Chris Benoit soap opera

I'm sure that this is not the first blog about Chris Benoit and it certainly won’t be the last. Let me say that I used to be a big mark for pro-wrestling and my enthusiasm faded after Owen Hart fell to his death in Kansas City. The show went on, as was Vince McMahon’s decision. This episode and the whole screw job in Montreal with Bret Hart really opened up my eyes to what the world of pro-wrestling can be.

Chris Benoit was not a head case like some others that have died. For all the information that is written about him before and after this tragedy, he was a family guy & not one to complain about anything. Now he is a double murderer and in my opinion is a coward for not facing the consequences by choosing to take his own life too.

Do you know how many wrestlers have died since the 80’s? Check out this link for more information: http://prowrestling.about.com/od/whatsrealwhatsfake/a/wrestlersdeaths.htm

I believe that the ridiculous 300 shows a year work schedule and these men needing to be larger than life is a big factor in these early deaths. Right now the WWE is pretty much the only big money gig in wrestling and if they take time off to nurse an injury, they don’t get paid. There is no union. TNA is ok but does not have the bank that McMahon can offer. That being said TNA wrestles a limited schedule and travel less too. This is a big reason why Kurt Angle jumped over there. If I remember correctly he said that he was hooked on painkillers as a result of the WWE’s hectic non-stop schedule and this was causing problems with his family. I think he left WWE because he wants to live.

Chris Benoit broke his neck a while back and came back to wrestle!?! Does this sound like a smart thing to do? I mean this “sport” is basically men doing stunts for our entertainment. What is it about the wrestling ring that makes them work hurt? Glenn Kulka (a former football player & one-time pro-wrestler) said that there is nothing like the rush of hearing an entire arena cheer for you (or boo you if you’re a heel). He said it’s better than a shot of cocaine. I’ve also heard the same thing from rock stars. Jeff Waters from Annihilator, recently said words to the same effect. He was touring Europe on a broken leg after doctors said that he should shut it down. It was as if taking the stage and playing his music made all the pain go away. In wrestling I think it’s a macho locker-room thing. In a testosterone filled environment, the last thing you want is to be labelled a pussy or a wuss, so you go out there when you know & the doctors know that you shouldn’t.

My thinking is that the crowd is addictive and the guys will make it to the ring by hook or by crook. They will take a needle in order to get out there for their fans.

But what happens when the crowd stops cheering for you? I think that some guys can’t deal with life out of the spotlight.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Jericho while he was on tour with his band Fozzy. The night of his show was around the same time if not the same day that Eddie Guerrero died. I offered Jericho my condolences because I knew they were tight since their days wrestling in Mexico. I asked him “Does this make you hesitate to return to the ring?” He said it was one of the many factors in him leaving to pursue music & acting. I think he simply wanted to get out with his life and be able to enjoy life with his family in years to come just like Kurt Angle.

I’m surprised that we haven’t seen something like this earlier in sports. But I never thought it would be wrestling first. It sort of reminds me of the whole Rae Carruth soap opera. When I first saw on the ticker that Benoit & his family were found dead, I immediately thought murder suicide. Why? At first I thought it might be his wife that killed the family because she didn’t want him to go back out on the road. The reason I thought this was because you never heard a negative word said about Chris Benoit. He was touted as the “Family Man”. I never thought of Roid Rage as being a factor. But look at Benoit’s physique and tell me he was natural. Hell, look at WWE’s owner Vince McMahon! He’s 60 years old & ripped to shreds. Don’t forget that another 60 year old, Sly Stallone, was caught with HGH. I guess he needs help battling father time in order to be in peak physical condition?

Who’s next to die? Your guess is as good as mine. But I don’t think that the world of pro-wrestling survives this. What are these guys going to do to pay the bills if McMahon decides to close shop? There’s not too many places a pumped-up tanned individual wearing spandex can get a good paying job.
If McMahon does shut her down, you’re going to see a lot more wrestlers dying way too early in the years to come.