Nancy Benoit had pretty much retired from the wrestling business. Previously, she was one of my favorites, in the role of 'Woman', usually managing a bad guy. Her autograph was one of the first I ever got from a pro wrestler.
Chris was one of my favorite wrestlers. He was sort of an underdog. He was a bit undersized, but always giving a great effort in the ring. He was intense and technically sound.
I met Chris several times. The first time was at the Brian Pillman Memorial event in 2001. JayHawk Evans and I shared an elevator with him (as we were in the same hotel). He was quiet, but returned our simple greeting.
At the Pillman event, when I walked up to Chris, he was quiet, but really lit up when I asked him about his newborn son Daniel. Daniel seemed to be the light of his life. He even smiled. These few moments are forever etched in my mind.
When news hit of the horrendous events, I was shocked. Subsequent reports indicate that Chris was on incredible amounts of steroids and had suffered several concussions. His brain had damage on all four lobes. However, none of the explanations can make this situation any less horrific.
A child and his mother were murdered. A man killed himself in the aftermath. During what should have been a great time in their lives, their lives ended. It's all so horribly sad.
Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit and me in Cincinnati, OH-May 2000.
2 comments:
I have attempted to meet him two times when I was a kid in Stampede days. He was a face when I tried to get his auto and he was a real d*(&. The second time was the same. after the tragedy, I was not really surprised.
KC-
I have heard the same from others. That's one reason why I tried talking about his son. It seemed to work.
I will never defend the guy. He was an entertaining wrestler, but that means nothing in the overall picture.
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