Ultimately, the reputation of Chris Benoit in respect to the WWE Universe comes down to the feelings of one person: Vince McMahon. Bob Holly first worked for the then-World Wrestling Federation in 1991. Virtually every wrestler to cross paths with Chris Benoit could arguethat he has strongly personally reasons for whyhe feels the wayhe does about his actions. Be the first one to comment on this story. Please logout and login again. In fact, many remembered him to be a respectful, devoted person to his craft, his friends, and especially his family, but Chris was far from the perfect person. There may be some truth to that idea, in general, yet it also needs to be pointed out that every other wrestler experienced similar conditions, and 99.9% of them didnt murder their families, so it makes total sense Vince doesnt want people focusing on the .1%who did. We briefly discussed Stampede Wrestling, the Hart's and then I concluded with this question. If you want some great tips on how to collect celebrity contact information check out my new celebrity addresses page: Click Here. The Benoits moved into their Fayetteville, Georgia home in 2005, shortly after it was constructed. ATLANTA-A verbal agreement has been reached in the fight over the estate of Canadian pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife . We shook hands, introduced ourselves and he joked, "Boy, I feel like a ghost." Nancys sister and pro wrestler Chris Jericho recalled that he would disappear for weeks on end and that he seemed paranoid. . Chris Benoit became a highly respected wrestler, especially for his technical skills in the ring. The WWF transitioned to a more adult-oriented product in late 1997 in what is now looked back on as The Attitude Era. He trained under Stu Hart and was taught a high-risk and physical style. Perhaps the first wrestler to buck this trend was Batista, a close friend of Benoit who released his autobiography in October 2007, a mere three months after the tragedy took place. By and large, the wrestling business has turned its back on Benoit in the wake of his crimes, and rightfully so. Chris Benoit is a name that is hard to talk about. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. For this reason, its probably not all that surprising hes one of the few who would buck convention and speak glowingly about Chris Benoit on an episode of The Stone Cold Podcast. Angle entered the WWE Universe in 1999 and was WWE Champion by the year 2000, one of the fastest rises in the companys history. Holly shared the following when asked by Ross what was the night like when he found out that Chris, Nancy, and Daniel were gone. There are three garage stalls. However, the investigation into why the wrestlers life had come to such a grisly end was just beginning. When Michael Cole calls John Cena the Face of WWE, he doesnt simply mean that the 16-time World Champion is the most famous superstar in the business. Chris Benoits murder of his wife and young son and suicide shocked pro-wrestling. He and I were pretty tight. However, the rise of the New World Order in 1996 as well as Pillman's departure to the WWE proved to be a serious blow to the Horsemen's relevance in WCW. He noted that the J Cup was always a special night and in fact, upon winning the Royal Rumble, the Super J Cup immediately came to mind as he was physically and mentally exhausted. Even so, Venis and Benoit only crossed paths in WWE a handful of times in Raw and SmackDown matches that have mostly been forgotten. Of courese he could call anyone. Details here. It was May 28, 2007 (my birthday) and we met Chris Benoit in front of the John Labatt Centre, later renamed Budweiser Gardens. After nearly 10 minutes of chatting, we shook hands, parted ways and he couldn't have been any nicer or more accommodating to me. A letter, penned by Chris Benoit, was later found with the introduction "I am preparing to leave this Earth". He joked, "you're making me look taller than I already am.". Im a writer, author, wife, and animal lover. For a crash course in how two wrestlers can make one anothers careers in 7 matches or less, look no further than the series between Booker T and Chris Benoit that took place in WCW throughout 1998. The tragedy was discovered after Chris Benoit failed to show up for a scheduled wrestling match. Chair shots to the head were banned and blood usage was restricted. Bob Holly continued, So I didnt call him; I just went home. Chris Benoit killed his wife Nancy Benoit, and their son Daniel. Main Eventer. In 2016, Jerichos stance changed a bit during a discussion with Nancys sister Sandra, where he learned new details about his friends horrific crime spree. Luke is an avid wrestling VHS tape and memorabilia collector. "Toothless aggression" is a phrase that is closely associated with Benoit. Guerrero's nephew and former tag teammate, Chavo Guerrero, likewise noted that it was almost like Benoit lost a spouse now that he was, for the first time in his wrestling career, showing emotion to his fellow wrestlers. "What advice would you give to AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe?" He did have his share of memorable feuds, including one with Booker T that featured a best-of-seven series for the World Television Championship in 1998. As his father later told ABC News, Benoit wanted to wrestle even as a young boy. Hed been depressed since his friend, fellow wrestler Eddie Guerrero, died suddenly in 2005. A mass killer is defined as one person who kills 3 or more individuals arbitrarily in a contained population at a single point in time. Holly shared the following when asked by Ross what was the night like when he found out that Chris, Nancy, and Daniel were gone. But, as mentioned above, one of the most significant factors was the death of Chris Benoit. Why was Chris so adamant about having Holly at his house? This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Performers in the pro wrestling business usually claim a certain brotherhood exists between all coworkers, as they share certain experiences no one outside of the industry could ever understand. Barry Williams/Getty ImagesA makeshift memorial at the Benoit house in Fayetteville, Georgia, shortly after Chris Benoit died after killing his family. Growing up in Edmonton in the 1970s, Chris Benoit had pro wrestling dreams at a very young age(via Maxim). Believe it or not, once upon a time, Triple H and Chris Benoit were considered extremely close friends. Many reports have confirmed that Chris Benoit was originally booked to win the ECW World Championship at the event. He even developed business plans and merchandise designs for the school. Back when Punk was still working for WWE, Punk was asked if the company was trying to erase Benoit from history, and unlike the usual company line at the time, he refused to back down. [Photo courtesy of Pro Wrestling . Most fans are aware of the crime that has since overshadowed all of Benoit's accomplishments and sullied his reputation as a hard-nosed, yet technically gifted worker who could have a fantastic match with just about anybody. He knew these were going to be from a big pro-wrestling fan. WWE 7. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. As a teenager, he trained at wrestling icon Stu Hart's "Dungeon" before making his professional debut in 1985 for Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion, aged just 18 years old at that time. Chris brutally murdered his wife Nancy and his 7 year old son then hung himself. His family noted an increase in mood swings, as well as a tendency to become . Tonight, WWE performers will do what they do better than anyone else in the world -- entertain you." McMahon almost apologized, but . All three were dead. To date, The Rabid Wolverine continues to divide opinions amongst wrestling fans -- while some believe that his actions were unpardonable, others think that he should still be remembered as a performer who entertained fans inside the squared circle. Benoit missed the house shows leading up to the show and the event itself, leading to WWE replacing him with Johnny Nitro. Bob Holly is a former professional wrestler who is best known for his long tenure in the WWE. When Chris sent the text messages, that could have been a cry for help. Chris Benoit also graduated from the illustrious Dungeon. According to Sports Keeda, Nancy claimed that Chris Benoit could get unpredictable when he lost his temper, and she worried hed hurt her or their son, Daniel. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or use their 24/7 Lifeline Crisis Chat. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation, possibly after a brief struggle where Benoit bloodied her head. The police cannot find his cell phone or the needles they say Chris used to inject himself with steroids shortly before he died. For most of his time in WCW, Benoit was utilized as a mid-card talent. He called me cause I had gone to Atlanta for some business up there, and he went to the doctor. This all culminated at WrestleMania XX in 2004, where the two longtime friends celebrated in the ring as new world champions Benoit, representing the Raw brand, won the World Heavyweight Championship, while Guerrero, who was affiliated with the SmackDown brand, beat Kurt Angle to take the WWE Championship. In the summer of 2007, the national news was flush with stories about the brutal slayings of Nancy and Daniel Benoit at the hands WWE Superstar Chris Benoit. He rapidly ascended from the Stampede Wrestling circuit to the New Japan World Wrestling circuit, then to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF)/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Near the . All revealed: The first film gave no hints about Benoit's private life but this time around we find out a little more about him, including the fact that he has a live-in boyfriend - played by a. This shocking piece of information was revealed by Sandra Toffoloni, who is the sister-in-law of Benoit. Though some answers emerged after Chris Benoits death, the world would never know what motivated the bloody end of the wrestler who killed his family and then himself. Almost a year after Benoit's death, it was also officially announced that WWE was switching from TV-14 to TV-PG. The home, which had an approximate value of $900,000 in 2007, has a wood deck, patio, swimming pool, and 5,380 square feet. The wrestling world was stunned and. For more information, please see our It may feel like hyperbole to claim all of their success was based on this one series of matches, yet thats exactly what Booker T did in a 2017 interview. Long-time friends Chris Benoit and Bob Holly. Growing up in California and Oregon, Holly watched Big Time Wrestling and Portland Wrestling, idolizing Pat Patterson, Curt Hennig, Jesse Ventura, and Roddy Piper. 10 things you probably didn't know about Chris Benoit, Chris Benoit was originally booked to win the ECW World Championship. They were former WWE Tag Team Champions together and had also feuded over the Intercontinental and European belts, not to mention the fact they were also extremely close behind the scenes. Holly drew attention in 2002 when he appeared as a guest coach on a season 3 episode of Tough Enough, a reality show where hopefuls competed for a WWE contract. That said, it's a bit misleading to say that Benoit has been erased from WWE's history books. Benoit's professional debut also came at Stampede Wrestling, which is Stu Hart's promotion. And so, he said, Hey, I just left Dr. Astons office, Im on my way home how come youre not up here? And its like, wow". It sits on 0.15 acres of property and has views of the Rocky Mountains. After he said how he felt about me cause I wasnt coming up there to hang out with him or whatever, it was just small talk. During a match against Sabu at the November to Remember pay-per-view in 1994, Benoit flipped his opponent in the air, but Sabu turned his head awkwardly while taking the back body drop, as seen in thisclip from the match. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). After all, he had been devastated by the sudden loss of his brother-in-arms, fellow WWE wrestler Eddie Guerrero, who died of a heart attack in his hotel room at the age of 38. Bite My Shinny Metal Ass. Speaking about the incident, Morrison said he and many others broke down and cried when they heard the news, citing that Nancy and Daniel were extremely nice people who didnt deserve their fate. [Photo: WWE]In January of 2004, Holly challenged Lesnar unsuccessfully for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. According to Pro Wrestling Stories and Sports Keeda, they implemented a no chair shots to the head rule, brought in doctors to supervise matches, and started conducting more thorough drug testing. He won 22 championships and was frequently praised for his prowess in the ring, especially his technical skill. It would be an understatement to say that the incident changed WWE, as the effects are felt to this date. But while it is indeed a fact that Benoit's wife and son are no more, he has one other surviving relative. Nancy wanted Chris Benoit to quit wrestling in 2007. Cables, ladders, chairs the props they were using when they were getting hit in the head. Hows everything going with you know? However, some individuals were extremely close friends with Chris Benoit the man, to the extent they still cant reconcile the person he was with the way he ended his and his familys lives. To call New Jack and Chris Benoit polar opposites would be a massive understatement, as the only thing they have in common at all is that they're both wrestlers who competed for ECW in the mid-'90s. If you were a fan in the early-to-late 2000s, you knew what to expect upon hearing the strains of Our Lady Peace's "Whatever" on WWE programming it was time for Chris Benoit to put on another wrestling clinic. Studies of Chris brain has yielded numerous analyses, such as one from the Sports Legacy Institute suggesting that the repeated concussions Benoit sustained in his wrestling career may have played a contributing role to his final actions. Fun Fact: I'm 6'2'', so I had to lean over for the shot. It was concluded that Chris Benoit took the lives of his wife and son, then took his own life. The last photo taken of Chris Benoit, one week before his death The Murder/Suicide The murder-suicide took place over a 3 day period - June 22-24, 2007 at Chris & Nancy's home in Fayetteville, Georgia. Stories about Chris Benoit behind the curtain and about the events of June 2007 have drawn attention to the minds of many in the years that have since passed, and Chris has been scolded by some of his peers while remembered positively by others. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Shane Helms learned Chris Benoit felt this way about him in a major way when he was sidelined from the sport for over a full year due to a severe neck injury. Chris Jericho telling his stories of Chris Benoit on the Season 2 premiere of 'Dark Side of the Ring.' Vice/YouTube. Together, they were known as the Radicalz, and while the faction didn't last that long, Benoit and Guerrero would go on to enjoy much greater success in singles competition in the coming years. Chris could only be reached on his cell phone about 3 hours later. Thus, him missing Vengeance was a cause of concern for the WWE. When I'm not blogging I'm usually trail hiking where I enjoy photographing Florida wildlife like this gopher tortoise. "That played a role,". Sherry Martel's death is even more suspicious to me. Early in the run of his series, Austin knew this question would come up, so he gave a few quick thoughts summing up his feelings on the matter, hoping fans wouldnt keep asking him about it. Benoit then told Guerrero that his wife, Nancy . The company's website still recognizes his 153-day reign as World Heavyweight Champion in 2004, and there are some news articleson the site that mention him by name, including a few that detail developments related to the murder-suicide. This was a murder-suicide spree that lasted over, I believe, a three-day weekend, Dr. Julian Bailes, who works for West Virginia Universitys Health and Science Center, told ABC News. His top right lateral incisor was missing for the majority of his career, and the general belief was that Benoit lost this tooth after taking a knock during training or during a match early in his career. It included tales from those close to the Benoits such as Nancys sister Sandra Toffolini and close friend Vickie Guerrero along with professional wrestlers Chris Jericho, Chavo Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Benoits first son David. 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No matter who it was from, each story had a similarity: the person Chris was at his death was not the person many remembered him to be over his 22-year career and 40 years in life. Pin On June 25, 2007, Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were found dead in their Fayetteville, Georgia, home at around 2:30 p.m. EDT. It was determined that the family had been killed in a three day long murder-suicide perpetrated by Chris. Granted, this was no longer the classic version of the stable, but Ric Flair and Arn Anderson were still members, and Benoit's arrival gave them another young talent(along with Brian Pillman) to keep the group fresh in the changing wrestling landscape. Nancy Benoit was bound. After reading about the death of Chris Benoit and his murders, go inside the untimely death of comedian John Candy. Pretty much every wrestler who says positive things about Chris Benoit to this day knew him when he was alive, generally as a good friend. During May of 2007, a colleague of mine noted that she was going to interview Chris Benoit on behalf of our college radio station. The death of his best friend crushed Chris Benoit. Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer has always referred to Chris Benoit as a legendary wrestler. Or, discover the disturbing story of Juana Barraza, the pro-wrestler who made a habit out of murdering old ladies. That same day, his friend Chavo Guerrero, the nephew of the late wrestler Eddie Guerrero, received a strange message from the wrestler. (Brian Adams and Johnny Crush in July and August 07) Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Brian Pillman all died the night before they were set to win title belts. While Helms obviously finds what Benoit did horrible, he argued that people suffering from severe mental illness cant be blamed for what they do in the same sense a cancer victim cant be blamed for having contracted the disease. Holly met another Pringle, Percy Pringle better known as Paul Bearer who encouraged Holly to send in a 2-minute audition tape. Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times. It was in the Hardcore division where Holly found success and popularity, most famously winning the Hardcore Championship on the banks of the Mississippi River at the St. Valentines Day Massacre pay-per-view in February 1999 and then regaining the title in the opening contest of WrestleMania 15, and in the battle royal at WrestleMania 2000. It's all part of WWE's continued refusal to promote anything that Benoit ever accomplished during his time as a professional wrestler. But this also meant he was largely kept away from major rivalries and storylines; it didn't help that Benoit was one of the "vanilla midgets"whom nWo co-founder KevinNash felt were too small and uncharismatic to make an impact in the wrestling business(via Grantland). His friends and the WWE grew concerned after he no-showed the various events for that weekend. Benoit took steroids and testosterone in defiance of WWE policy, and his opponents frequently struck him in the head with heavy objects. Search photo: You are interested in: Chris benoit house photos. Sadly, Eddie Guerrero died of an enlarged heart on November 13, 2005, aged just 38 years old. If you find that some photos violates copyright or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. He teamed up with Rick Patterson to face off against Butch Moffat and Mike Hammer in his debut match back in 1985. Published: January 31, 2019. Along the way, Benoit became a highly regarded wrestler. This was the main focus of Jerichos thoughts during his many news appearances, with his favorite talking points all focused on the fact Benoit was a great friend, husband, and father up until the very last moments of his life. For some reason, though, Punk was quick to make surprisingly positive comments about the man in spite of both this personal slight and the far worse things Benoit did to his family. David Benoit was born in the year 1993, in Canada. Either that, or the real killers sent the text messages so that the police could find out and so that the faster the police there, the faster Chris Benoit's legacy could be ruined. I've never formally documented this story, but have shared it with dozens of friends. It has produced some great wrestling performers, including the likes of Chris Jericho, Jushin Thunder Liger, Edge, Christian, and Lance Storm, apart from the Hart Family members like Owen, Bret, Natalya, and others. One of WWE's most iconic wrestlers of the early 2000s, Chris Benoit died by suicide in 2007 after he strangled his wife to death and suffocated his young son at his home. Chris Benoit's House 130 Green Meadow Ln, Fayetteville, GA 30215 . Archived post. In this article, we try to look beyond the tragedy and take a closer glimpse at the man. In a match with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar on WWE SmackDown in September 2002, Holly legitimately broke his neck during the match, leaving him out of action for one year. Benoit then told Guerrero that his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, were suffering from food poisoning. A key focus of the documentary is that after Eddie Guerrero died in 2005, Chris Benoit fell apart emotionally. Dino Bravo | His Shocking Death and Why He Was Murdered by the Mob. He made his debut under his name that year in Japan, but three years later, Benoit wrestled under a mask and was known as the Pegasus Kid. Their 11,376 square foot, 5-bed and 8-bath suburban home was the site of JonBent's tragic murder in 1996. . Jericho's and Benoits careers had been intertwined for some time by then, both as friends and enemies. Holly was then drafted to the revived ECW brand in 2006, and another memorable "Hardcore Holly" moment occurred during an Extreme Rules match with Rob Van Dam. While Benoits intensity inside the squared circle was unmatched and was a big part of what made him a star, behind the scenes, he was a calm, sensitive soul whom much of the locker room could rely on when times were tough. He then went on to compete for New JapanPro-Wrestling and had a brief stint in World Championship Wrestling in the early '90s. Before his marriage to Nancy Benoit, Chris was married to Martina Benoit. If anyone should be honored, the publication suggests, its his murdered wife Nancy, who had a wrestling career of her own for 13 years. But WWE wanted Benoit to stay on the payroll and were planning to give him another championship push. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Before Chris Benoit's death, he seemed to have it all. Fast forward two decades, to the year 2006, and Japan witnessed the second Pegasus Kid Finn Balor this time as the new wrestler under the mask. He married Nancy in November 2000, eight months after the birth of their son, Daniel. * The WAW was featured in the movie Fighting With My Family and was founded by the Knight family. As Chris Jericho testifies, Benoit and Nancy's relationship went from very loving to, in Jericho's carefully chosen words, "volatile.". The condo where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were brutally stabbed to death. This subreddit is not meant to glorify mass killers, but rather to discuss and attempt to understand their behavior. The Day I Met Chris Benoit Three Weeks Prior to the Tragic Double Murder-Suicide. I said, How are you and Nancy doing? cause I knew him and Nancy were having trouble because we talked and he said, his exact words were: Aww, shes acting like Hitler again.. Unfortunately was it her possible to get o. After committing these heinous acts, Benoit took his own life, leaving a shocked and confused industry behind, wondering what possibly caused the man they knew to turn into a monster. "What can you promise tomorrow on Smackdown?" The next day, he realized what Benoithad done that led to him becoming champion, and the achievement was heavily marred, to say the least. Well, thats the cleaned up version, anyway. Chris lifted weights every day. They became close after the incident and Benoit shared notes about his deep bonding with Eddie in his diary entries as well. Along the way, he had a great deal of training during a prolonged feud against Chris Benoit, which continued pretty much until Angle left the company in 2006. Holly revealed that he had plans with Chris in his last days that would have had Bob going to the Benoit house when the murders occurred. June 24, 2007 a date many see as just another in existence.

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