Although sometimes the McMahon conglomerate like to treat us as such, we here in the WWE Universe are not stupid. We know what happened, we saw the aftermath and suffered the consequences alongside with the WWE and its roster
at the time. So if Vince and Co. worried about the small minority that will blast them for about a month, then crawl back into the holes they came from, well then as a personal statement to the McMahon family, we seriously
underestimated your “testicular fortitude.”
We also understand the need to put an asterisk next to his name, as will all people with intelligence higher than that of a third grader. And I would like to add to those at WWE corporate, we suffered the loss right alongside you, so
don’t for one second think you should leave the Universe out of the equation. The thing is about this issue, is that the WWE seemingly are under the impression that an induction will be celebrating what he did in his last days. Which is
suffice to say, stupid to say the very least.
No. You are not celebrating the Chris Benoit murders, you are celebrating the Chris Benoit legacy. The matches that influenced a generation of your very own Superstars. The good that he did while he was on this planet before those dark days of 2007. And quite frankly you are celebrating the greatest matches in history (more on that later) and the Superstars he had them with. Some of which are still on your roster. Chris Jericho for example. Oh and wait, the COO
himself, Triple H. Was he not at Wrestlemania 20?
How about Nancy Benoit? She herself has a history with ECW so there is no reason she AND her son can’t be remembered alongside him. And what about Eddie Guerrero, who undoubtedly had his best matches with Benoit? Quite frankly, to not honour those moments as well as the rest is not only an insult to Eddie’s memory, but an insult to his loyal fans within the WWE Universe, whether they know it or not. Contrary to popular belief, wrestling fans are all not beer drinking rednecks and Fox News devotees with low IQ’s. We get it, you can
induct his influence, not his actions.
Which is a nice segueway into my next point.
This man and his legacy, regardless if you love him or hate him (or both), is a true professional wrestling story that can educate the masses, especially those who are looking into a career in the field of Sports Entertainment, on not only how it is done on a technical level, but an essential guide to the do’s and don’ts associated with becoming an athlete of this calibre.
Education about the effects of anabolic steroid use and constant concussions distributed through the public via a Chris Benoit Induction can only be a good thing for the community at large. From a personal standpoint, in this writer’s country of origin it has been recently reported that there is an epidemic of anabolic steroid use within the local gym communities.
Now if this is factual journalism (who knows nowadays) what better way to educate than showcasing the rise and fall of Chris Benoit (See what was done there?) And anyone who would refuse to get help after learning that story would more than likely be beyond hope, albeit some Divine intervention for those who believe.
This is why WWE Studios should maybe also consider funding the proposed film about Benoit starring Liev Schreiber, which not only if kept true to the story could enlighten the masses on what really happened and what preventive steps have been take to never let it happen again, but give this once fledgling studio serious Oscar Buzz.
Is that not what is “Best for Business?”
WWE’s attitude towards charity is well renowned within the wrestling community, not to mention both in the realm that is pop culture and the corporate world. They take their charitable causes very seriously over there at the McMahon Conglomerate, with various causes and institutions reaping the benefits of this generous billion dollar company like the Make A Wish Foundation and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure to Cancer, just to name a few.
So if you really want to shoot down the inevitable backlash from close minded thinkers on the issue of a Benoit induction, why not donate all proceeds made from any type of promotion to charity? Have a set up by his Hall of Fame booth to collect funds for mental health causes & concussive medicine research? Hell, you could even fund a medical facility dedicated to this field of study. (Update: Does the Sports Legacy Institute ring a bell? You know, the one Triple H is on the board of directors of?)
There are endless opportunities to “exploit” (for lack of a better word) the Benoit situation for good, rather than evil. As with the education that was previously mentioned, charity is a good thing and the WWE are well aware of this. No reason why the fight against mental illness could not have a pivotal role in a Chris Benoit induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Let’s not forget the aforementioned Sean O’Haire, who may be still alive today if mental health services were not only fully funded but readily available to him
Lets face it, not only has Triple H had his fair share of concussions and shots to the skull, his former use of steroids has been well documented. As did just about everyone prior the WWE Wellness policy. Even Indy wrestlers still
take heads shots to this day so you have to think of the potential WWE Superstars coming through the ranks. Just look at Dean Ambrose, aka Jon Moxley’s sordid past in regards to the “hardcore” style of professional wrestling.
So, although the truth is harsh and the wording is cold, the questions stands and has significant relevance to anyone who has lost a loved one through tragedy caused by mental illness or violent crime. What if it was the Paul Levesque murders? And don’t take this as a personal attack either, as there has
been precedent.
Following a dispute with the WWE, on June 15, 2002 police were called to the residence of one Stone Cold Steve Austin in San Antonio, Texas. They found his wife, a former WWE Diva Debra Marshall screaming hysterically and covered with
bruises. After a brief run from the law, on August 14, 2002, Austin was arrested and charged with domestic abuse. He pled no contest on November 25, 2002 and was given a year’s probation, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to carry out eighty hours of community service. Marshall would later claim that Austin was a steroid user and this incident was the result of “roid rage.”
Stone Cold himself said that it was due to exhaustion, leading to what some refer to as a “mental break.” Now let’s ask the question, what if Stone Cold did not snap out of his mental break and went on a murder spree, first killing his wife, then killing the police sent to chase him, before killing himself? Would Vince try to erase the man who literally saved is company in the Monday Night Wars?
Yet on the following RAW while he was in fact on the run from the Law for domestic abuse, Vince McMahon honored him with a toast. Does that not scream hypocrisy to you? The WWE simply can’t justify their actions when it comes to honoring those who commit the same sort of violence against women that Benoit did, regardless of the severity or outcome. And if Mike Tyson (or how about Pat Patterson, considering the molestations allegations against that man?) can be inducted but Chris Benoit can’t, than the sanctimoniousness attitude of one Vince McMahon would be laughable if this was not a serious issue on a VERY personal standpoint with this writer.
And if for one second you can make the WWE Universe believe that you would not honor your family with a hall of fame induction if the situation involved them, well I will leave that opinion up to you, our reader for our comments sections. Using a statement which I tend to use regularly when it comes to the world of Sports Entertainment, “it is not rocket science.”
You can have debate after debate about who is the definitive “Best In The World” (at what they do), but if it truly comes down to pure skill, it comes back to Benoit every time. Vince can despise him and erase him all he likes, but there is no escaping this fact. And from a mental health standpoint, the sooner Vince realizes this, the better. Sometimes, simple acceptance of what has happened is the best therapy, it’s called “letting go.”
To deny a generation of fans and potential Superstars to learn from the actual and definitive best in the world is to deny wrestling as a whole of a potential era of truly great and technical wrestling. Chris Benoit matches are quite frankly second to none. Even his low card matches against lesser, technically skilled Superstars would most often than not be the best of the night and made his opponent shine like never before.
And the thing that made Chris Benoit stand out above the rest is that you don’t have to name specifics, you just have to literally say, “go watch a Chris Benoit match.” It is an ultra rare occurrence for someone to have a perfect run when it comes to the quality of their matches, you could probably count them with one hand.
And Chris Benoit, whether you think of him as a cold blooded murderer or a mental patient that fell through the cracks, would be at the top of your list in regards to his in ring ability and technical skill. And what exactly is the worse scenario here, having his legacy erased and us remember him as the former, or use his legacy to educate and have us remember him as the latter.
From a personal standpoint, Chris Benoit was a favourite of mine, I met him, he inspired me through the dark days of my life and I was devastated beyond words at his actions on that fateful weekend. But through time I have let my wound heal not with the scar of hate, but a symbol of recognition for the good that he done and the inspiration he was in his previous years of existence, not the actions of a man who caused such heartbreak in the final three days of his life. And I would accept an induction (to a point as previously mentioned) with little hesitation.
Does that make me a bad person? I sincerely hope not.
R.I.P. Benoit family.
