In memory of the Chris Benoit murder-suicide

Chris Benoit passed away in 2007

Th? A???r?nt Murd?r-Sui?id? ?f Chri? B?n?it r??ll? cr??t?? m?r? questions than an?w?r?.

N?w? ?f th? ????r?nt murder-suicide ?f w?ll-kn?wn and w?ll-lik?d WWE wr??tl?r Chri? B?n?it l?ft m? with mixed emotions: ??dn??? and dismay.

Unlik? so m?n? m?n ???t 60 wh? would n?t be ??ught d??d ?dmitting to watching ?r? wr??tling ?n television in a ??lit?, w?rldl?, ???hi?ti??t?d public ?nvir?nm?nt, I ?mbr???d th? ?dmi??i?n ?nd stood m? gr?und.

I b?li?v? Chris B?n?it w?uld h?v? d?n? the same. Benoit's b??b tube ?r???n?? w?? n?v?r a g??d int?rvi?w, n?v?r as ?h?ri?m?ti? as we w?uld h?v? lik?d, n?v?r a loudmouth, never a bl?wh?rd, n?v?r ?bn?xi?u?, never f?ul mouthed but ?lw??? quiet, r??l, g?nuin? ?nd t?ugh ?? n?il?.

Th?r? i? no t?lling h?w many World Ch?m?i?n?hi?? B?n?it (pronounced B?n-WAH) would have been ?ll?w?d t? win if h? w?? ?ll ?f th? things th?t ?th?r wr??tl?r? lik? "Th? N?tur? B??" Ri? Fl?ir, the "H??rtbr??k Kid" Sh?un Michaels ?r "The C?r?br?l Assassin" Triple HHH (Hunter Hurst H?lm?l??) fl?unt?d.

Do n?t mi?und?r?t?nd wh?t I ?m ?h?ring here. I respected Tri?l? H, I loved Ri? Fl?ir ?nd Shaun Mi?h??l? ?? ??m??tit?r?, but I l?v?d B?n?it ?v?n m?r? ?? a pure competitor.

B?n?it, Flair ?nd Mi?h??l? h?v? probably taken m?r? ?uni?hm?nt in the ring, w?n more matches and won m?r? titles th?n ?n? ?th?r competitors. Few competitors ?nd few f?n? ?v?r figure ?ut th?t everyone can di?h it ?ut in ?r? wrestling, but th? ?n?? wh? ??n di?h it ?ut AND withstand th? ?uni?hm?nt are ?v?ntu?ll? th? champions.

Chris Benoit bio:

Chri? Benoit was born in Montreal, C?n?d?, and gr?w u? in th? ??m? wrestling ??mmunit? ?? Stu H?rt ?nd his ??n?, m??t n?t?bl? ?f whi?h w?r? Bret H?rt ?nd Ow?n Hart. Benoit w?? th? ??n?umm?t? m?t wr??tl?r with talent ?nd ?kill? only m?t?h?d b? Fl?ir ?nd Michaels and ??rh??? ?x???d?d by Bret H?rt.

Benoit was a former W?rld H??v?w?ight Ch?m?i?n, Int?r??ntin?nt?l Ch?m?i?n ?nd ??v?r?l tim? Tag T??m Ch?m?i?n. Hi? ring n?m?? included "Th? C?n?di?n Cri??l?r" ?nd "Th? Rabid W?lv?rin?".

Benoit reminded me a l?t of ?f Eddie Gu?rr?r?. B?th Owen H?rt ?nd Gu?rr?r? died prematurely, Owen from a tr?gi? wr??tling ?r?m?ti?n ???id?nt th?t ?h?uld never h?v? happened, ?nd Guerrero fr?m ?n apparent ?v?rd??? ?f ?r???ri?ti?n drug?.

Lik? Ow?n Hart ?nd Eddi? Gu?rr?r?, B?n?it w?? ?lm??t univ?r??ll? liked by hi? f?ll?w ?u??r?t?r? and ???rt? entertainers in the WWE l??k?r r??m.

I do n?t b?li?v? that Vin?? M?M?h?n (Vinny M??), th? W?rld Wrestling Entertainment ?wn?r ?nd arguably the m??t gift?d ?f sports entertainment ?r?m?t?r? ?v?r, could really t?l?r?t? a ??r??n ?? ?ui?t ?nd respected ?? Christ Benoit.

That i? wh? it ??m? as ?u?h a shock t? m? th?t Benoit could h?v? ?ll?g?dl? ?tr?ngl?d his 43-???r-?ld wif? Nancy, ?tr?ngl?d hi? 7-???r-?ld son D?ni?l ?nd th?n committed ?ui?id? by hanging him??lf on the ??bl? ?f a w?ight-tr?ining m??hin? ?t hi? home. I cannot comprehend th? unspeakable horror ?f hi? wife ?r son r??lizing th?ir ?ir?um?t?n?? wh?n B?n?it ????r?ntl? l??t ??ntr?l ?f his life.

Their b?di?? w?r? found in thr?? ????r?t? r??m? ?f th?ir h?m? ?ff a gravel road ?b?ut two mil?? fr?m th? Whitewater C?untr? Club near Atl?nt?. H?l? Bibl?? were l?ft b??id? B?n?it'? wif? ?nd ??n.

B?n?it had m?int?in?d ?n Atl?nt? ?ddr??? fr?m th? time h? wr??tl?d for th? d?fun?t W?rld Ch?m?i?n?hi? Wr??tling. Th? F???tt? C?unt? T?x A??????r? Offi?? listed the v?lu? of th? house, ?itu?t?d on more th?n 8.5 acres, ?t nearly $900,000. Th? ??m? house ?nd ?r???rt? in C?nn??ti?ut, California ?r S??ttl?, Washington w?uld ?r?b?bl? be v?lu?d ?t $2+ milli?n.

My Personal experience:

I kn?w the ??in of suicide as m? ?i?t?r L?r?tt? committed ?ui?id?. Sh? w?? a victim of MS (multi?l? ??l?r??i?) ?nd had apparently l??t any hope of living a b?tt?r life in th? advanced ?t?g?? ?f her di?????. I came to kn?w th?t ????l? wh? commit ?ui?id? h?v? l??t all h??? ?f a b?tt?r life.

I ??rt?inl? do n?t ??nd?n? killing ?n?'? imm?di?t? f?mil? on th? w?? t? ??mmitting suicide; murd?r in thi? ?ir?um?t?n?? seems ??w?rdl? t? m?, ?nd if th?r? i? ?n? thing I n?v?r, ever, thought about B?n?it w?? th?t h? w?? a coward. I th?ught him t? b? just th? ?????it?.

Since this tr?gi? ?t?r? has unf?ld?d it h?? t?k?n ?n a lif? ?n it? own in the national media, in part b???u?? ?f th? incredible ?v?nt? that h?v? surfaced ?in?? the tr?g?d?. Th??? in?lud?:

During a 15-minut? m?t?h, ?r? ?nt?rt?inm?nt wr??tl?r? exchange ?h?r??gr??h?d b?d? slams ?nd ?un?h??. S?m? leap fr?m top ropes ?nt? cement ?urf???? ?ut?id? th? ring.

N? m?tt?r h?w choreographed th? m?v??, imagine l?ing in th? ring ?nd your ????n?nt does ?n Eddie Guerrero "Fr?g S?l??h" ?n ??u fr?m 15 f??t in th? air. St?nd ?n t?? of a 15-f??t stepladder in ??ur front yard, div? ?ff, flatten ??ur??lf ?ut ?? ??u hit ??r?ll?l to your lawn. D??? it hurt l?nding? Y?u b?tt?r b?li?v? it. In the m?r? ?h??i??l "hardcore" matches, wrestlers ?r? ?m??h?d through t?bl??, whacked in th? head with steel chairs ?nd ?un?tur?d with barbed wir? ?nd tacks. N?n? ?f these d?ng?r?u? ?nti?? ?r? f?k?. And you thought ?im?ing w?? h?rd. Tr? being a ?r? wr??tl?r.

Pro wr??tl?r? h?v? my t?t?l r?????t. Th?? are in?r?dibl? w?ll-??nditi?n?d, talented ?thl?t?? who ?ut u? with a l?t for m? viewing enjoyment.

M? h??rt sinks when I see ?n g?nuin? i??n lik? Ric Fl?ir wr??tling at his ?g? and b?ing allowed t? get the h?l? h?ll ?t?m??d out ?f him f?r th? sake ?f ever-more violent ?nt?rt?inm?nt. Th?r? ?r? n? w?rd? t? d???rib? m? anguish ?v?r Chri? B?n?it. May G?d have m?r?? ?n his soul, and m?? G?d take B?n?it'? wife N?n?? ?nd son Daniel into his arms in Heaven.

P?rh??? B?n?it'? f?th?r Mi?h??l ??id it best: "It's im????ibl? to ??m? u? with a r?ti?n?l ?x?l?n?ti?n f?r a v?r? irr?ti?n?l act." M? ??nd?l?n??? g? out t? Chri? Benoit's f?mil? ?nd to all ?f th??? wh? kn?w and l?v?d Chri? Benoit as ?n? of the gr??t??t pro wrestling entertainers of ?ur g?n?r?ti?n.

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