I was really looking forward to the three hour WWE Monday Night Raw on June 25th. The previews indicated a comedy filled show designed to dissuade the negative publicity the WWE received towards killing off the on-air character of Vince McMahon, WWE’s chairman. I TIVOed the show as I was recovering from a virus and my wife wanted to watch a movie on Lifetime. Sleep (or just about anything else) is better than anything on Lifetime, and I knew I would have time to watch the show Tuesday morning. When I turned on Raw I was stunned by what I saw, and not in a positive way. The opening image was indicating that star wrestler Chris Benoit had died.
As I fast forwarded through the opening video I saw Benoit’s face on a black screen with the simple text “1967-2007”. Any wrestling fan is far to familiar with this image, the passing of another member of wrestling’s family. While in a state of disbelief, I quickly rewound the video to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. It was no secret Benoit had missed shows over the weekend (including a Pay Per View event where he would have had a shot at winning a World Title) to fly home to deal with a family emergency. Even with this knowledge, I thought this might be all part of some sadistic joke. When I saw the formerly deceased (for television purposes) Vince McMahon standing in the middle of the ring in an empty arena I knew this was no joke. (Thankfully the WWE decided to drop the Vince McMahon death angle, and later decided not to mention Benoit on television again once some of the facts of his death became apparent). I darted to my computer (sliding my almost seven month pregnant wife out of the way) to see if this was real. Much to my horror I found out Benoit was believed to be part of a murder/suicide involving his son and wife (a former wrestling valet herself). There were no words to adequately explain how I felt, but I was filled with a sudden sense of confusion, anger, sadness, and amazement. I am not going to fuel the fire around this tragedy because all of the facts have not been released (I may fuel or even start fires, but not involving deaths of families, illegal substances, and other tragedies) but I hope the initial reports are wrong. Either way, the wrestling world has lost another star, a legend, and a man that was held in the highest regards by his peers.
Chris Benoit was one of the most well respected wrestlers in the world, despite having a lack of natural athletic ability. Benoit prided himself on working harder than anyone else in his business, using is drive and motivation to hone his craft to the level of a master. He was a teacher to some of the best young talent in wrestling, and helped bring out the best in any person he stepped into the ring with. I had the privilege to see him live numerous times and it was obvious that he was a perfectionist, never happy with himself if he was off of his game. Benoit was the person young talent wanted to work with; he was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, and the type of person that would take a green rookie under his wing. His latest “protégé” is a wrestler MVP (Montel Vontavious Porter) that had struggled with legal problems in the past. Benoit was known as a person willing to give anyone a second chance, no matter what they had done in the past.
The career Benoit had chosen was a brutal one, both mentally and physically. Being on the road over three hundred days a year with no more than a few weeks off at any time makes for horrible working conditions. Wrestlers are generally only paid if they work at a show, but most are expected to show up at all events, often paying for travel out of their own pocket. There is no health care in wrestling, and it is next to impossible to find an independent company that would insure a person that fights for a living. Injuries are as common as bad airline food, but if you don’t show up and work you don’t get paid often at the expense of your place in a company. It is no surprise that pain medications are often used and abused, as it is sometimes the only way a wrestler can make ends meet. The people that bring us so much joy in the ring often spend their time out of the ring battling personal demons, all in the name of entertainment. This tragedy is an example of the fight, an unsuccessful one albeit, to battle personal issues.
While Chris Benoit’s legacy will forever be tarnished by a horrible incident out of the ring, it is difficult to look past the joy he has brought people around the world. Benoit was active in many charities, he went on several tours to visit our troops putting their lives on the line for our safety, and helped give back to families of colleagues that had passed away. Before you judge Chris Benoit as just a horrible human being, try to look at some of the good he did and the happiness he brought to others. While that doesn’t make up for what he did to his family, it does show that he isn’t just some heartless monster. I personally will always remember the amazing man that showed skill, grace, and dedication, not just as a murderer.
No comments:
Post a Comment