The toxicology results for Chris Benoit and his family are in. It appears that Benoit had a number of anxiety medications as well as injected steroids in his body at the time of the murders. Daniel Benoit was reported to have had Xanax and his body, which investigators believe Benoit used to sedate his son before he killed him with a wrestling chokehold.
From ProWrestling.com:
"It is confirmed that doctors found Hydrocodone and Xanax in the system of Nancy Benoit. The levels were of therapeutic proportions. Nancy had a 0.184 blood alcohol level; however, they are unable to tell if she had drunk alcohol because the blood alcohol level could have been due to the decomposition process of her body.
Chris Benoit’s system was positive for Xanax and Hydrocodone. Both were at therapeutic levels. The only steroid found in Benoit’s system was testosterone. It was found in elevated levels which indicate that he was taking it prior to his death.
No evidence of GHB was found in any of the three bodies.
The doctor says that no one really knows if higher levels of testosterone could have caused the erratic behavior. The abnormal range of testosterone in Benoit’s system indicates that he was injecting it.
Daniel’s body was just starting to show signs of decomposition. Due to the small amount of urine they were able to get from his body, they were unable to test for levels of Human Growth Hormone.
The doctor says that the drugs in Nancy Benoit’s body were at therapeutic levels, however, they could have been lower due to the decomposition process. He says that he would not be surprised if she was taking the medications because of previous surgeries and pain. The doctor says that he has no evidence that Nancy was sedated.
He says that there was no evidence of any other illegal steroids in Chris Benoit's body other than testosterone. The testosterone could reveal Chris Benoit was being treated for testicular inefficiency. It was made very clear that they know conclusively that there were no other substances found in Chris Benoit’s body that could have been used for body building purposes.
The most common use for testosterone amongst males in the United States is for testicular inefficiency, the doctor confirms. He says there is no scientific evidence that high levels of testosterone lead to fits of rage.
The doctor re-iterates it would be erroneous to suggest that Nancy’s blood alcohol level was all due to drinking alcohol or due to the body’s decomposition process. It is impossible to tell."
The Irish Whip will keep you updated as more details come in...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Benoit Was On Steroids, Sedated Son Before Murder
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Dismal RAW Ratings Get Worse
With Benoit's death scrambling McMahon's plans for an Attitude Era revisited, the summer storylines of the WWE have been smashed, leading to little action and awful ratings. It's not just a post WM23 slump anymore, folks. Just how bad are the ratings? And what does the WWE have to do to turn this ship around?
The last time Raw drew a lower rating last night on a non-holiday edition of Raw was on September 26, 2005 - over 20 months ago.
The following are ratings of Monday Night Raw equal or lower than the 3.4 (rounded up from a 3.36) drawn last week:
-3.2 on May 28, 2007 (Memorial Day)
-2.7 on Dec. 25, 2007 (Christmas night)
-3.4 on Sept. 25, 2006 (Cena vs. Lita headlined)
-3.4 on Oct. 31, 2005 (Halloween night)
-3.2 on Sept. 26, 2005 (Masters & Carlito vs. Cena & Michaels)
-3.3 on Sept. 12, 2005 (Ten-Man Tag Match)
-2.6 on July 4, 2005 (July 4 Holiday)
In other words, that's not good. The post-WrestleMania slump usually hurts the WWE and ratings are bound to drop slightly. They aren't, however, dropping -- they're plummeting. It's a shame, because the WWE had nothing to do with the Benoit incident, and yet, they are suffering from it. Even worse, the McMahon death angle had non-fans interested. "Vince McMahon" death was one of the highest-rated search terms following the draft episode. All the stars were aligned for the dream summer that Drew Arnold and Jared Gerrard had predicted.
Being the eternal WWE optimist, I still believe that they can turn this ship around. Jared wrote recently of what they will do. Instead, I'd like to offer some suggestions as to what they should do.
1. Get Shane involved. At some point, he'll need to take over the company (which is fine by me). But if Vince, Steph, HHH, and the rest of the creative team isn't ready for that, at least let him wrestle. He's an incredibly athletic guy and would add to any show.
2. Get rid of the Legends. I know, I know...I love them too, but it's time. Vince can't keep bringing Mick Foley back everytime he needs a pop, and the bodies of Taker, HBK, and the rest are simply breaking down. Having too much of a dependence on the older guys prevents the newer ones (Kennedy, Punk) from coming up. Do we really want to be seeing The Attitude Era guys in 10 years? It won't be pretty. Additionally, they have nothing else to prove (no belts to be won, challenges to overcome). They're purely on the shows for ratings. Creative team should start to phase them out, all with the exception of...
3. The Rock. He's still young, his movies suck, and while all these other 90s guys have been smashing their bodies to pieces in an attempt to please the ever-bloodthirsty WWE fans, Rock's been sitting in a Hollywood trailer somewhere. The further I am removed from the 90s, the more I realize that it was The Rock who was the true star, not Stone Cold Steve Austin. Stone Cold vs. Mr. Kennedy would be terrible. But The Rock vs. Kennedy? Can you say five star match?
4. Complete the brand merger. The WWE has been flirting with this for some time (which is why I say "complete") as they've been putting superstars from both brands on the same show for the majority of this year. There's enough talent for one show (and ECW), but certainly not two. Moreover, there's enough trash on each brands that could be cut down, resulting in a very nice finished package. Funaki...out. Colt Cabana...in.
Post on the comment board below with your thoughts on this article along with alternate suggestions for the WWE.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Nancy Benoit: Devil Worshiper
Yeahhh, so according to US Weekly and more specifically, Hulk Hogan, Nancy Benoit worshiped the devil.
This is the part where I would typically comment on this whole mess, except that I don't know what to say. Instead of racking your brain trying to figure this one out, head over to our archives page and check out my article on MMA dream matches. This god damn Benoit story just gets weirder and weirder. You know that thing in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind where they erase the guy's memory? I want that. Read More...Hulk Hogan, who last saw Benoit in March, said “He was peaceful and kept to himself”. When asked about what he thinks pushed Benoit over the edge, Hogan said "I think it had to be something personal, a domestic problem between him and his wife."
Hogan had some bizarre claims about Chris Benoit's deceased wife, Nancy. “She was into devil-worship stuff. It was part of her [wrestling] character, but [she was] somebody who gets so close to their character, someone who gets into their character too much. Sometimes these people believe their own publicity.”
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
McMahon Death Angle Revealed
As most know by now, WWE has scrapped the Vince McMahon "death" angle stemming from the tragedy of the Benoit family last week.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the plan was to have Vince return this summer claiming that he faked his own death. He was then going to reveal an accomplice with several names being mentioned for the role. Mr. Kennedy was a top candidate for the role as WWE wanted to build a monster heel character off the storyline.
The June 25th edition of RAW (which ended up being a Chris Benoit tribute show) was scheduled to be a memorial service for Vince. WWE brought in a casket, flowers, candles, and pictures of the Chairman. All of the talent was told to wear a black suit for the evening. The show was suppose to end with a cliff hanger with the lead detective ("Mr. Beck") making an arrest of the fake culprit, which would later turn out to be Linda McMahon.
Current Thoughts On The Wrestling World
Last night I was watching Raw, one week to the day after I found out that my idol and favourite wrestler, Chris Benoit, was found dead along with his wife and child. Now, 1 week ago it seemed like a big mistake, how could someone kill a wrestler, his wife and his child?
In the week that followed, it became more apparent what really happened in the Benoit household. Apparent steroid use, wife beating, injecting his son with Steroids, the list goes on and on. Of course, the media was quick to jump on this and smear the name of the wrestling and in particular, the WWE.
I know the WWE has had problems in the past , the whole steroid trials in the 90s, RVD's pot bust, etc., but they look to have cracked down on drug usage.
Now comes the tricky part. What if Benoit was on steroids at the time of the supposed "drug testings?" Has the WWE dropped themselves in the "cacky" by allowing Benoit to fake his test? Or maybe there is no testing at all? Who knows?
Anyway, back onto Raw. The Kennedy segments were great with Cena and Super Crazy, Booker's presence was good and hell, Umaga even looked decent out there. Can I see a face turn in the future for the Samoan Bulldozer? I heard a few cheers last night when he won that belt.
Lashley's heel-like attack was just was the doctor ordered. I can see Cena retaining however as Lashley still doesn't have the mic skills to be the top dog on Raw. But he has improved immensely these past few weeks, so kudos to him.
The Orton Legend Killer gimmick is going from strength to strength. Next week, Dusty Rhodes is to face Randy. I just hope he has settled down backstage as a top level feud with Cena, then the returning Triple H and possibly the returning HBK looks on the horizon.
Monday, July 2, 2007
RAW Preview
Well, WWE really has to start over. Their McMahon death storyline was shot down by Chris Benoit's legitimate death, so the "main event" storyline is out the window. We do, however, now know the two main events for The Great American Bash:
John Cena vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title
Edge vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship
So on RAW tonight, I can only assume that a Cena vs. Lashley rivalry may begin. Look for those seeds to be planted tonight.
WWE.com also notifies us that Santino Marella will once again be defending his Intercontinental title against Umaga. It would not surprise me to see Umaga take back the belt. Just like for Wrestlemania, his being the Intercontinental champ adds some legitimacy to him being in a main event-type match, this time against Jackass at SummerSlam. On the other hand, WWE may want to continue Santino's "miracle" title defenses. If this is the case, then look for him to win via interference, maybe from Maria or the Jackass crew?
Also, we'll see the continuation of a feud that I love...Carlito vs. Sandman. I don't even want them to fight a match, I just want to see Carlito interrupted by the Sandman's entrance. I think this feud will be going the "hardcore" route and make Carlito pay some dues.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Benoit's Rage Tied To Deadly Mix Of Drugs
When authorities raided the Georgia home of wrestler Chris Benoit last week, they discovered a stockpile of anabolic steroids and prescription drugs, enough to spark the theory that Benoit descended into a violent "roid rage" and, police say, murdered his wife and 7-year-old son and then killed himself.
But in the wake of the lurid events that played out in suburban Atlanta last weekend, the Daily News has learned that another drug may have been part of a deadly cocktail that could have caused Benoit to snap. According to sources familiar with his drug regimen, Benoit was a known abuser of the drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate - or GHB, also known as the "date-rape drug." Benoit was known to have used GHB with former wrestler "Gentleman" Chris Adams when both men competed for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the late '90s. They used the drug together until Adams' death in 2001, according to sources who knew both men, and friends say Benoit was still using it as recently as two years ago.
"Benoit was a GHB user and he did it with Chris Adams," the source told The News. "The question is, does GHB use play into what happened (in Fayetteville)?"
Authorities are still waiting for toxicology results on Benoit - whose stage name was "The Canadian Crippler" - but would be unable to detect GHB in his system without a complicated test conducted on his hair sample. Still, Benoit's past use of GHB opens up the seamy side of the wrestling world - one filled with hulking men who pile-drive their opponents while scantily clad women parade nearby. Professional wrestling is a "sport" that has long been saddled with accusations of rampant steroid and drug use.
"Everybody in the wrestling business had a liking for GHB back (in the '90s)," says a Benoit family friend. "The whole business was on it." GHB, which increases sexual prowess and boosts energy among other effects, is a Schedule I controlled substance commonly referred to as the "date-rape drug" and is illegal. The Benoit family friend corresponded with Nancy Benoit just weeks before her death but noticed nothing unusual. "She told me, 'I'm driving Chris crazy, but it's a short trip,'" the friend says with a laugh. "I don't think this is a monster acting out. I really don't buy that."
The same cannot be said for the British-born Adams, who was indicted on manslaughter charges after his girlfriend, Linda Kaphengst, died of a GHB-alcohol overdose in April 2000. But before Adams could stand trial, he was involved in a violent scuffle with friend Brent Parnell, before Parnell shot Adams to death with a .38-caliber gun in late 2001 near Dallas. Mickey Grant, a Texas-based filmmaker who recently completed a documentary on Adams, says that "both Chris's (Adams and Benoit) were friends at WCW" and that another wrestler confided to Grant that Benoit and Adams were "G buddies," a reference to GHB's common street name.
Grant, who knew Adams for over two decades, says he never saw the two wrestlers using the drug, but was devastated by Adams' "life gone to hell" as a result of his GHB addiction. "G, in my opinion, is a far worse drug than even crack (cocaine)," says Grant.
In the Benoit case, authorities found Nancy with her feet and wrists bound, and indications are Benoit used a chord to strangle her while applying his knee to her back. Daniel was suffocated. After the murders, Benoit reportedly placed a Bible next to each body and later hung himself using a weight-machine pulley in his workout room.
If Benoit was indeed still using GHB - or if he was trying to kick a habit and suffering from withdrawal - it is likely he would have become violent.
"You see guys that are on (GHB) who go on rages," says Trinka Porrata, a retired Los Angeles police detective who is president of the non-profit Project GHB and who has counseled and detoxed GHB addicts, including several professional wrestlers. "But another possibility, which is more likely, is GHB withdrawal. If (Benoit) tried to stop using it and went into withdrawal, that would explain the bizarre behavior - the text messages, the Bible and the suicide especially. You can suffer a terrible depression coming off this stuff. It's not a quit cold turkey drug."
Porrata adds that it is not uncommon for GHB users to add methamphetamine into the mix, and that meth abuse often contributes to bizarre acts involving religion.
"The question everybody asks is, 'How in the hell could you kill your son?' Well, in a meth psychosis, your son could be the devil. That can happen quite easily," says Porrata.
Benoit composed a bizarre series of text messages to several colleagues during the weekend of his killing spree, including one where he wrote out his full, formal Georgia address. In another, he stated that "the dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open." In a voice mail to a colleague, Benoit said "I love you," which the colleague said was "out of context."
Porrata says that the more severe state of GHB withdrawal - as opposed to addiction - requires at least a 14-day detox period under the care of a physician or health professional. She says the suffering is more intense and debilitating than coming off a heroin addiction. "There's sweating, your blood pressure rises in days one and two," Porrata says. "Then the psychosis starts. Days four, five and six are the worst. You hallucinate and there can often be violence accompanied with it. By day 11, the head starts to clear, but you are left with an intense depression."
The Georgia medical offices of Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin, were raided by Drug Enforcement Agency agents Thursday, but the records remain sealed. Astin has stated that he has prescribed testosterone to Benoit, who had low levels attributed to rampant steroid use. Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard and Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office did not return calls from The News, and it is unclear if authorities were planning to test Benoit for GHB use. Many law enforcement agencies, Porrata says, still fail to administer the test.
Michael Benoit, the wrestler's father, said last week that he hopes toxicology tests will help explain his son's actions.
Says Porrata: "We try to put things in our own terms, 'Well, I couldn't kill my own child.' Yeah, but if you were on GHB or were psychotic, a mental illness or (something) drug-induced, it's not a rational act. It doesn't excuse it, but you can't explain it on your own moral values."
Friday, June 29, 2007
Benoit Wikipedia Confession Revealed
The following is from Wikipedia.com:
The anonymous individual responsible for suggesting, 14 hours before police discovered the body, that WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's wife was dead is confessing, saying his/her comment was a "terrible coincidence."
The anonymous editor left a lengthy apology to the Wikimedia community, explaining, "I hope this puts an end to this speculation that someone knew about the tragedy before it was discovered."
Below is the full, unedited apology:
"... Hey everyone. I am here to talk about the wikipedia comment that was left by myself. I just want to say that it was an incredible coincidence. Last weekend, I had heard about Chris Benoit no showing Vengeance because of a family emergency, and I had heard rumors about why that was. I was reading rumors and speculation about this matter online, and one of them included that his wife may have passed away, and I did the wrong thing by posting it on wikipedia to spite there being no evidence. I posted my speculation on the situation at the time and I am deeply sorry about this, and I was just as shocked as everyone when I heard that this actually would happen in real life. It is one of those things that just turned into a huge coincidence. That night I found out that what I posted, ended up actually happening, a 1 in 10,000 chance of happening, or so I thought. I was beyond wrong for posting wrongful information, and I am sorry to everyone for this. I just want everyone to know it was stupid of me, and I will never do anything like this again. I just posted something that was at that time a piece of wrong unsourced information that is typical on wikipedia, as it is done all the time.
Nonetheless, I feel incredibly bad for all the attention this got because of the fact that what I said turned out to be the truth. Like I said it was just a major coincidence, and I will never vandalize anything on wikipedia or post wrongful information. I've learned from this experience. I just can't believe what I wrote was actually the case, I've remained stunned and saddened over it.
I wish not to reveal my identity so I can keep me and my family out of this since they have nothing to do with anything. I am not connected to WWE or Benoit at all in anyway. I am from Stamford as the IP address shows, and I am just an everyday individual who posted a wrongful remark at the time that received so much attention because it turned out to actually happen. I will say again I didn't know anything about the Benoit tragedy, it was a terrible coincidence that I never saw coming.
I hope this puts an end to this speculation that someone knew about the tragedy before it was discovered. It was just a rumor that I had heard about from other people online who were speculating what the family emergency Chris was attending to. I made a big mistake by posting this comment on his page, since all we had were what we thought was going on and nothing about what actually was going on yet, and sadly what happened turned out to be my speculation at the time. I assumed wiki would edit out my information, which they did, so thats why I didn't go back to edit it out myself.
I know I keep repeating it but I feel terrible about the mainstream coverage this has received, since it was only a huge coincidence and a terrible event that should of never happened. I am not sure how to react, as hearing about my message becoming a huge part of the Benoit slayings made me feel terrible as everyone believes that it is connected to the tragedy, but it was just an awful coincidence. That is all I have to say, I will never post anything here again unless it is pure fact, no spam nothing like that. Thank you, and let this end this chapter of the Benoit story, and hopefully one day we will find out why this tragedy ever actually happened."
Read More...Benoit's Physician To Be Charged
The Los Angeles Times is running the following article, nothing that Chris Benoit’s physician, Dr. Phil Astin, could face criminal charges as soon as today. Below is the full article:
Federal drug enforcement investigators raided the office of pro wrestler Chris Benoit's doctor Thursday, and the findings could result in criminal charges by federal prosecutors as soon as today, a law enforcement official said...
Benoit's Carrollton, Ga.-based physician, Phil Astin, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he met with the World Wrestling Entertainment star last Friday and previously had prescribed him testosterone to boost levels of the hormone that were in decline — probably caused by prior steroid use.
Less than 24 hours later, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided Astin's office, focusing on whether Benoit's medical records showed he was prescribed steroids, and if so, whether the prescription was necessary, a law enforcement source told the AP. A DEA spokesman said no arrests were made. Calls to Astin's office went unanswered, and Fayette County Dist. Atty. Scott Ballard could not be reached for comment.
Prescription anabolic steroids were found inside Benoit's home by police on Monday, and Benoit was listed as a customer of a Florida clinic whose owners pleaded guilty to illegal steroid distribution this year.
The steroid discovery raised questions about Benoit's state of mind before the killings and his suicide. Steroids can cause violent mood swings, including depression and paranoia.
County authorities continue to investigate what prompted Benoit's attack. WWE boss Vince McMahon appeared on NBC's "Today" show Thursday and softened from a previous company statement that steroids could not have not resulted in the deaths, saying drug use "may or may not" have triggered the killings.
Read More...Thursday, June 28, 2007
Huge Benoit Development
Here's the thing. Whoever posted this on wikipedia did it about 14 hours before the investigators found the dead bodies. Weird enough? It gets weirder. The post came out of Stamford, CT...where WWE is based out of.Now they are looking into if he sent a few text messages that authorities don't know about.
What does this mean? I have no idea, but post your thoughts and I'll see what you guys come up with.
Editor's Note (6/28, 7:38 PM): The I.P. address in question also made a series of other edits to different entries, including former WW Diva Stacy Keibler, WWE star Chavo Guerrero, NBA player Ron Artest and the HBO series The Sopranos. Many of the edits were misspelled or explicit in nature, leading one to believe that the postings were made by a hoaxer. You can read this person's past edits here.
Even though the I.P. address is being traced back to Stamford, CT, it's also entirely conceivable that the user was concealing his true IP address. Software is available that will change your I.P. address and location or origin.
More than likely, this person made a wild guess regarding the Benoit situation at the time, and this person turned out to be right.
Editor's Note (6/28, 9:34 PM): The WWE has pulled all copies of its Chris Benoit DVD (Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story) from every retail outlet in the country, including online stores. The only place to find it now is on eBay, where a copy sold tonight for $77. Read More...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Where Do They Go Now?
You have to be sick of this photo by now.The McMahon storyline, which I absolutely hated, is now gone due to the recent tragedy of Chris Benoit. Benoit's unfortunate suicide forced the chairman to stop his death storyline and reveal to all of the rednecks in the world that he was actually NOT dead. Although they are getting media coverage for Chris Benoit, it is DEFINITELY not the type of media coverage that a company wants...no questions asked. They had some positive media coverage for the McMahon storyline among wrestling websites and blogs (Drew Arnold), but the majority of the mainstream news treated McMahon's "death" as a joke and actually spoke out against it (The Wall Street Journal, and myself).
So the question is, where do they go from here? Actually where CAN they go from here? Now that they realize that they were mourning a murderer...also the best wrestler in the company...they threw away the "storyline of the year" for "no reason." The creative team is going to have to get creative (sounds obvious, doesn't it?) and figure out how to dig out of this hole.
I am going to go ahead and call a nice storyline where Shane tried to kill his father, but was unsuccessful. But they have a few that they can choose from...such as Vince's family is grateful that he is alright and they create the McMahon empire and rule RAW, or the unsuccessful murder attempt as I mentioned above, or they could use this "explosion survival" to change Mr. McMahon's mind on issues and turn him face.
These storylines are extremely elaborate and they probably will not happen, but we will have to sit tight and wait for monday to roll around. Please post any potential storylines that you see coming out of McMahon's quick return from his "death." Read More...
Chris Benoit May Have Killed Son With Chokehold
ABC News and CNN are reporting that they talked with District Attorney Scott Ballard, and he said that investigators believe Chris Benoit killed his seven-year-old son, Daniel, with a wrestling choke hold.
Daniel was found face down on his bed, but authorities said they do not know whether he was sleeping when he was killed. Ballard said authorities believe the child was asphyxiated using a choke hold. The DA didn't offer anymore details.
We'll make sure to update when we find out more.Update: Amazon Exploitation: In one of the most despicable acts since the Benoit tragedy started, when you search Amazon.com for “WWE”, at the top of their website it says: “Tragic news from the WWE. Wrestler Chris Benoit and his wife and son have been found dead in their Georgia home, and police are investigating the situation as a possible murder-suicide.” The caption is accompanied by a photo and a link to purchase the WWE Chris Benoit:Hard Knocks DVD. -PW Insider Read More...
WWE.com Challenges Benoit Reports
The WWE Article:
STAMFORD, Conn., June 26, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment is stunned and saddened by the details released by local authorities concerning the double homicide-suicide involving Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son, Daniel.
However, WWE is concerned with the sensationalistic reporting and speculation being undertaken by some members of the media following the press conference held by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney. During the press conference, the investigating authorities made the following points, all of which run contrary to the media speculation that "roid rage" was a factor in the senseless murders and suicide:
1. The authorities stated that all drugs found in the house were believed to be legal prescriptions.
2. Steroids were not, and could not, be related to the cause of death (asphyxiation). Authorities had no factual basis to speculate as to Benoit’s state of mind, and rightly did not do so.
3. Toxicology tests have not even been completed, so there is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body. In that regard, on the last test done on Benoit by WWE's independently administered drug testing program, done on April 10, 2007, Benoit tested negative.
4. The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage. The wife's feet and hands were bound and she was asphyxiated, not beaten to death. By the account of the authorities, there were substantial periods of time between the death of the wife and the death of the son, again suggesting deliberate thought, not rage. The presence of a Bible by each is also not an act of rage.
5. WWE strongly suggests that it is entirely wrong for speculators to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body, pending the toxicological reports, and that they had no evidence at this time as to the motive for these acts.
Which was seemingly in response to this, an article on ESPN.com:
Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself with the pulley of a weight machine, authorities said Tuesday.
Investigators found prescription anabolic steroids in the house and want to know whether the muscle man nicknamed "The Canadian Crippler" was unhinged by the bodybuilding drugs, which can cause paranoia, depression and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage."
Authorities offered no motive for the killings, which were spread out over a weekend, and would not discuss Benoit's state of mind. No suicide note was found.
Benoit's wife, 43, was killed Friday in an upstairs family room, her feet and wrists were bound and there was blood under her head, indicating a possible struggle. Ballard told ESPN.com that it appeared that she had been pinned to the floor and asphyxiated with some sort of cable.
The son, Daniel, was probably killed late Saturday or early Sunday, the body found in his bed, Ballard said. The district attorney indicated that he had been choked to death.
Benoit, 40, apparently killed himself several hours and as long as a day later, Ballard said. His body was found in a downstairs weight room, his body found hanging from the pulley of a piece of exercise equipment. Ballard said that he had used weights, the pulley and cable to choke himself to death.
The prosecutor said he found it "bizarre" that the WWE wrestling star spread out the killings over a weekend and appeared to remain in the house for up to a day with the bodies. Ballard told ESPN.com that investigators smelled what they ascertained to be decomposing bodies when they entered the home. The varying degrees of decomposition between the bodies helped indicate the staggered times of death.
Benoit's Final Hours: A Timeline
Below is a detailed WWE/Chris Benoit timeline from Saturday to Monday:
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Chris Benoit was scheduled to appear at the WWE SMACKDOWN/ECW live event in Beaumont, Texas
3:30pm
A co-worker received a voice message from Benoit. The message from Benoit stated he missed his flight and over slept and would be late to the WWE Live Event. The co-worker called Benoit back, Benoit confirmed everything he said in his voice message and sounded tired and groggy. Benoit then stated, “I love you”. The co-worker stated that it was “out of context.”
3:42pm
The same co-worker was concerned with Benoit’s tone and demeanor and called Benoit for a second time. Benoit did not answer the call and the co-worker left a message stating “just call me back.”
3:44pm
Benoit called the co-worker back stating he didn’t answer the call because he was on the phone with Delta changing his flight. Benoit stated he had a real stressful day due to Nancy and Daniel being sick with food poisoning. They discussed travel plans for the WWE Tour of Texas with Benoit still sounding groggy at this point according to the co-worker.
4:30pm
A co-worker who consistently travels with Benoit, called Benoit from outside Houston airport and Benoit answered. Benoit told the co-worker that Nancy was throwing up blood and that Daniel was also throwing up. Benoit thought they had food poisoning. Benoit stated he changed his flight and he would be arriving into Houston at 6:30pm. Benoit told the co-worker to drive onto the WWE event.
5:35pm
Benoit called WWE Talent Relations stating that his son was throwing up and that he and Nancy were in the hospital with their son, and that Benoit would be taking a later flight into Houston, landing late, but would make the WWE live event in Beaumont.
6:10pm
A representative of Talent Relations called Benoit. The representative from Talent Relations asked Benoit what time Benoit was getting into Beaumont. Benoit responded he was leaving Atlanta at 9:20pm Eastern time arriving into Houston at 9:24pm Central time. The representative from Talent Relations advised Benoit that it would be too late to make the WWE live event in Beaumont. Benoit apologized citing he had a family emergency. The representative from Talent Relations suggested to Benoit that instead of going to the WWE live event in Beaumont, Benoit should take the flight to Houston, rest up and be ready for the Vengeance Pay-Per-View event.
6:13pm
The representative from Talent Relations called Benoit to reconfirm the travel plans with no answer from Benoit. The representative from Talent Relations left a voice message to take the flight and rest up.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Text messages sent to co-workers from Chris Benoit and Nancy Benoit’s cell phones:
Text Message 1
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:53am from
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215
Text Message 2
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:53am
Message: The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open
Text Message 3
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:54am
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215
Text Message 4
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:55am
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215
Text Message 5
Sent to: A Co-Worker who consistently traveled with Benoit
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:58am
Message: My address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215
WWE made several attempts to contact Benoit via phone and text messages, as well as, the local hospitals in the Atlanta area. As of 11:00 pm Sunday night there was no contact made with Benoit.
Monday, June 25, 2007
12:30pm
WWE was notified of text messages sent to the two co-workers.
12:45pm
WWE contacted the Fayetteville County Sheriff’s office and requested them to go to Benoit’s
residence
WWE received a call from the Fayetteville County Sheriff’s office, advising that they entered
the house of Benoit and found 3 deceased bodies (a male, a female and a child). The Fayette County Sheriff’s office has secured the house as a “major crime scene” and that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office had no further information. Read More...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Grisly Benoit Details Surface
WWE chairman Vince McMahon broke the current storyline - in which his character had been killed - to introduce a tribute for last nights telecast. The tribute, which now seems out of place especially as it shows Benoit hugging his wife and son, was aired before details were leaked indicating that Benoit killed his family. Wrestling site Rajah.com reports that WWE has pulled all Benoit merchandise from its online store and has begun to purge his name from the record books. Benoit's name has been removed from the DVD description of WrestleMania XX. It now says, "Triple H defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Shawn Michaels." In reality, that was a triple threat match between Triple H, Michaels and Benoit that Benoit won to become WWE Champion.
TMZ has learned more about the deaths of WWE wrestling superstar Chris Benoit, his wife and son -- and the information is extremely disturbing. Several Atlanta-based law enforcement sources have told TMZ Benoit may have strangled his wife on Saturday, then smothered his son in his bed a day later. Investigators refuse to officially comment, pending final confirmation by the coroner on the cause and time of the deaths. The source told TMZ that Benoit was texting friends during Sunday's WWE "Vengeance" Pay-Per-View program -- possibly watching the show with his son, who may have been alive at the time. According to sources, Benoit then hanged himself Monday in a weight room inside the family home.
Monday, June 25, 2007
RAW Review: The Chris Benoit Tribute
RAW began with Vince McMahon dropping his "death" storyline and stating that the episode would be a 3-hour tribute to the life of Chris Benoit. This was the classiest and most professional option that Vince had, and you could tell that he was very serious and very emotional about the situation.
We saw some of the finest moments in Benoit's career, including his winning of the World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden. It was sad to see Chris Benoit and his best friend Eddie Guerrero hugging each other in the ring after the main event, realizing that both men are now dead just over three years later.
According to the Associated Press, the deaths of Benoit and his family are being investigated as a murder-suicide.
Again, WWE has been very impressive throughout this situation and I hope they continue what they've begun.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Saturday, June 23, 2007
ECW Poised To Reach The Top
For the first time in the short history of ECW under the jurisdiction of the WWE, they have a product worth writing home about. This occurred after two key things happened -- the ECW made out like bandits in the draft, and the talent they already had really hit their stride (see Punk, pictured left). The draft got rid of all the boring muscle heads (Lashley and Snitsky) and ushered in athletic guys willing to take bumps (Nitro and Benoit).
When ECW lost a wrestler in the draft, they somehow gained. When they drafted someone new, the re-developed and most likely saved their show. All the ECW criticism has stopped (for now) and smarks and marks alike watch to see what the creative team will do with this new influx. The WWE would be hard pressed to ask for more. Meanwhile, guys like CM Punk and Elijah Burke (pictured) have been improving on a weekly basis while perfecting one of the only watchable feuds in the business.
These two pieces of good fortune have left ECW with the tried and true formula to a solid show in the WWE. The first piece of a great show is a combination of old and new guys. Benoit (pictured) and Punk provide a nice juxtaposition and its fun to see three suplexes in a row (something we've seen for years) go up against some of Punk's new and innovative moves.
Next, and most obviously, the show needs great A wrestlers. ECW used to consist of guys that would be B wrestlers on any other show, but with the recent prominence of Punk, Burke, and Cor Von along with the dismissal of those who suck (Striker, Knox), the tide has turned in the favor of this extreme brand. The B's have become the A's and are now being complimented by Benoit and Nitro (pictured), two guys who have been A's on other shows all along. Juggling all this talent is one of those problems that's good to have.
Finally, the show should have enough B wrestlers to carry the lulls in the program. I find that gimmicked wrestlers usually fit this bill perfectly, and so the addition of The Boogeyman was a wise one. Viscera and The Miz were also made for the role, and they'll do a great job in filling it. I've given up hope that the originals will make a full comeback in ECW, but I'd rather see them as B wrestlers than not wrestling at all. With all this talent (see Cor Von, pictured) loaded on the new ECW, they'll have no problem filling a show now.
Some would say that a tag team division is needed for success, but patchwork teams of the 90s (see Undertaker and Austin) along with the recent popularity of two singles feuds being combined into a match (see last week's SMACKDOWN main event), it's becoming less necessary to have an impressive division. I'm aware that not only does ECW not have an impressive division and that they don't have one at all, but I believe that the perfect storm forming from the other three factors will be enough to make ratings good and matches great.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The ECW title match has been set!
Yes that's right; last night saw the The Rabid Wolverine beating Elijah Burke and CM Punk beating Marcus Cor Von to set up the ECW title match this Sunday at Vengeance. And like Hunter Golden of Wrestleview says, I think I just creamed myself!
Its a dream match for a grizzly old smark like me and a breath of fresh air from angles like the Superman act on Raw and the crime of Ric Flair not having a World Title shot since his return to the WWE.
It is going to be fantastic. Punk IS the new Benoit. And man, I have been dreaming of this ever since they brought CM Punk to ECW. Although Punk is similar, he has one distinct advantage over Benoit -- mic skills. That's why Benoit was always shunted to the midcard on Smackdown, not CM Punk...he's got what it takes to be a champion in the WWE. Expect a massive feud pitting Benoit's massive talent versus Punk's youth and charisma.
It should be a show stealer folks and I predict Benoit to win, with Punk perhaps becoming a heel in the near future!
Monday, June 18, 2007
RAW Reaction/ECW Preview
I thought that RAW was relatively uneventful, with many wrestlers settling into their new roles as the show continued to sort out details from last week. A three hour special to delve deeper into the death of Vince McMahon was announced for next week -- could a three hour show be something the WWE is moving towards? It seems possible, as they had no trouble filling the time slot last week. More time on the air means more advertisers.
As for the show, I'll just run through Drew's predictions. You can go to our news feed pae to get more in-depth summaries where they tell you the technical name of the headlock Booker T put on John Cena.
Drew predicted a London and Kendrick win over Benjamin and Haas...check.
Drew predicted that Jillian Hall and Mickie James would be in action...check.
Drew predicted that Mr. Kennedy would cut an awesome promo...check.
Drew predicted that the WWE would emphasize a "whodunit" storyline...check.
Tomorrow night's ECW appears to be light-years ahead of anything we've seen since the WWE brought the show back to cable television. It will feature a match between CM Punk and Marcus Cor Von along with one between Chris Benoit and Elijah Burke with the winners squaring off for the recently-vacated title. Now, if only the matches were under hardcore rules...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Business Is About To Pick Up
First of all, this was the best RAW that I think I have ever seen...ever. The fact that this show mixed together so much surprise and storyline progression along with so much great pure wrestling is incredible and hasn't been seen from the WWE in a long time. Let's go brand by brand and analyze how they're affected by the draft.
RAW:
Along with him, RAW receives King Booker, Bobby Lashley, and Snitsky. In my opinion, Lashley has been somewhat undeserving of his push but it seems to be continuing. Hopefully they'll feud Lashley with Snitsky so that everyone realizes how boring these two guys really are.
Smackdown!:
The Great Khali will be taking his oversized and overrated Punjabi carcass back to the B show...good for WWE. Beyond that, Smackdown will receive Torrie Wilson, Chris Masters, and one of the biggest surprises of the night - Ric Flair.
ECW:
Ok...this show just went from being one of the least watchable shows on television to (maybe) the best show that WWE can provide. Two factors play a part here: the guys that ECW got, and the guys that ECW lost.
Receiving Chris Benoit, the best wrestler in the company, and the Boogeyman, one of the most entertaining guys in the company, will drastically improve the brand. Just imagine...CM Punk teaming up with Chris Benoit to take on Marcus Cor Von and Elijah Burke. That's straight up awesome. Also, look for the Boogeyman to feud with Kevin Thorn.
Maybe the best part of the night for ECW was the fact that they lost some guys. Bobby Lashley and Snitsky are finally gone!!! Lashley was never a good champ and Snitsky was just obnoxious. I only wish Extreme Expose had been drafted off as well...
WWE put on an AWESOME show tonight and is showing a great creative direction with the company. VINCE MCMAHON PRESUMED DEAD??? Interesting storyline...who blew up his car? My prediction would have to be Paul Heyman, but we'll see. Who do you think tried to knock off McMahon? What do you think of the draft? Slap a nice little comment on the board.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
