R.I.P. Chris Benoit

Long before I was Scooter McGavin, I actually wrote a column for a wrestling website called the Hardcore Report. It has been years since I regularly watched professional wrestling, it may because network television started airing decent programs on Monday nights and the move of Smackdown to Friday, not really a day I like to stay in and watch television, but I occasionally will tune in to see what is going on. Last night I had just finished up a session of playing final Fantasy XII and I thought I would switch on Raw to see what was happening before I do a little reading and head off to bed. Instead of the usual WWE hijacks, all I saw on the scene was a picture of Chris Benoit with the title 1967-2007 below him.

First thoughts were yet another wrestler dieing from the wrestling lifestyle, something that has happen way too often. But when it was mentioned that his wife and young son also had died which initially wondered if it was a car or plane accident. But the announcers conspicuously avoided mentioning the cause of death and in the back of my mind it was hard not to think of Phil Hartman. Unfortunately it turns out the Benoit family had a similar outcome with Chris taking the lives of his wife and son before taking his own life.

It is had to eulogize someone who would do such things. Most wrestlers need to rely heavily on charisma and catchphrases to get over with today’s fans but Benoit was one of the rare stars who was able to let his actions on the mat speak for him and still get people to cheer or boo him depending on if he were a good or bad guy at the time. He was scheduled to wrestle for the ECW title this past weekend before being pulled from the card for a “family emergency.” We may never know what initially sparked Benoit to travel back home, skipping two scheduled appearances, but hopefully wherever he is now he finds some peace because it didn’t look like he found much while on Earth. My condolences go out to the whole Benoit family and friends of the family.

For more on the life and death of the Benoit family check out stories over at MSNBC.com and WWE.com.