Chris Benoit, 1967-2007 (original) (raw)

Chris Benoit, 1967-2007

June 25, 2007 7:48 PM Subscribe

Strange case, particularly since they are preempting a fake memorial for a real one (pre-taped, too - I wonder if they do this for all wrestlers?)
posted by dhammond at 7:51 PM on June 25, 2007

My (internet illiterate) sister called me earlier this evening and asked me to confirm that this story was real and not a Vince McMahon fakeout. What a bizarre coincidence.
posted by ColdChef at 7:54 PM on June 25, 2007

That's "Mr." McMahon. oh this is so silly, only ten year olds, like my poor son, think this is relevant.
posted by caddis at 7:54 PM on June 25, 2007

A . for Chris and a ? for Vince for looking like an idiot.
posted by ageispolis at 8:01 PM on June 25, 2007

Gah! Too right. Sorry, all. Shoulda double-checked.
posted by docgonzo at 8:23 PM on June 25, 2007

Oh, and spelled 'dynamite' correctly.
posted by docgonzo at 8:23 PM on June 25, 2007

MegoSteve: Agreed. I wasn't watching wrestling when Eddy died, but I was really bummed. He was a great entertainer. I think Jericho is retired, thank god. I do wonder how someone like Ric Flair still stays active after what, 40 years in the business? It's insane that he could survive such a really toxic environment. I'm worried for others, like the pretty much insane Kurt Angle, who still wrestles despite crippling injuries and prescription drug abuse.
posted by papakwanz at 9:10 PM on June 25, 2007

For those who think it's mighty coincidental that they had so much history/tribute footage ready to go on Raw tonight, many of the sit-down interviews and video packages were taken directly from a 2004 DVD Hard Knocks - The Chris Benoit Story.
posted by AdamJ at 9:15 PM on June 25, 2007

So depressing.
posted by itchie at 9:19 PM on June 25, 2007

A caveat to all that is, of course, no one's quite sure what happened yet, but I feel my points stand, regardless.
posted by StopMakingSense at 9:55 PM on June 25, 2007

The other thing to know about Benoit is that he really busted his ass to get where he was. He was billed at, I think, something like 5'11" 230 lbs. I'm betting that was with lifts in his boots. He was probably 5'9", 5'10". This is an industry where the small guys generally don't get big pushes, especially on Vince McMahon's show. He likes the six & 1/2 footers weighing in at 3 bills, and it's a testament to just how much of a hard worker Benoit was that he got over with the fans and with the company to be one of the top names in the promotion.
posted by papakwanz at 10:30 PM on June 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Says the guy who thought Benoit was the Dynamite Kid ;)
posted by jtron at 10:52 PM on June 25, 2007

I don't know the first thing about wrestling, but jtron's comment basically summed up what the conclusion I was coming to. What a shame. What a strange industry...
posted by invitapriore at 10:56 PM on June 25, 2007

or maybe more like if John Lennon had been found dead alongside Yoko and Sean.
Yeah, but if that happened, John Lennon's memorial and legacy would be pretty different. As it stands, John Lennon didn't murder anybody, but Chris Benoit did. So why are we all crying for him?
posted by hartsell at 10:57 PM on June 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

If you liked the guy, it must be a shock. But save your grief for the woman and child he murdered.
posted by pracowity at 12:00 AM on June 26, 2007

My favorite Benoit memory is when he won the Royal Rumble a while back. We was the first in and the last out.
posted by WerewolvesRancheros at 6:56 AM on June 26, 2007

that is so tragic, the wolverine was one of my favorite wrestlers.
posted by parmanparman at 6:58 AM on June 26, 2007

caddis, I think you forgot the 'h' at the end of your name
posted by jtron at 2:15 PM on June 26, 2007

Ya know guys, I am making fun of the "sport" of wrestling, but this story is very tragic. A family was ripped apart and now they are all gone. It doesn't get much darker than that.
posted by caddis at 6:48 PM on June 26, 2007

Mod note: a few comments removed. take your jackass and dipshit name calling to metatalk or email.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:44 AM on June 27, 2007

I liked wrestling better when the violence was fake.
posted by mazola at 10:51 AM on June 27, 2007

What's troubling is that someone thought a "tribute" link need be posted here. Snuff yourself, I have sympathy. Kill your wife and child, and you've erased whatever commendable acts you performed in life.
posted by bigskyguy at 3:48 PM on June 27, 2007

bigskyguy: Please look at the time of the original post (7:48 PM Pacific on Monday) before you jump all over the poster of the tribute. Confirmation that it was a murder-suicide didn't occur until later... around 8:30 PM Pacific.
posted by MegoSteve at 10:08 PM on June 27, 2007

Confirmation, yes. But a google time search indicates a number of news reports at that time stated it was being investigated as a murder-suicide.
posted by bigskyguy at 8:35 AM on June 28, 2007

As far as I can tell from the chronology, the wife was dead when that post was made, but the police hadn't found the corpses yet.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 2:03 PM on June 28, 2007

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