Chris Benoit DEAD!

[Dini]

The latest story on CNN says that Benoit strangled Nancy, and smothered Daniel... before hanging himself in his weightroom, and investigators are looking into whether steriods were a factor in it. Tox reports will take at least a week, maybe more to get back though..... full story can be found here: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/06/25/wrestler.dead.ap/index.html?pc=no_id

The thing that I wonder about though is that WWE.com says that they contacted authorities in Atlanta on Monday to have them check on the Benoit household, after several disturbing text messages were sent on Sunday Morning.... one has to wonder, if they had called the Atlanta police on Sunday morning, would it have made any difference? Maybe this could have been prevented.

[xenite]

Well, from what I've read--and everything is preliminary--he may have strangled his wife/child on Saturday. So if the police had come on Sunday, would there have been a more volatile ending? Or would he have been given the death penality if he were found alive and surrendered? Would he have been able to live with the guilt?

I just can't believe Beniot would do something like this? He's always described as this nice, quiet guy. One website that I read has him painted as a domestic abuser, saying Nancy has had to call the police in the past, and at one time had a restraining order on him.

P.S. Has anyone seen dogg? Benoit was one of his all-time favorites and I'm just a little concerned.

[dogg]

Well, here i am. And, yes, i'm crushed by this whole thing. he was one of my favorites and i just can't believe he was capable of something so horrific. Really, i'm speechless by the whole thing. i don't know what to think, say or do. Everytime another grim detail comes out, it just makes you cringe and it breaks your heart a little bit more. It's really draining, and i'm emotionally exhausted. He always struck me as being a very good man. One question, though: They had a press conference about an hour ago, and the sheriff said he believed Nancy died sometime Friday night. Daniel died Sometime saturday morning and then Benoit died later on Saturday. So, if that's the case....how would one explain the text messages sent on Sunday morning?

[xenite]

I think everything is too early to really comment on. Sometimes in cases like this it takes a while to sort things out as far as time line goes.

[dogg]

All i know is that words can not adequately explain how i'm feeling now about this whole thing. Hurt. Sadness. Anger. Confusion. You name it, i'm feeling it. This is just too much to take, really.

[Knoxville]

It's really weird, alot of news sites are now blaming it on "roid rage." If it was rage, he wouldn't of placed bibles next to the bodies of the two, only a man feeling guilt for what he had done would of done that.

In my belief Benoit snapped and snapped beyond point of repair. Once he had killed his wife he must of thought the only way out was death for himself, and if he was going to go, he was going to take his child with him.

Many people I have spoken to have said how they cannot believe how he has done this kind of thing, but as I keep reminding them - we only knew Benoit as a character inside the ring. None of us knew him on a personal level.

For me I wont let this ruin what I still believe is a true loss to the industry. Benoit paved the way for the likes of CM Punk and Johnny Nitro who both in a way have hints of the style there. I'll always remember Benoit for the showman and superb wrestler he was, not for his last few acts on this planet.

[MetalBlade]

Sorry, but I've not a single ounce of respect left for a man who I admired for so many years.
To do this to his family, himself and his friends and fans is just the most cowardly act a person could ever commit.
How can you respect or love a man like that?

To say we should remember what a great wrestler Benoit was, would be like saying we should remember what a great lorry driver Peter Sutcliffe was, regardless of who he killed.

My banner is now gone.

[HitmanHague]

It's one thing to take your own life, that's his choice.

But to take the life of his wife and an innocent child is something so horrific I don't want to think about it.

[Hellion]

Wow... I don't know what to think about this. It's funny how a man can undermine his entire life's work in just one day. People will never speak about Chris Benoit the same way again. I was a fan... this is quite sad.

My interest in this (being that I don't watch wrestling anymore) lies in the way in which WWF deals with it. Have there been testimonial shows? And how could there be any for a man who murdered two people? State of mind aside, can WWF pay tribute to the career of a man who has managed to destroy his own name in death?

[andain]

I've felt sick ever since I read the story in a newspaper; can you believe at first glance I thought it was about that stupid McMahon murder plot on RAW? I admired Chris Benoit as a wrestler for all he has accomplished in the ring, all the entertainment he's provided me over the years through the wonderful matches he get gave us week in and week out. I don't think I'll ever stop admiring his storytelling skill in the ring and its sad those 20 years of top line work in the industry is forever going to be tainted by the horrendous acts he committed in his final days.

But more than that is the sadness and grief you have to feel for his wife and his 7 year old son even if you've never met or seen them before. Their lives have been tragically cut short and for that Chris Benoit should never ever be forgiven. I almost feel like his name should be stripped from every title he ever won during his time at the WWE, but I also feel depressed that I'll never again have the opportunity to witness Chris Benoit at his best. As a wrestling fan and as a human being my emotions are very mixed but mostly I feel sorrow that such a horrifying thing has occurred involved someone I previously respected. Just goes to show that you have to separate the man from the character. Maybe next time I see Steve Austin on WWE TV I might just change the channel.

[MetalBlade]

WWE did indeed have a tribute show on Monday when the deaths were announced, but before any details were known.
However, as the details emerged on Tuesday, with the announcement that Chris Benoit himself had committed the horrifying acts, WWE promptly removed all items and merchandise linked to Benoit from WWE.com, except those pertaining to the case itself.

Vince also made an announcement that was basically an apology for airing the tribute show, in light of what transpired on Tuesday, and stated that Benoit's name would not be mentioned throughout the Smackdown and ECW broadcasts of that evening.
Indeed there would be no wrestling angles at all, just wrestling matches.

It seems WWE have distanced themselves from association with Benoit, but are keeping us informed on how the case is progressing. It's a good move by WWE in my opinion - who wants to be associated with a child murderer?
I know I don't.

As things have begun to sink in over the last couple of days, I have begun to feel very bitter and angry towards Chris Benoit.
Not only for his crimes, but for forcing me, a man who idolised and respected him for so many years, to now hate him and never wish to see his face again.
I hate him for making me feel torn between what I loved about him, and what I now know about him. He himself has forced me to forsake all my great wrestling memories of him, and made me feel guilty for even thinking about his career.

I hope he knows this, and I hope he realises that he has done exactly the same thing to ALL his fans, however they choose to remember him. And I hope it tortures him in death forever.

I can no longer remember Chris Benoit for all his great wrestling matches, all I can do now is remember him as a murderer. I am fated to live with this, whereas he took the coward's way out and left the world to deal with his problem.

I will finish by saying his family will never be forgotten, even though I did not personally know them. The best thing we can do is honour Nancy and Daniel's memories by not honouring Chris's.

Rest in peace Nancy and Daniel Benoit.

[HitmanHague]

I don't know about anyone else but all this seems not real in a way.

It was just so out of the blue and unbelievable.

[HitmanHague]

I keep reading about these people blaming wrestling for a variety of reasons.

Now I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that everyone in history who has killed their family before this wasn't a professional wrestler.

I fail to see any connection with the wrestling profession but I'm sure we'll find out more in the weeks to come.

[Knoxville]

Yeah i've seen it plenty of times too Hague, really is starting to get annoying. It's even more annoying with the whole roids subject and coming from people who don't have the first clue. CBS news in America were calling him a "TNA Superstar" when news broke on Monday.

[HitmanHague]

I think it just shows the American media as a sensationalist joke.

They seem very quick to deal out judgement on people other than Benoit.

They should leave Vince alone for a start.