The Crippled Canadian

So, folks, as many of you know I used to be a huge wrestling fan. However, through the years, it has become quite boring and when you have two guys as your champions - one who has been given pardon for lying about drug charges (which led to his demise eventually) and the other who has the personality of a toilet.  You kind of say to yourself, this isn't working anymore.

At Wrestlemania XX at Madison Square Garden, two men, who for some reason the wrestling world was clamoring to win the WWE title and World Title, did exactly just that. One was a man named Eddie Guerrero. He came from a wrestling family and followed in his father's footsteps. He was a huge stereotype of a typical Mexican. The other was a grim looking, boring, not much to him man who defeated HHH for his title. That man was Chris Benoit.

I remember when I was watching WCW World Wide Wrestling and the first time I saw him. He was nothing to me, but everyone thought he was the second coming of Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Benoit was being pushed and ended up in the most illustrious group in wrestling, the Four Horsemen. The Horsemen were, of course, known as the elite in the WCW and were feuding with a group known as the Dungeon of Doom. This stable was headed by a man named Kevin Sullivan. He was also booking matches behind the scenes. He booked his wife Nancy into an angle where she left him for Benoit. Unfortunately, for Sullivan, sometimes fiction turns into fact, and Nancy Sullivan left Kevin to become Mrs. Chris Benoit in 2000.

Now, the most exciting thing that Benoit did was win the WCW title only to throw it into the garbage and lead a walkout of WCW stars to join the WWE. Other than that, the guy was boring. If you asked me back then or even now, did I think this emotionless, plain, blank athlete would havecommitted one of the most heinous and senseless acts in my lifetime by killing his wife and child, I would have laughed at you.

Nevertheless, the truth is no one is laughing here. We all know the story. Benoit and his family were found dead in their home early Monday morning and the WWE heard this, deeply saddened and shocked, decided to run a three-hour tribute to the man and his family. An hour after the broadcast, evidence suggests that Benoit did the deed himself in the form of a murder suicide. Steroids were found; people think that had something to do with it. Blah, blah, blah. The most shocking notes from the case: Benoit sent text messages to wrestlers and told the WWE officials he wouldn't make a house show on Saturday and a pay per view on Sunday due to a family emergency. The decomposition of the bodies suggests they were sitting in the house over the weekend.

The one question I have is what drives one to do these things. Is this man actually guilty? Some conspiracists on the web have pointed the finger to Kevin Sullivan. They claim that he is a high ranking member of the Satanic church and through the tool of revenge, killed Nancy and Daniel in front of Chris and they strung him up. (www.johnnyleeclary.com/benoitmurder) Interesting read but there is no evidence to back this up.

It is such a sad story and we have no idea what exactly happened. However, when those toxicology reports come out, I am sure the roids will be in there, and you will see the WWE run for cover. Why release a press release about steroids when all you see is speculation? When the time comes to defend yourself, you do. Don't put the cart in front of the horse Vinnie Mac.

Many people have died in crazy ways because of pro wrestling, but believe me, I don't think we will ever hear of something like this again. I will continue to follow the story hoping we see some resolution. The bottom line as it stands right now. Chris Benoit had many things in life that many of us would like – a stable income, a wonderful family, and a job that he loved. I can't believe someone would piss that all away in the worst way possible. Rest in peace Nancy and Daniel. I will not judge Chris, I will leave that to God.

JAE