All Benoit Discussion In Here

Fozzy

First off, you all know the deal. There has been some trouble on the board today, but I want as much as anyone to have a proper discussion

The Wrestling Observer has reported this:

The lack of an understandable explanation to the circumstances of the death of Chris, Nancy and Daniel Benoit has left virtually the entire wrestling community reeling.

Within WWE, the obvious questions and lack of answers are no different from fans and most of his long-time friends.

Vince McMahon was the inspiring general both to the wrestlers as well as the office staff all day yesterday. He held it together and was a rock of strength for much of the talent, which because of their admiration and in many cases love for Benoit, were saddened, perplexed and having an incredibly difficult time dealing with it.

Vince made the decision to run Smackdown and ECW tapings tonight without any angles or backstage storylines. The show will consist of straight wrestling matches and like last night, the original shows were scrapped. The attempt to put together a show was difficult because the crew and creative staff were said to be both emotionally and physically wrecked after yesterday.

The belief is they will brief viewers on what happened early in the show, and then product two low key shows of nothing but matches.

The WWE guys are all in the same boat as us fans. Speculation will do no good until the police explain exactly what happened

Gillie

Its the right move really.

Let the wrestlers express their true feelings for these three shows.

I have to say McMahon has acted with the upmost dignity in this case by all accounts.

Spud83

Exactly the way it should be. You cant pretend nothing has happened, but you cant stop the show either. After these two shows they well have time to figure out the future, and to give there staff some time to come to terms with the recent events.

RebelRockChick

Have respect for Vince on how he started the show last night and scrapped his angle.

All wrestling fans are devasted at this loss but I can only imagine how the people who worked with Benoit, crew and wrestlers, are feeling in all of this. It couldn't have been easy to put on the show!

shinzon

from www.rajah.com

Source: PWInsider.com

WWE has pulled all Chris Benoit merchandise from their Shopzone web site. Obviously this was done in reaction to the recent news regarding the Benoit family tragedy. If you search Benoit’s name on the web site, the result that you get is that the products have been “discontinued.”

Benoit’s name has been so far removed on the web site that the listing for the DVD of WrestleMania XX now reads, "Triple H defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Shawn Michaels."


Hmmm

Shin

Double C

I'm glad they are putting on straight wrestling matches tonight. I wonder how they will approach the whole situation though, seeing as they are basically accusing him of murder on their website, and all evidence so far points in his direction. Should make for very interesting viewing.

Vince135792003

shinzon wrote:

from www.rajah.com

Source: PWInsider.com

WWE has pulled all Chris Benoit merchandise from their Shopzone web site. Obviously this was done in reaction to the recent news regarding the Benoit family tragedy. If you search Benoit’s name on the web site, the result that you get is that the products have been “discontinued.”

Benoit’s name has been so far removed on the web site that the listing for the DVD of WrestleMania XX now reads, "Triple H defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Shawn Michaels."


Hmmm

He could very well be eased from the history of WWE.

ShawnRaven

Vince135792003 wrote:

He could very well be eased from the history of WWE.

WWE have done it before. From a business point of view it's understandable. Vince doesn't want his business going down the crapper over something that is beyond his control.

They'll have a backup of the site anyway so should circumstances change, they'll have the merch back up in a matter of seconds.

VR!

Double C

Well thats ridiculous.

Vince135792003

This is a legacy erasing situation.

On a more practical level, pulling his merchandise is in no way ridiculous. If it was kept up there, you'd have another bunch of people saying it was ridiculous and cold that they kept it up there.

Jerichoholic

For once I think I'm fully behind Vince and the E' on this deal. Benoit will be blackballed, you won't ever hear his name again on WWE.

Xylophonic

Double C wrote:

Well thats ridiculous.

Seconded

ShawnRaven

Jerichoholic wrote:

For once I think I'm fully behind Vince and the E' on this deal. Benoit will be blackballed, you won't ever hear his name again on WWE.

I don't think that will happen. Didn't Jimmy Snuka wake up beside his girlfriend after allegedly strangling her and claim he knew nothing about it? And he's considered a legend.

VR!

Double C

Vince135792003 wrote:

This is a legacy erasing situation.

On a more practical level, pulling his merchandise is in no way ridiculous. If it was kept up there, you'd have another bunch of people saying it was ridiculous and cold that they kept it up there.

I was only implying it was ridiculous not mentioning him in the WM XX main event. Are they going to edit the DVD's to remove him? Not likely. There is no point in trying to sweep his career under the carpet as he has left an indelible mark on the industry and won't be forgotten.

Removing his merchandise is understandable.

Vince135792003

They are taking his name off listed dvd's for sale on their site. Again I can see why their doing it in the same way they are removing his merchandise.

ShawnRaven

It's only a temporary advertising edit until the final story gets straight.
This isn't like Eddie where a t-shirt gets issued after his death and the proceeds go to the family. It's a polar opposite! And Vince, as evil as he's made out to be at times doesn't want "blood money" for the want of a better term selling off Benoit merchandise.

There's enough media coverage to give anyone involved with WWE a migrane headache for years to come. I think it's perfectly understandable what they're doing for the time being.

VR!

Dublin1983

i think if the worst comes to the worst, and the conclusive evidence is there that Chris played a major role in this tragedy. wwe will try to distance them self from him, i cant see him get the hall of fame...which is very sad, as Chris put his heart and soul in to wrestling.

Fozzy

validreasoning! wrote:

I don't think that will happen. Didn't Jimmy Snuka wake up beside his girlfriend after allegedly strangling her and claim he knew nothing about it? And he's considered a legend.

VR!

He was never found guilty though. I'm just trying to think, has there ever been a precendent for a wrestler guilty of murder before? I can only think of Invader I, who killed Bruiser Brody, but was seen as a hero in Puerto Rico for it

Vince135792003

Tributes for the wwe page are disappearing now. Again I can understand why.

Double C

But when people buy the DVD's they will be wondering why some guy who isn't listed to be in the match wins. I don't see the point in it. It would be like saying Phil Spector didn't write "That Lovin' Feeling" brecause he is being accused of murder.

ShawnRaven

Fozzy wrote:

He was never found guilty though.

Neither was OJ Simpson, i think you get my point Foz.
VR!

Fozzy

This is the most confusing death I have ever known. Ultimately I don't believe that a man's life should be judged upon one moment, but Chris did something very wrong. I still find it hard to believe, but I do think WWE are doing the right thing at the moment

Vince135792003

They just removed Carl DeMarco's piece on Benoit.

Spud83

The WWE did say in their press release that they had more information regarding the deaths but had been asked not to release it by the police. It would make sense for them to start preparing for what they expect the police to release later on after they have carried out there lab work.

Steak

validreasoning! wrote:

WWE have done it before.

who did they blackball?

Vince135792003

alanmurphy83 wrote:

The WWE did say in their press release that they had more information regarding the deaths but had been asked not to release it by the police. /QUOTE]

They have just dropped that line from the report.

Its now the top story on CNN. http://www.cnn.com/

Spud83

Vince135792003 wrote:

They have just dropped that line from the report.

Thats even more interesting, all most like they are trying to distance themselves . They are definitly in PR overdrive, and it would be interesting to know how the other wrestlers especially those Chris was close with are reacting to this.

Fozzy

I'm almost glad in a way that Eddy doesn't have to go through this

ShawnRaven

Steak wrote:

who did they blackball?

Nobody, but i never said they did. Read what i quoted, then come back to me

VR!

fatal

DAMN!!!only found out about Benoit when I woke up this morning and thought it was part of a storyline or something.
I know the fans are distraught(I for sure am)but I know those that worked with him are even more distraught than any of us could imagine.
I think it is right to pull ALL storylines for all of the shows this week and just have matches as a tribute to benoit.
I think that WWE have pulled his name from dvd as well as his merchandise until results of autopsies come back and until they know a little more about the situation.
Does anyone happen to know what he said in those text messages that WWE viewed as being suspicious?
A big props to Vince for pulling the "Vince is dead storyline" last night.I for one think that the storyline may change to "who tried to kill Vince".However with this death,I don't think that Vince will want any storyline in the WWE to be associated with death for the near future anyway

Rip Benoit:mad:

Double C

I read that the plan was to have Linda arrested on Raw last night for Vince's murder. Thank god we won't be seeing this.

john concannon

I don't care what any of you think.He couldn't have done something so bad without being mentally frustrated.WWE have said the have secret information.I don't think that he knew what he was doing if he really did murder hos own family.He was the soundest man you could ever meet.Chis was the greatest wrestler of this generation.I will only remember him for his standout wrestling ability and sound personality.

I hope he is the last wrestler to die from one of many horrible deaths.

R.I.P CHRIS,NANCY AND DANIEL.

Fozzy

fatal wrote:

I think it is right to pull ALL storylines for all of the shows this week and just have matches as a tribute to benoit.

I'm not sure that they're really doing it as a tribute, just that everyone's too shocked to do a regular show yet

fatal wrote:

Does anyone happen to know what he said in those text messages that WWE viewed as being suspicious?

The Wrestling Observer reported that:

"The WWE web site reported that Chris Benoit sent some curious text messages early Sunday morning, which concerned friends to alert Richard Hering, WWE's VP of Government Relations to call Fayette County sheriffs on Monday to check the residence.

Benoit sent the text messages to Chavo Guerrero, one of his close friends."

Jonny Arson

WWE and Vince have called everything 100% spot on so far with their actions under such difficult circumstances after yesterday's tragic events

Steak

validreasoning! wrote:

Nobody, but i never said they did. Read what i quoted, then come back to me

VR!

whatever. who did they ease from the history of WWE then?

ShawnRaven

Steak wrote:

whatever. who did they ease from the history of WWE then?

Shane Douglas, both of his runs in WWE in 1990 and 1995 are never spoken about or mentioned in books or whatever.
Hell... even on the last Nitro/RAW simulcast Jeff Jarrett was acknowledged, and he held Vince up for a stackload 2 years before that.

But Douglas was never mentioned on WWE programming, with the exception of the release of the Rise and Fall of ECW.
VR!

Vince135792003

validreasoning! wrote:

Shane Douglas, both of his runs in WWE in 1990 and 1995 are never spoken about or mentioned in books or whatever.

There were clips of him and Taz on the last ppv.

ShawnRaven

Vince135792003 wrote:

There were clips of him and Taz on the last ppv.

Yeah but that was ECW history, not WWE history
VR!

Fozzy

A press conference is expected within an hour with the results of the autopsies according to MSNBC.com

Steak

validreasoning! wrote:

Shane Douglas, both of his runs in WWE in 1990 and 1995 are never spoken about or mentioned in books or whatever.
Hell... even on the last Nitro/RAW simulcast Jeff Jarrett was acknowledged, and he held Vince up for a stackload 2 years before that.

But Douglas was never mentioned on WWE programming, with the exception of the release of the Rise and Fall of ECW.
VR!

why isn't he spoken of anymore? what did he do?

ShawnRaven

Steak wrote:

why isn't he spoken of anymore? what did he do?

Douglas and Shawn Michaels didn't exactly get along. Depending on whos side of the story here, and i'm giving my own here and trying to be objective.

Douglas first came into WWE at the end of 1990 and was given a lower-midcard push. Even given a near 30 minute run at the 1991 Royal Rumble, which was unheard of at the time for a newbie. He vanished shortly afterwards as his father was in ill health. He resurfaced in WCW a year later but left for ECW a few months later when it was still Eastern Championship Wrestling

In 1995 he showed up in WWE with a load of vignettes of a schoolteacher, Dean Douglas. He immediately put in a program with Scott Hall which went nowhere (as did most stories that year), he was then put in a feud with Shawn Michaels, but he and Shawn didn't get along. Douglas had lost a lot of his talent in the past two years, except he didn't believe it. According to Shawns shoot, Shawn and Nash tried to come up with better characters for him rather than the stupid schoolteacher gimmick.

Douglas is of the conclusion that he couldn't get past "the kliq". He was given a brief run with the IC title. It was meant to be for a bit longer but his problems with Michaels ended up with Douglas handing in his notice vowing to Vince that he would never work for WWE again. Shawn in the meantime didn't drop the belt to him, Faked an injury (he did get jumped on by a few guys in Syracuse, but he was medically cleared to compete) and forfeited it at In Your House 4, only to lose it to Scott Hall almost instantly. Douglas got injured shortly after that, appeared at the 1995 Survivor Series, In Your House 5 and then left the company to return to ECW.

Douglas has said on numerous occasions that he'd never work for Vince McMahon, but almost jumped along with Malenko, Benoit, Guerrero, and Saturn. But knowing how badly he'd burnt his bridges, decided against it.

VR!

HBK

just broke on skysports news that the AP have just released a statement...announcing..that...chris benoit strangled his wife.....while then proceeding to smother his son.....eventually hanging himself in his weights room.....man....this is sad

Fozzy

PWInsider are reporting this:

We have learned that authorities believe that Chris Benoit strangled his wife Nancy on Saturday, then killed his son Daniel on Sunday either by strangling him or smothering him in his bed. On Monday, he then hung himself, reportedly in the weight room of his Georgia home. More details are expected to be released by officials later today.

ShawnRaven

Fozzy wrote:

PWInsider are reporting this:

I still don't get what happened to the "poison" story, and where does it fit in?
VR!

Vince135792003

Its the main story on CNN. Here the beginning of the piece:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit canceled a pay-per-view appearance at the "Vengeance" event in Houston because of "personal reasons" a day before he, his wife and their 7-year-old son were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

Details of the deaths "are going to prove a little bizarre" when released to the public, Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A law enforcement official close to the investigation told The Associated Press that Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room.

The rest can be seen here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/06/25/wrestler.dead.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

fatal

What day does dave meltzer's radio show air on?

Im waiting anxiously to see what JR says later today

justbringit89

any sign of this news report video on the net???

Vince135792003

fatal wrote:

What day does dave meltzer's radio show air on?

Sunday.

Fozzy

fatal wrote:

What day does dave meltzer's radio show air on?

It's on Sundays I think. He might end up on one of the Figure 4 shows before then though

Double C

****

Vince135792003

I know there are full of rumors. I'm not sure if its right to post them but I'll let people be the judge of what they read:

PWTorch.com has learned that one major media entity has received an email purporting to be from a friend of the Chris Benoit extended family saying that Benoit accidentally killed his wife in a domestic argument, then panicked and killed his son later so his son could be with his mother rather than grow up without a mom and knowing his father as a murderer.

Another one, from the atlanta journal http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/fayette/stories/2007/06/25/0625benoit.html :

Benoit and his wife went through a period of turbulence early in their marriage that included her claiming domestic abuse and filing for divorce, court records show.

The couple, who had lived together since 1997 and were married in 2000, had separated when Nancy Benoit, a wrestling manager who worked under the stage name "Woman," filed for divorce in May 2003.

In the accompanying petition for protection from domestic abuse, Nancy Benoit, 43, claimed she was intimidated by threats of violence from her 40-year-old, 5-foot-10, 220-pound husband, who was known as the "Canadian Crippler."

Benoit, the petition said, "lost his temper and threatened to strike the petitioner and cause extensive damage to the home and personal belongings of the parties, including furniture and furnishings. Petitioner is in reasonable fear for petitioner's own safety and that of the minor child."

In another count, she claimed Benoit had destroyed furniture in the home.

On May 12, 2003, the same day the divorce and protective order petitions were submitted, a judge issued a restraining order against the wrestler and barred him from the family home in Peachtree City.

On Aug. 19, 2003, Nancy Benoit filed to have the divorce and protective petitions dismissed, and both were.

Police on Tuesday said no gun was used in the killings, but they have declined to say how the three died. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday at the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur.

"The details, when they come out, are going to prove a little bizarre," Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said Tuesday.