The Chilling Real-Life Story of Chris Benoit
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VOICE OVER: Ashley Bowman
WRITTEN BY: George Pacheco
The world of professional wrestling is full of real life heroes of villains, but rare is the personality who can inhabit one side of that spectrum for so long, yet in one terrible moment, enter into irredeemable infamy. Such is the chilling, real-life story of Chris Benoit, an icon and mainstay of the business who served as an idol to many, before ultimately becoming one of wrestling's darkest cautionary tales.
The Chilling Real-Life Story of Chris Benoit
The world of professional wrestling is full of real life heroes of villains, but rare is the personality who can inhabit one side of that spectrum for so long, yet in one terrible moment, enter into irredeemable infamy. Such is the chilling, real-life story of Chris Benoit, an icon and mainstay of the business who served as an idol to many, before ultimately becoming one of wrestling's darkest cautionary tales.
Benoit was only 40 years old when he committed the unthinkable crime of murdering his wife and young son, before taking his own life on June 24th, 2007. Yet, at that time, Chris was already an industry legend and veteran with over twenty years of experience under his belt. Benoit had helped continue a legacy of Canadian wrestling, having trained under the legendary Stu Hart and worked in his Stampede promotion during the mid to late eighties. Benoit's dedication to a physical and technical performance style was cultivated thanks to his devotion to such performers as Stu's son Bret "The Hit-Man' Hart and former British Bulldog "The Dynamite Kid." [5]
Benoit was often favorably compared to "The Dynamite Kid," a.k.a. Tom Billington, throughout his career, balancing athleticism and power. Benoit even adapted some of Billington's move set, including a risky diving head butt. "The Dynamite Kid" proved that you didn't have to approach seven feet in height or weight three hundred plus pounds to be a superstar, and so too did Benoit represent this energetic-yet-dangerous style of pro wrestling as his career evolved from Stampede into a stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling, before he finally settled down into a thriving Stateside career. [4]
It's here within promotions like the World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment where many fans best remember Benoit's work, as he won countless titles and accolades, from tag team championships, U.S. Championships and television titles to WWE's World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX. In fact, the 2004 image of Benoit celebrating in the ring with close friend and then-WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero remains one iconic "WrestleMania Moment" among many in the company's history. [6]
There was, of course, a darkness growing which couldn't be ignored: specifically the toll Benoit's in-ring work and lifestyle were taking on his personal life. We mentioned earlier his comparisons to "The Dynamite Kid," with regards to his impressive, yet undeniably reckless style. Tom Billington was one of many wrestlers who dealt with numerous health problems, as a result of the physical injuries and concussions sustained during his career. This was due, in part, to the fact that there weren't the same sort of provisions in place as there are today with regards to concussion protocol.
These days, a superstar will be pulled from active duty should they even be considered concussed or otherwise injured. The pro wrestling industry of the 1970s, '80s and even the '90s was a very different place, however, and Chris Benoit was just one of the few who sought out self-medication as a means of escaping his everyday aches and pains. Despite this, any ideas that the Benoit murder-suicide was a result of a steroid-induced anger were shot down when toxicology reports couldn't back up this claim. It should be said that Benoit had received illegal steroids during his career, and did have elevated testosterone levels at the time of his death, but the idea that the murder was an impulsive decision, exacerbated by aggressive steroid use didn't fit with the deliberate, multi-day nature of the murders.
Instead, a similarly dark narrative began to weave itself around The Benoit Family, one shrouded in depression, anxiety and chronic injury. Images of Chris Benoit's brain showcased an alarming amount of damage, so much so that it could be compared to that of an eighty-plus year old Alzheimer's patient. Many fans and professionals within the industry attribute this damage to the countless blows to the head Benoit sustained over the years. This occurred from steel chair shots, from accidents and even from that patented flying head butt used by "The Dynamite Kid" and Harley Race so many years prior.
There were other factors, as well, such as Chris' depression over the deaths of close friends Guerrero and "Sensational" Sherri Martel within a few years of each other, as well as a tension within his marriage to Nancy Benoit. Nancy was also in the business, having been previously married to Kevin Sullivan, while also performing managerial duties under the name "Woman." Legal records show that Nancy had filed a restraining order against Chris for what she claimed as "cruel treatment," before double down with divorce papers in 2003. She would later retract both of these requests. [2] [3]
Nancy's statements about Chris becoming violent in their marriage lend credence to this image of Benoit as a man being torn apart by the nature of professional wrestling and its lifestyle. The actual details behind the murders also speak volumes as to the mental state of Benoit at the time. Although Nancy had her hands and feet tied prior to her death, there were no obvious signs of a prior struggle. Authorities suggested that Chris pulled a cord tightly from behind to asphyxiate her on Friday, June 22nd, but Benoit waited until the next morning to suffocate his son Daniel, drugging him with Xanax to make sure the boy was unconscious prior to the deed. Chris placed bibles next to both bodies before finally using a weight cable from his home gym to hang himself on Sunday, June 24th, 2007.
Professional wrestling is an industry where the performers are constantly travelling, constantly performing and constantly in pain. There's also a pressure to appear and behave a certain way, particularly during the era in which Benoit was groomed. Here, it was very much a hard man's world, and the WWE wasn't yet a place where the wellness of its performers was closely monitored, at least not in the way it is today.
Yet, it's the Benoit tragedy which ultimately pushed the company into taking the positive steps it has to change its culture. The WWE's self-managing and drug use policies weren't enough anymore, especially now that the professional wrestling empire was a publically traded company. The horrible deeds committed by Chris Benoit couldn't be taken back, but the one silver lining was that it could be used to instill positive change within the lives of professional wrestling employees going forward.
It seems so simple, really: no more unprotected chair shots to the head. It's a strange experience to view old wrestling programming and see these spots as commonplace. Indeed, so many of us never batted an eye. Now, with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy injuries, or CTE, becoming an everyday reality, these simply don't fly. Today's WWE programming still features steel chair action, sure, but it's choreographed in a way where the impact is usually blocked, or taken on the back. [1]
Today's WWE also sees a much expanded wellness policy, with suspensions and consequences handed out to any and all superstars who fall short of the company's standard. Mental health is also taken into account, as evidenced by their treatment of WWE and NXT announcer Mauro Ranallo -who struggles with bipolar disorder. Overall, it's a night and day sort of atmosphere when compared to the wild west professional wrestling territories of the seventies and eighties.
And yes, it's easy to say that some of all of these implementations might have occurred without the senseless loss of life, committed by the hands of one disgraced professional wrestling casualty . Yet, even as we continue to discuss the reality of the chilling and terrible life of Chris Benoit , there's some small comfort to be had at the thought of other lives and careers having been saved, thanks to the awareness raised by one of wrestling's greatest tragedies.
The world of professional wrestling is full of real life heroes of villains, but rare is the personality who can inhabit one side of that spectrum for so long, yet in one terrible moment, enter into irredeemable infamy. Such is the chilling, real-life story of Chris Benoit, an icon and mainstay of the business who served as an idol to many, before ultimately becoming one of wrestling's darkest cautionary tales.
Benoit was only 40 years old when he committed the unthinkable crime of murdering his wife and young son, before taking his own life on June 24th, 2007. Yet, at that time, Chris was already an industry legend and veteran with over twenty years of experience under his belt. Benoit had helped continue a legacy of Canadian wrestling, having trained under the legendary Stu Hart and worked in his Stampede promotion during the mid to late eighties. Benoit's dedication to a physical and technical performance style was cultivated thanks to his devotion to such performers as Stu's son Bret "The Hit-Man' Hart and former British Bulldog "The Dynamite Kid." [5]
Benoit was often favorably compared to "The Dynamite Kid," a.k.a. Tom Billington, throughout his career, balancing athleticism and power. Benoit even adapted some of Billington's move set, including a risky diving head butt. "The Dynamite Kid" proved that you didn't have to approach seven feet in height or weight three hundred plus pounds to be a superstar, and so too did Benoit represent this energetic-yet-dangerous style of pro wrestling as his career evolved from Stampede into a stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling, before he finally settled down into a thriving Stateside career. [4]
It's here within promotions like the World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment where many fans best remember Benoit's work, as he won countless titles and accolades, from tag team championships, U.S. Championships and television titles to WWE's World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX. In fact, the 2004 image of Benoit celebrating in the ring with close friend and then-WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero remains one iconic "WrestleMania Moment" among many in the company's history. [6]
There was, of course, a darkness growing which couldn't be ignored: specifically the toll Benoit's in-ring work and lifestyle were taking on his personal life. We mentioned earlier his comparisons to "The Dynamite Kid," with regards to his impressive, yet undeniably reckless style. Tom Billington was one of many wrestlers who dealt with numerous health problems, as a result of the physical injuries and concussions sustained during his career. This was due, in part, to the fact that there weren't the same sort of provisions in place as there are today with regards to concussion protocol.
These days, a superstar will be pulled from active duty should they even be considered concussed or otherwise injured. The pro wrestling industry of the 1970s, '80s and even the '90s was a very different place, however, and Chris Benoit was just one of the few who sought out self-medication as a means of escaping his everyday aches and pains. Despite this, any ideas that the Benoit murder-suicide was a result of a steroid-induced anger were shot down when toxicology reports couldn't back up this claim. It should be said that Benoit had received illegal steroids during his career, and did have elevated testosterone levels at the time of his death, but the idea that the murder was an impulsive decision, exacerbated by aggressive steroid use didn't fit with the deliberate, multi-day nature of the murders.
Instead, a similarly dark narrative began to weave itself around The Benoit Family, one shrouded in depression, anxiety and chronic injury. Images of Chris Benoit's brain showcased an alarming amount of damage, so much so that it could be compared to that of an eighty-plus year old Alzheimer's patient. Many fans and professionals within the industry attribute this damage to the countless blows to the head Benoit sustained over the years. This occurred from steel chair shots, from accidents and even from that patented flying head butt used by "The Dynamite Kid" and Harley Race so many years prior.
There were other factors, as well, such as Chris' depression over the deaths of close friends Guerrero and "Sensational" Sherri Martel within a few years of each other, as well as a tension within his marriage to Nancy Benoit. Nancy was also in the business, having been previously married to Kevin Sullivan, while also performing managerial duties under the name "Woman." Legal records show that Nancy had filed a restraining order against Chris for what she claimed as "cruel treatment," before double down with divorce papers in 2003. She would later retract both of these requests. [2] [3]
Nancy's statements about Chris becoming violent in their marriage lend credence to this image of Benoit as a man being torn apart by the nature of professional wrestling and its lifestyle. The actual details behind the murders also speak volumes as to the mental state of Benoit at the time. Although Nancy had her hands and feet tied prior to her death, there were no obvious signs of a prior struggle. Authorities suggested that Chris pulled a cord tightly from behind to asphyxiate her on Friday, June 22nd, but Benoit waited until the next morning to suffocate his son Daniel, drugging him with Xanax to make sure the boy was unconscious prior to the deed. Chris placed bibles next to both bodies before finally using a weight cable from his home gym to hang himself on Sunday, June 24th, 2007.
Professional wrestling is an industry where the performers are constantly travelling, constantly performing and constantly in pain. There's also a pressure to appear and behave a certain way, particularly during the era in which Benoit was groomed. Here, it was very much a hard man's world, and the WWE wasn't yet a place where the wellness of its performers was closely monitored, at least not in the way it is today.
Yet, it's the Benoit tragedy which ultimately pushed the company into taking the positive steps it has to change its culture. The WWE's self-managing and drug use policies weren't enough anymore, especially now that the professional wrestling empire was a publically traded company. The horrible deeds committed by Chris Benoit couldn't be taken back, but the one silver lining was that it could be used to instill positive change within the lives of professional wrestling employees going forward.
It seems so simple, really: no more unprotected chair shots to the head. It's a strange experience to view old wrestling programming and see these spots as commonplace. Indeed, so many of us never batted an eye. Now, with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy injuries, or CTE, becoming an everyday reality, these simply don't fly. Today's WWE programming still features steel chair action, sure, but it's choreographed in a way where the impact is usually blocked, or taken on the back. [1]
Today's WWE also sees a much expanded wellness policy, with suspensions and consequences handed out to any and all superstars who fall short of the company's standard. Mental health is also taken into account, as evidenced by their treatment of WWE and NXT announcer Mauro Ranallo -who struggles with bipolar disorder. Overall, it's a night and day sort of atmosphere when compared to the wild west professional wrestling territories of the seventies and eighties.
And yes, it's easy to say that some of all of these implementations might have occurred without the senseless loss of life, committed by the hands of one disgraced professional wrestling casualty . Yet, even as we continue to discuss the reality of the chilling and terrible life of Chris Benoit , there's some small comfort to be had at the thought of other lives and careers having been saved, thanks to the awareness raised by one of wrestling's greatest tragedies.
