WWE Superstar Chris Benoit & Family Found Dead

[flames_1987]

Brett's ego pales in comparison to most of the wrestling world. It's a buisness just full of huge egos and always has been. Brett defintley has an ego to him though, I just think the guy has a lot of good in him too. He's lost close friend after friend, family member after family member, to go along with quite a severe stroke. IF Brett really wanted the spotlight he could've made millions with something as simple as a week or two return to the WWE.

As for the Benoit story, it's hard not to still be sick to your stomach reading this. I remember responding right away to the start of this thread, thinking how sad it was he and his family had there lives taken.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Brett's ego pales in comparison to most of the wrestling world. It's a buisness just full of huge egos and always has been. Brett defintley has an ego to him though, I just think the guy has a lot of good in him too. He's lost close friend after friend, family member after family member, to go along with quite a severe stroke. IF Brett really wanted the spotlight he could've made millions with something as simple as a week or two return to the WWE.

As for the Benoit story, it's hard not to still be sick to your stomach reading this. I remember responding right away to the start of this thread, thinking how sad it was he and his family had there lives taken.

I've definitately changed my stance on this matter. It certainly is depressing and confusing news to take in.

[LouCypher]

Reading Bruce Hart's comments in the paper today it wasnt long before I had the feeling he was looking for attention as much of what he said just doesnt jive with what others such as Brett, Benoit's father and many who were close to him have stated. While I dont think the full truth surrounding the situation will ever be known the real shame will always be that his death was preceded by his actions and the murders. A simple suicide leaving his family behind to carry on would have been tragic yet his legacy wouldnt have become so tarnished.

[ernie]

Whether or not Bruce Hart was looking for attention it doesn't really mean he's wrong or lying. Now it may not jive with what Bret Hart or others have said but that may simply be because they play this with a little more tact instead of throwing gasoline on the fire.

However, what Bruce Hart said I think if fundamentally true:

-Benoit abused steroids. His doctor said as much and treated him for low testosterone that resulted from this abuse
-The WWE really needs to start taking this seriously. It isn't merely a coincidence that the steroid abusers in the industry are dying and that it is a profession that probably needs some routine mental health check ups
-reports had Benoit recently saying to fellow wrestlers that someone should join deceased tag team partner Guerrero
-his wife had sought a proteective order of custody in the past and their relationship was knownt o be volatile
-clearly Benoit was messed up and NO ONE knows whether or not Bruce Hart sensed if he was seriously messed up or not.

He may be a media whore, I don't knwo, but being a media whore doesn't mean he's wrong.

[greerb]

As far as I'm concerned I don't think it's fair to blame all of this on steroids. If we think it is bad now that all of these entertainers are dieing early, just wait. It's not the roids, it's the workload. Back in the 80's Hogan, Warrior, Savage (can't tell me none of them were not juiced up), the work load was what? 2-3 nights a week? A Friday-Sunday schedual. Starting in the 90's it has increased dramaticaly they do a Friday - Tuesday schedual. With the pain killers, the roids (yes I'm sure they are taking them), and what ever other substances they are using to kill the pain, does a massive damage on one's body. I don't have a list in front of me but do the comparisson, the guys that were superstars in the 80 passing away - the guys in the 90's - 2000's passing away. it's probably a 75-25% comparison rate.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by greerb

As far as I'm concerned I don't think it's fair to blame all of this on steroids. If we think it is bad now that all of these entertainers are dieing early, just wait. It's not the roids, it's the workload. Back in the 80's Hogan, Warrior, Savage (can't tell me none of them were not juiced up), the work load was what? 2-3 nights a week? A Friday-Sunday schedual. Starting in the 90's it has increased dramaticaly they do a Friday - Tuesday schedual. With the pain killers, the roids (yes I'm sure they are taking them), and what ever other substances they are using to kill the pain, does a massive damage on one's body. I don't have a list in front of me but do the comparisson, the guys that were superstars in the 80 passing away - the guys in the 90's - 2000's passing away. it's probably a 75-25% comparison rate.

Actually, their schedule was a lot worse in the 80s. They typically worked 300+ shows a year.

I think they had 2 nights a week off, but they also usually did 2 shows (an afternoon and an evening) on one of the weekend days. Guys would work the early matches in one city, hop in their car and drive to the next city, and while they were getting ready for the second show, the main event guys would be finishing up in the first city and piling into their cars to get to the second show on time.

Now, they usually only do 3 shows a week -- one tv show, and 2 house shows on the weekend. I'd think the biggest difference now is the intensity of the matches they're putting on, with the high-flying and chair shots and things like that, so the risk of injury goes up considerably, leading to the increased reliance on painkillers to go along with the steroids and other drugs they're taking.

[CrusaderPi]

I'm not entirely sure it is fair to draw a link between a guy being a wrestler and a guy killing his wife and kids. If you want to argue that the wrestling industry is fundamentally flawed I'll listen. But all I see is a coward that killed his wife and kid. He coulda been a postie or a lawyer or whatever.

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

WRESTLER Chris Benoit murdered his seven-year-old son with his WWE finishing move, police have said.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2...300340,00.html

[Staypuft]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2...300340,00.html

That is, perhaps, one of the most disturbing things I've ever read.
I don't think this whole thing could get more sickening/odd.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2...300340,00.html

Um... yeah, thats about one of the creepiest things I've ever read.

[metallicat]

I sort of guessed he would have done something like that. Brings more credence to the fact that he couldn't separate his wrestling life from reality. One messed up individual.

[BlackArcher101]

That's coming from the Sun. Frankly, they can say whatever they want in that paper and I'll never believe a word of it.

[Buff]

Chris Benoit's doctor has been officially charged:

http://www.twnpnews.com/messages2/17714.shtml

JUL 2 -- ATLANTA--Dr. Phillippe C. Astin, III, 52, of Carrollton, Georgia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal distribution of prescription drugs, including Percocet, Adderall, Lorcet, and Xanax, outside the usual scope of medical practice and not for legitimate medical purposes. Astin was charged today in a seven-count criminal indictment and made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. Astin was initially charged in a federal criminal complaint issued last Friday, after DEA agents and officers from the Fayette and Carroll County Sheriff's Offices executed search warrants at his medical office last week...

Looks like he was giving out drugs like they were candy. Only to two patients though, but the investigation is ongoing and more charges could be forthcoming.

I think that not only does the WWE have to do something to help protect the well being of their workers in a better way, but doctors need to be a little more responsible with their practices. Unfortunately doctors like these will always be around. I read an old article with Sean Waltman (X-Pac, 123 Kid)today and in it he talked about drug testing in the WWE before they instituted the current Health and Well Being Policy. The WWE used an outside company to do the testing, but even those companies can be corrupt as on one occasion Waltman succesfully slipped the drug tester $200 to take the test for him. Based on Waltman's comments I'd speculate that the drug tester probably walked away with thousands of dollars that night. It is a long, but interesting read:

http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/publis...le_20761.shtml


After doing some pondering and reading many articles on Benoit's incident you can see that the toll of losing so many close friends an co-workers played a huge effect on his mental state. You really have to wonder that if many years ago the WWE and all the other wrestling organizations somehow found a way to provide better working conditions and thusly a better lifestyle for their workers, that they could've prevented all these drug related deaths. If so, would Benoit still have snapped or would he have been under a better frame of mind and handled his problems differently?

As much as I used to love the wrestling business and defend it the way pro wreslters defend it by saying "Its just the way things are done in wrestling", the business really needs to change. How much more money do the promotors have to make before they change the way they do business to help save the lives of their workers, and now also the lives of their workers families?

[Philly06Cup]

The media is spinning this story completely in the wrong direction.

Yes, some wrestlers have died before, because of steroids.

Benoit's case, I'm certain, has nothing at all to do with steroids. This was a murder/suicide, not heart failure or a stroke.

Instead, they should be looking at the fact that wrestlers must work and travel essentially 365 days in a year, because of lack of an off-season.
It's not just steroids, but overuse of prescription painkillers and sedatives and recreational drugs that are rampant, because of the physical punishment these wrestlers endure.

Moreover, what is especially unnerving is that Benoit was one of the most respected wrestlers in wrestling. Put it this way: Imagine you heard that Jarome Iginla had killed his wife and child, then commited suicide. Or if Donovan McNabb, or Steve Nash had done the deed. --Benoit was so classy, and respected by all his peers: that's what makes this story so difficult to understand. Just think about that.

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

That's coming from the Sun. Frankly, they can say whatever they want in that paper and I'll never believe a word of it.

I would agree to a point, this story sounds just too sensational to me.
I cannot imagine someone would have given out information like this.
I am pretty skeptical about this particular piece.
Anyway, the whole thing is so horrid, we don't need this kind of grisly detail, about a child's death, for goodness sake. The press goes so far out of the bounds of decency it's mind boggling.

[CaptainCrunch]

Toxiocology report was released today.

There was testosterone in his system, as well as a couple of habit forming pain killers, but illegal steroids were not found.

His wife Nancy had a laundry list of painkillers in her system as well as an elevated level of alcohol.

The son Daniel had Xanax in his system which is a persciption sedative, the couldn't test him for human growth hormones

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289649,00.html

This is really angling away from a steroid rage incident and leaning towards depression/mental illness.

[flambers]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/17/wre...der/index.html

Attached is another story,

[flambers]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/article...17_144754_5152

Another story with a different view

" Investigators say Canadian pro wrestler Chris Benoit had a steroid and other drugs in his system when he killed his wife and young son last month before hanging himself in the family's home in Atlanta.

Benoit's body contained elevated levels of testosterone, which appeared to have been injected, as well as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said today. The GBI said Benoit tested negative for alcohol."

[CaptainCrunch]

We know that he was receiving perscription Testosterone because of his prior steroid use. Thats why this doctor of his is being looked at so hard.

But there's nothing in this toxicology report that screams roid rage to me.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

We know that he was receiving perscription Testosterone because of his prior steroid use. Thats why this doctor of his is being looked at so hard.

The CNN link refers to "possible" cause on the testosterone use, but personally I have not read anywhere where it links its it to previous roid abuse?