Friday, June 29, 2007

Benoit

I find myself still in a state of disbelief over the horrible double homicide/suicide committed by Chris Benoit. All during the 3 hour "tribute" last Monday I kind of felt queasy and that the company would regret it as news trickled in. I can find no way to figure out would have driven him to do what he did but regardless knowing would make it no different. 3 people are dead and that's just sad.

My first exposure to Benoit was in the 80's reading Apter mags and wondering about this "ben oyt" guy in Calgary. I first remember seeing him on WCW Saturday Night with Biff Wellington in some International tag team thing they were doing and then in his first brief stay in WCW. I remember thinking my god, it's the Dynamite Kid! I loved how it looked like he put 100% into everything he did. I followed him by tape in New Japan and ECW and was elated when for he made the jump to the WWE. From afar he was what most "real" wrestling fans wanted. A solid, believable, hard worker that always entertained. A local radio personality said it best when he said while maybe wrestling as a whole was something to be ashamed with your non-wrestling friends, with Chris Benoit it was just the opposite not only were you not ashamed but felt vindicated in your love for our "thing"

All that changed last Monday and Tuesday. The bottom line is most people never really know anyone behind closed doors. Nearly every ghastly murder is followed by quotes of "the last person I'd suspect" or "he seemed so quiet and normal". There is no telling what is burning out of control behind a calm, quiet demeanor waiting to explode. Personal issues, religion, mental illness, abuse...all and any of these things could lead to this kind of tragedy. To put the blame wholly or in part on steroids or occupation seems short sighted and foolhardy. My 2 favorite wrestlers in ring are now gone in a very short period of time. The circumstances however are totally different.

While my memories of Chris "Pegasus Kid" Benoit will burn long and bright for his in ring performance his name will always live in infamy for this tragedy. Strap in for a long ride wrestling fans this ones not going away for a while. While his name may never be mentioned on WWE tv again this story will go on and on and on