectancy it's like people just forget that. Even if you never did any drugs, the constant travel and beating of your body will shorten your lifespan...

 

I think people tend to forget that at times....I also fail to see how it's the WWE's fault that people die...If you partake in that lifestyle to full degree that is your fault no one elses. Curt Hennig was one of my favorites I don't feel it's the WWE's fault he OD'd on cocaine.

 

I'm not enjoying the fact that people are taking this as their opportunity to go on the witch hunt of pro wrestling like it's their cause. I am concerned for the future of wrestling right now, for the sake of something I really enjoy I hope all this fades away quickly.

[Guest Smues]

It's being said that because of the raids on Benoit's doctor, it's likely that they'll be naming more major wrestlers, along with their records.

If you listen very carefully, you can actually hear the shit hitting the fan.

KWANG!

Best post in the whole thread.

[Dips 0]

Anything new come out in this week's WO?

[vivalaultra 0]

I'm not enjoying the fact that people are taking this as their opportunity to go on the witch hunt of pro wrestling like it's their cause. I am concerned for the future of wrestling right now, for the sake of something I really enjoy I hope all this fades away quickly.

 

I agree that this is sort of turning into a witch hunt, but, if pro wrestling is something that you really enjoy and this 'witch hunt' causes a serious, conclusive investigation into pro wrestling, wouldn't you, as a fan, be in favor of action that cleans up the industry and makes it safer and, wouldn't you, as a human being, be in favor of an initiative that would possibly lengthen the lifespan of the people in the industry considerably? I'm not a wrestling fan (though I used to be), but I can understand how having so much negative stigma put on something you love on a daily basis would be tiresome and you would just wish they'd stop talking so bad about it so you can get back to enjoying it, but, really, even though the means might be a little shady, if the end justifies those means, I would say that, as a wrestling fan and a human being, I'd be in favor of those means.

[Guest Smues]

It really pisses me off that Douchebag put Property of Deon on his pic with Chris Benoit. I was going to steal it and show that I met a child murderer.

If anything it should have said Property of Douchebag.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

How come no one brings up just the wrestling in general? Beating the shit out of your body year round for 20 years isn't gonna do wonders for your life expectancy it's like people just forget that. Even if you never did any drugs, the constant travel and beating of your body will shorten your lifespan...

 

I think people tend to forget that at times....I also fail to see how it's the WWE's fault that people die...If you partake in that lifestyle to full degree that is your fault no one elses. Curt Hennig was one of my favorites I don't feel it's the WWE's fault he OD'd on cocaine.

 

I'm not enjoying the fact that people are taking this as their opportunity to go on the witch hunt of pro wrestling like it's their cause. I am concerned for the future of wrestling right now, for the sake of something I really enjoy I hope all this fades away quickly.

 

So if the witch hunt goes away, what will happen? Will anything change if the media focuses their attention on something else? I wish more wrestlers would take more personal responsibility for their lifestyles. I wish a lot of wrestlers would say no I won't put my body on my line to bulk up. Unfortunately, TNA isn't such a great alternative.

 

I'm sorry. I'm just ranting. Nothing will change.

 

There are going to be two WO this week. I am almost thinking of subscribing.

[Mecca 0]

I don't particulary see what they can do.......the WWE is actually relativly good when it comes to drugs compared to sleazeball indies no one even knows about.

 

Union shit is just crazy talk, the business as heart will always be sleazy. It's like congress trying to clean up the porn business.

 

I don't believe anyone is "forced" to take drugs, if you do so that is on you as a person. But no matter what they do, just being a wrestler is a brutal strain on your body and you aren't going to live as long as a normal person. You accept that when you become a wrestler......

 

They can test for all this stuff make it tougher all that, just the lifestyle of beating down your body takes its toll, why will no one discuss that? It's gotta be the drugs I guess....

[Downhome 0]

Anything new come out in this week's WO?

 

I don't know any details at all, but something at WC posted the following:

 

Just read the new Observer. There's a ton of new info in there about the Benoit case that is going to shock a lot of people. After reading it, I now understand what was troubling Chris so much. I think it's the most horrible thing ever, but Meltzer reported everything in a way that will answer a lot of questions about why Chris did this. The bottom line is there were two Chris Benoit's, and only a handful of people knew the evil Chris. The fact that some people were not shocked when this happened speaks volumes. As for Daniel, Chris thought he was doing a good deed by taking his life, which shows just what a warped state of mind he was in. This is such a complex story.

[Mecca 0]

People are making it sound like he killed himself because he had aids or something.....I hate when people use vague terms like that.

[Perfection 0]

How come no one brings up just the wrestling in general? Beating the shit out of your body year round for 20 years isn't gonna do wonders for your life expectancy it's like people just forget that. Even if you never did any drugs, the constant travel and beating of your body will shorten your lifespan...

 

I think people tend to forget that at times....I also fail to see how it's the WWE's fault that people die...If you partake in that lifestyle to full degree that is your fault no one elses. Curt Hennig was one of my favorites I don't feel it's the WWE's fault he OD'd on cocaine.

 

I'm not enjoying the fact that people are taking this as their opportunity to go on the witch hunt of pro wrestling like it's their cause. I am concerned for the future of wrestling right now, for the sake of something I really enjoy I hope all this fades away quickly.

 

You would be amazed at how many people think they don't get hurt at all. I've seen a number of people say this during the past week at other boards.

[Perfection 0]

[

 

He's right though. I can't disagree with him on anything.

 

The only way for professional wrestling to get any better, is if it stops COMPLETELY and then is started up again. It is a highly unregulated business.

 

I think the WWE should embrace government regulation like the UFC did because then when something like this happens, they don't catch so much heat...plus it would certainly help in regards to the health of the wrestlers.

 

The only negative part of it that I've heard people say about it is it would pretty much wipe out any small/local promotions due to the fees and so forth. But really to me that is irrelevant compared to the bigger picture.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

Some notes from the new Observer.

 

-Dave confirmed he used a form of the Crippler Crossface on Daniel. This is interesting since Bryan was adamant that the story was bullshit. Apparently investigators found marks on the boys arm and neck that they didn't understand and upon watching a tape of a Benoit match and seeing the move it made sense. They just said it was a "choke" as to not further sensationalize an already sensationalized story

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

From the F4W boards:

 

quote:

 

Just finished reading this week's (first Observer) and boy is it fascinating.

 

Some interesting points:

 

-Dave confirmed he used a form of the Crippler Crossface on Daniel. This is interesting since Bryan was adamant that the story was bullshit. Apparently investigators found marks on the boys arm and neck that they didn't understand and upon watching a tape of a Benoit match and seeing the move it made sense. They just said it was a "choke" as to not further sensationalize an already sensationalized story.

 

-Dave said Bryan was closer to Benoit (he found his writing hilarious) then he was and that Dave hardly ever talked to Chris (while Bryan seemed to indicate semi regular contact). Thought that was interesting as we rib Bryan about getting all his sources through Dave but I never thought he'd have more access to someone like Benoit then Dave.

 

-Benoit got a prescription for the anti-depressant Xanax at the doctor's visit on Friday.

 

-Benoit started going downhill after Eddy died because he lost the one guy who he could confide in and shared his problems with. Apparently close friends always knew Benoit had the same problems as Eddy (pills, etc.) and suggested Benoit seriously needed to see a therapist but no one suggested it since he wasn't the type to be open to that sort of thing.

 

-Apparently the death of Johnny Grunge hit Benoit even harder then Eddy since they were neighbors and him and Nancy fighting was somewhat common and he'd be the one to come over and defuse situations and make Chris laugh. After he died, Chris didn't have that buffer when things got out of control.

 

-Chris and Nancy had recently separated for a period of time, and Dave received a change of address form for an apartment different then their house (I believe Bryan mentioned he got a different address too).

 

-Chris recently opened up a new life insurance claim naming his ex-wife and his older 2 kids as the beneficiaries and refused to include Nancy or Daniel.

 

-When there were rumors of him leaving for TNA, Dave asked him about it and Chris was paranoid thinking Dave had inside info that WWE was going to release him. He apparently may have thought ECW was a demotion and the next step would be out the door. He was reportedly obsessed with establishing himself at the HHH/HBK level. He had grown increasingly paranoid that someone was out to get him and didn't let Nancy leave the house at night or Daniel to play outside and would take different routes from the airport home each time in case he was being followed.

 

-Nancy confided to a friend in wrestling days before the murders that she feared for her life and the friend told her to go take Daniel to her parents place in Florida (as she had done before when Chris became violent) but she didn't this time. Apparently she had a lockbox at the bank with notes indicating if something happened to her, it was Chris.

 

-Theory is that she told him she was leaving him for good and taking Daniel and that's when he snapped on her. Loved his son and when she filed for divorce all he wanted was joint custody. Theory is he killed Daniel because in his mind he couldn't bare to let him be alone without his parents and in his condition so it was a "mercy killing".

 

-Someone in WWE informed Dave before the RAW show that Chris had killed them, but others in the company were unaware but at least someone high up knew before the tribute show was put on the air.

 

-Dave says he can't write a proper obit/career retrospect and doesn't know if he ever will.

[LJSexay 0]

awww damn.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

And more:

 

-Nancy visited Dr. Astin on Thursday asking questions about how she could raise Daniel on her own.

 

-Dave gave a description of the common profile of men who kill their whole families and it was eerily similar to Benoit (hard working, driven, experienced a loss, a few friends but no real support system, anxiety, etc."

 

-Said Chris was constantly anxious about something. When he was at home he was worried about wrestling, when wrestling he was worried about his family.

 

-How's this for eerie. When Vince called all the guys in the ring before RAW to give the news, the stage had been decorated with a casket, reefs, candles with Vince's picture, etc. like a funeral. Talent was told to bring dark suits like a funeral to the taping. I'm sure that was a blast. Vince apparently handled it really well, told anyone who wanted to go home would not be disciplined but guys were basket cases and trying to think of some rationalization (carbon monoxide, etc.)

 

-Regal was a neighbor of Benoit's and Grunge and would have know about the home troubles so that sheds some light on his "tribute".

[AntiLeaf33 0]

This gets more and more fucked up by the day

[Mecca 0]

I'm not overly surprised I always assumed it was because she told him she as leaving and taking their kid. So basically with everything that had built up all of that going on her saying she was taking the kid was to much and that was what pushed him over the edge.

 

He was alot more troubled than it seems anyone really knew....or wanted to admit to.

[Dips 0]

Dave says in tonight's news update that Benoit sent him a change of address form for the WO because they didn't want any mail going to their house. That makes the SMS that he sent saying "My physical address is....." make sense now.