From the Vault: Chris Benoit

(NOTE: I plan to post any old columns writings of mine on here from my days at The North Star and random blogs I have floating on the internet, if I can find them.  This was originally written on July 4, 2007 and is about the Chris Benoit tragedy.  More info on the Benoit double murder-suicide.)

Wow, what a week or so. I'll be honest, the past week has been just about the toughest week of my life. This tragedy is 10-times worse than 9/11 or Katrina for me. I've been trying for the past week to write this blog. but it's been too damn hard to put things in print. Going from mourning the loss of the greatest ever to trying comprehend that one of my favorites is a family killing monster has been pretty tough to stomach.


I love professional wrestling. Since watching a bootlegged copy of SummerSlam 1991, I have loved the business for the past 16 years. I have had cable television since June of 1994, ever since then, my Monday's at 9PM have been occupied. Throw in shows on practically every night of the week from multiple companies, I have spent far too much time watching wrestling but I love wrestling. That's why the events of the past week have like a kick right in the stomach. The death of Owen Hart was a result of a stupid stunt that never should have been tried in the first place. The death of Eddie Guerrero was heartbreaking because the man living the fairytale story (man's life ruined by drugs & alcohol who lost his family and then overcame it all and got everything back and went on to become WWE Champion), did not have a fairytale ending. The tragic deaths of Chris Benoit, Nancy Daus-Benoit and Daniel Benoit make no sense and we will never get answers. What was going through his head? Was he mentally ill? Was he provoked and then just snapped? Was this man who so fans loved and respected just a sick monster? Why?

Chris Benoit was one of the best. Not maybe, not probably, just one of the best in terms of actual skill. When names like Hart, Flair, Steamboat, Michaels are thrown around and your name is in that conversation (and Chris Benoit's was), you're pretty good. Whether it was brawling, chain wrestling, submissions, flying, etc, Chris Benoit could do it. I truly think if you wanted to build a pro wrestler, you would build Chris Benoit. His biggest moment was WrestleMania 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the biggest show in WWE history at the most revered arena in the sport, and Chris Benoit became the World Heavyweight Champion by defeating two sure fire, first ballot Hall of Famers (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) in the main event. Hardcore fans rejoiced on that night because Chris Benoit was one ours. He wasn't the biggest, he didn't have an amazing personality or give hilaurious interviews like The Rock, he was just an amazing athlete who never got the proper recognition. But on that night, March 14, 2004 in New York City, Vince McMahon agreed with us on the biggest night in his companies history, that Chris Benoit was the best in the world. That night left us with the lasting image of Chris Benoit as the World Heavyweight Champion and Eddie Guerrero as the WWE Champion, two men who were closer than brothers hugging in the middle of the ring, shedding tears of joy in a shower of confetti as the biggest night in WWE history came to a close. Now, just over 3 years later they are both gone and Chris Benoit is being slowly erased from WWE history.

Imagine Derek Jeter or Tom Brady killing their family, that is what this like to the wrestling world. I want to remember Chris Benoit making Triple H tap and hugging Eddie Guerrero in MSG. I want to remember Chris Benoit putting on a legendary performance, lasting over an hour to win the 2004 Royal Rumble. I want to remember Chris Benoit putting on one of the greatest matches ever with Kurt Angle at the 2003 Royal Rumble. That is what I want to remember Chris Benoit for, but I just can't, just like I can't look at OJ Simpson as the Heisman winner from USC and a 2,000 yard rusher for the Buffalo Bills. When I think of Chris Benoit I think of him tying up his wife and strangling her to death. When I think of Chris Benoit I think of him strangling a little boy, his 7-year old son, to death. When you are 7 years old and a boy, your father is bigger than God in your eyes. Your dad is everything, the who knows all and can do anything and the man you trust most in the world. I can't imagine what was going through the mind of Daniel Benoit as that man, was squeezing the life out of him. Did he scream for his daddy to stop? Did he even know what was going on? What was his final thought? Did he hear "I love you" one last time from his dad? Maybe I can't imagine or maybe I just don't want to.

It is not my job to judge Chris Benoit, that is for God, who maybe will show mercy. Neither it is the job of the mainstream media who have done a truly terrific hatchet job in covering this tragedy. Who cares if three people are dead? There were STEROIDS in the house. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

I'm not sure how the industry will recover and where the case will go from here, but I do know that every Monday, Tuesday and Friday night will never be the same.

God bless the souls of Nancy & Daniel Benoit and may God have mercy on the soul of Chris Benoit.

Joe Martinez
Wrestling fan since 1991