411s Countdown to WrestleMania 24: Confetti
Posted by Scott Slimmer on 03.25.2008
The confetti that fell at the end of WrestleMania XX engulfed one of the greatest moments in the history of professional wrestling, but like that confetti, so too have our memories of that moment shattered and fallen, time after time.
Graphic by Meehan
Time it was, and what a time it was, it was A time of innocence, a time of confidence Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph Preserve your memories; They're all that's left you
Bookends Theme by Simon and Garfunkel
Confetti. When I think back to that moment, the first thing I remember is always the confetti. It seemed to be everywhere, gently wafting through the air as a physical manifestation of the truly unique atmosphere that had overtaken the Garden. The confetti surrounded the fans and fell on the shoulders of the two old friends in the ring. Those parting images of WrestleMania XX will always be cherished memories for many wrestling fans. And there was a time when I firmly believed that watching Chris Benoit embrace Eddie Guerrero at the end of WrestleMania XX was the single greatest moment in the rich and wonderful history of professional wrestling. Looking back at that moment now, it truly was a time of innocence and a time of confidences. But so much has changed since then. Over the course of the last four years, our memories of that moment have been tinged by more sadness, regret, and tragedy than we could have ever imagined. And so today I hope to play some small role in preserving those memories, for they're all that's left of two of the greatest professional wrestlers the world has ever known.
WrestleMania XX March 14, 2004
Being a fan of professional wrestling is virtually impossible to explain to anyone who isn't already a fan. Believe me, I've tried. My friends and my family know how important professional wrestling is to me. They know that it's more than just a hobby or a way to burn time. They know that I have a true love and a deep passion for this strange little corner of the pop culture universe. And because they know how important it is to me, many of them have tried some on multiple occasions to finally understand what I see in an industry that is so often vilified and reviled by the uninitiated. I've tried to explain that professional wrestling is just another form of the morality plays that humanity has enacted for millennia. I've tried to explain that professional wrestlers appeal to the child in all of us who will never meet Superman or Batman in person but who can shake hands with Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels. And I've tried to explain that there is something incredibly rewarding about watching a truly great professional wrestling match after wading through miles and miles of sports entertainment sludge. I've tried to explain my love of professional wrestling to my friends and my family in many different ways, but the sad fact of the matter is that they will never truly understand. And while I'll always regret the fact that those closest to me will never fully comprehend this important part of my life, I've always been glad to have taken the time to try and explain it to them. Because it was in those failed attempts at explaining my love of professional wrestling that I realized something that should have been obvious to me from the very beginning I am a complete and total mark. And so are you.
Wrestling fans are often categorized as either "marks" or "smarts." The marks are the fans who believe that professional wrestling is legitimate, unscripted athletic competition. They cheer for the babyfaces and boo the heels because that's what they're supposed to do. It's still real to them, damn it. And then there are the smarts. Most of us who write for wrestling websites consider ourselves to be smarts, and I would venture to say the same can be said for the majority of our readers. We're smart to the business. We know it's all a work. We watch in order to see great performances, but we understand that the matches are not true competitions. And we look down on the marks for being so stupid and gullible. We snicker and sneer at their wide-eyed passion and easily manipulated emotional attachment to their favorite stars. And by that description, we smarts can begin to look quite cold and analytical. It begins to seem as though we smarts are conducting academic evaluations instead of letting ourselves be entertained. It even begins to seem that we smarts have become emotionally detached and dispassionate about the industry. But if there's one thing that smarts clearly do not lack, it's a passion for professional wrestling.
It's this exact line of reasoning that has led many so-called smarts, myself included, to realize that they are, in fact, truly marks. You can call us "smart marks" or "smarks," but we are every bit as passionate about professional wrestling as the traditional marks. We cheer for our favorites and boo their opponents just as loudly, if not more so, than the traditional marks. We become just as emotionally invested in the matches, if not more so, than the traditional marks. And we love the industry just as much as, if not more than, the traditional marks. We wouldn't spend so much time watching wresting, writing about wrestling, and reading about wrestling if we didn't. Watching professional wrestling would simply be an academic exercise and would seem more like work than entertainment if we weren't all marks on one level or another. And so what, if anything, actually distinguishes the marks from the smarts?
In my opinion, the key difference between the marks and the smarts is in the way we choose which wrestlers to cheer and which wrestlers to boo. The marks make their choice based on the scripted storylines presented to them. They cheer for those they are told to cheer for, and they boo those they are told to boo. Smarts, on the other hand, make their choice based, for the most part, on the skill, talent, and ability of the performers. They cheer for the wrestlers who give the best promos and put on the best matches, regardless of if that wrestler is a babyface or a heel. Basically, smarts choose who to cheer for based on their own personal preferences instead of the preferences of the promotion. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying that there's anything inherently right or wrong about either method of choosing your favorites. As far as I'm concerned, the most basic reason to watch professional wrestling is to be entertained, and it's difficult for me to imagine a fan being truly engaged by that entertainment without feeling some sort of preference towards certain performers. By that criterion, both marks and smarts are finding entertainment in professional wrestling, and it's hard for me to ask any more of the industry.
My point in this rather extended diatribe on marks and smarts is that it's perfectly natural for a smart to "mark-out" from time to time. In fact, I think that those mark-out moments are often the most rewarding part of being a fan of professional wrestling. As I've said, we smarts tend to look down upon the lowly marks, but it is when we let our guard down and give in to our inner mark that we reap the greatest rewards of being a fan. We may be marking out for different performers than the marks, and in some cases the smarts and the marks may be marking out for opposing wrestlers in the same match (i.e., the John Cena Effect). We tend to do a lot of bitching and moaning here on the internet, and that's only because there are often many aspects of the industry that legitimately deserve bitching and moaning. But I hope that doesn't make us so jaded and cynical that we forget the joy of marking out for the good times. Those good times may be few and far between, but they make it all worth it. We wait for those moments. We hope for those moments. We remember those moments forever. And as far as I'm concerned, the all-time greatest smart mark-out moment was Chris Benoit embracing Eddie Guerrero at the end of WrestleMania XX.
Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero were the kind of wrestlers that seemed born to be smart favorites. They were quite simply two of the all-time best in-ring technicians we will ever seen, and they both employed an amazing arsenal of moves that could only be assembled by learning the ropes in promotions around the world. They became stars in Japan and indy phenoms in ECW. They made WCW watchable and often even enjoyable, and they helped usher in a new era of in-ring credibility in WWE. They paid their dues for the better part of twenty years, but in the eyes of many fans they never got what they deserved. They gave us more spectacular matches than we can remember, and yet they never enjoyed the kind of success afforded to many less talented performers. Many of us had resigned ourselves to the fact that two of our favorites would never be given the chance to rise to the top of their chosen profession.
Then, in early 2004, all of that changed. At No Way Out, Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship, and a month later at WrestleMania XX, Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The confetti began to fall as Benoit clutched his championship and began to cry. Guerrero soon joined Benoit in the ring, and two of the toughest men in the world embraced each other and openly wept in front of a world-wide audience. This was their moment. After walking down that long, dusty road for the better part of two decades, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero stood at the top of their industry, in the World's Most Famous Arena, on the grandest stage of them all. But what set Benoit and Guerrero apart from so many other champions in the history of the industry is that they truly earned their success. Those who are not fans of professional wrestling may never understand how it's possible for two men to earn world championships in a scripted industry, but I think that everyone reading this article knows exactly what I mean. Every wrestler pays his dues. Every wrestler goes through hard times. But some are handed championships earlier than others. Some are given a big push sooner rather than later. And very few have ever had to scratch and claw and fight their way to the top for as long and as hard as Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. They had earned their world championships through blood and sweat and tears, and the image of the two of them embracing and weeping at the end of WrestleMania XX is just about as real as this industry will ever get. I can't believe that we'll ever again see a moment quite that special, quite that poignant, and quite that real. Folks, that right there is about as good as it gets. That was their moment.
But it was our moment as well. This was perhaps the one great shining moment in the history of WWE when Vince McMahon gave back to the smart fans for all he has taken from us. Vince McMahon is an exceptionally talented businessman. He has made WWE into a phenomenally successfully corporation. But a good deal of that success has come from pandering to the lowest common denominator. More often than not, it seems as though WWE has rewarded style over substance and sizzle over steak. That seems to be the way to keep the marks entertained, and it's hard to argue with a business model that has proven to be profitable time and time and time again. So it's hard for me to blame Vince McMahon and WWE when more talented wrestlers are pushed aside in favor of more marketable stars. And maybe that's why it's so sweet when one of our smart favorite stars finally does rise to the top. But to have two of our favorites stand atop the company at the end of the biggest show of the year? That was almost unfathomable. And yet there they were, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, and World Heavyweight Champion and the WWE Champion, together in the middle of the ring at the end of WrestleMania XX. And yes, Benoit and Guerrero were also traditional fan favorites. The marks were cheering along with the smarts that night. But Benoit and Guerrero would never be as important to the marks as men like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin had been. They were simply champions to the marks. But they were heroes to the smarts. That was our moment.
The Great American Bash June 27, 2004
Summerslam August 15, 2004
No one thought that Benoit and Guerrero would hold their championships forever, but we all wondered just how long WWE would continue with the experiment. Would WrestleMania XX mark a turning point in the history of WWE and herald the dawn of a new era in which professional wrestlers were valued more highly than sports entertainers? Or would Benoit and Guerrero prove only to be momentary exceptions before WWE returned to more familiar territory? The answer to these questions would come only a few short months later. Eddie Guerrero would lose the WWE Championship to John Bradshaw Layfield at the Great American Bash on June 27. His title reign lasted only four months. Chris Benoit would lose the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton at Summerslam on August 15. His title reign lasted only five months. Neither man would ever hold a world championship again.
And so, not even half a year after WrestleMania XX, we were left to reevaluate what it had truly meant for Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero to stand together atop the world of professional wrestling at the biggest show of the year. Had Benoit and Guerrero ushered in a new era in the history of WWE in which hard work, perseverance, and good old fashioned in-ring talent would finally be rewarded in the way that so many fans had always wished that they would be? Sadly, no. Benoit and Guerrero were pushed aside in favor of men like Randy Orton, Triple H, and John Bradshaw Layfield, and the WWE returned to its previous status quo. And so what of that one brief, shining moment at the end of WrestleMania XX? Was there still value in the promise of a better tomorrow if that tomorrow would never come to pass?
The answer was yes. Because that moment that Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero shared with the fans at the end of WrestleMania XX was about so much more than the future of WWE or professional wrestling. That was a moment that encapsulated the best of the human condition. We all have hopes and dreams. We cling to those hopes and we fight for those dreams, but far too often the world finds a way to bury our hopes and shatter our dreams in spite of our best efforts. And that's why we need heroes. Heroes give us hope. Heroes give us the strength to get back up each and every time that we're knocked down. Heroes light the way when the darkness seems too much to overcome. Heroes show us that our hopes and dreams can come true if we never, ever give up on them. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero were our heroes. They fought for their hopes and dreams for the better part of two decades. They overcame their demons. And at WrestleMania XX, they embraced each other and gave hope to the dreams of each of their fans worldwide. If Benoit and Guerrero had enjoyed extended championship runs, then there is a chance that WrestleMania XX would only be remembered as the beginning of the Benoit / Guerrero era. It may have only marked a turning point in the history of a company and an industry. But instead, by showing that fleeting success is just as inspirational, if not more so, than lasting success, WrestleMania XX transcended professional wrestling. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero were our heroes, and nothing could ever change that. Or so we thought.
November 13, 2005
November 2005 was a turning point in my life as a fan of professional wrestling. I wrote my first column for 411Mania on November 2, 2005. The next weekend, I wrote my second column before attending a Smackdown house show at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall on Sunday, November 6. The main event was Batista vs. Randy Orton vs. Eddie Guerrero for the World Heavyweight Championship. There was an ongoing joke where either Batista or Guerrero would throw Orton out of the ring every time he tried to get in on the action, so Orton spent most of the match sprawled out in the front row. And thus we got to see Eddie Guerrero do his best to win the title from Batista. He came up short that night, but it was the one of the most entertaining matches I've ever had the privilege of seeing live. The next weekend, I came in to work to write my third column, and as usual I started by going to WWE.com. And that's when I learned that Eddie Guerrero had died.
And the first image that flashed before my eyes was the confetti. There was the confetti, engulfing Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero in their moment of triumph. Part of what made that moment so special was that we all knew how hard Eddie had fought to overcome his demons. The professional wrestling industry has a long and terrible history of driving its stars to a life of dependence and addiction. Maybe the human body wasn't meant to endure all that is asked of a professional wrestler. Maybe the human spirit wasn't meant to endure the constant demands and temptations of life of the road. Maybe we as fans had played some small part in driving so many stars down that dark path. But whatever the reason, Eddie Guerrero had succumbed to those demons on many occasions. At one point it cost him his job in WWE, and it nearly cost him his life. But he fought back. He got clean and sober. And he became the WWE Champion. Eddie Guerrero had overcome his demons, and that was just one more reason why he was our hero.
But on November 13, 2005, we learned that sometimes the demons get the last laugh. Eddie Guerrero did not overdose. He truly had been clean and sober for years when he died. But the dependence and addiction and abuse had taken a toll on his body, and eventually that toll caught up with him. And it seemed so damned unfair. It's a tragedy when someone succumbs to dependence and addiction, but Eddie had beaten those demons. That's what we all saw that night at WrestleMania XX when he and Chris Benoit stood together in the middle of the ring. Eddie showed us that he had beaten his demons, and he gave us the strength to fight ours as well. But now we learned that sometimes fighting isn't enough. Sometimes winning isn't enough. Sometimes the demons get the last laugh.
And so we once again began to reevaluate our memories of those closing moments of WrestleMania XX. We had already learned that victory can be sweet even if it is fleeting. But now we had to begin to admit that what seems to be a victory may just be a losing effort to stave off defeat. How could we ever truly celebrate victory knowing that it may not be true? How can we battle our demons when sometimes they seem destined to win the fight? And how can we put hope in heroes when all of their accomplishments crumble before us? It took me a long time to find an answer to those questions, and in many ways the answer still eludes me. But what I keep coming back to is that moment, for there was true joy and true hope and true inspiration in that moment. No matter how life tries to change how we remember that moment, nothing can ever change the way we felt at that moment. The emotion of that moment can never be taken from us, even if the meaning of it can. And maybe that is what we all began to realize when Eddie Guerrero died. Life is a fleeting, transient experience that may well be impossible to hold on to forever. But it is filled with wonderful moments that last a lifetime. Some of those moments are small and private, and some are shared with the world on the grandest stage of them all. But it is those moments, those beautiful, lingering moments that fill our lives and make them worth living. And our ability to hold on to those moments in spite of all that life throws at us is what gives us the strength to find the next wonderful moment of our lives. Eddie Guerrero taught us to savor those moments and cherish those memories. But in the case of WrestleMania XX, that would become more difficult than we had ever dared to imagine.
June 25, 2007
The human brain is a remarkably resilient creation. It can handle physical trauma and emotional distress. But as I found out last June, it has its limits. I was up in Chicago to run some experiments and had taken the evening off to have dinner with my mother. We sat watching television in her living room in the house I grew up in, and when she left the room for a moment I flipped over to Raw. I had taken such opportunities to sneak a peak at Raw on numerous occasions as a child, and I expected that night to be much the same. But what I saw left me bewildered. It's not that I didn't want to believe what I saw, but rather that I truly couldn't comprehend what I saw. As obvious as it was, my mind simply wouldn't let me process the information. In that moment, my brain had hit its limit. Chris, Nancy, and Daniel Benoit were dead. And the news only got worse from there.
Chris Benoit murdered his wife Nancy and his son Daniel before killing himself. There's no other way to say it. There's no way to soften the blow or ease the pain. Chris Benoit murdered a woman and a child. The man that many regarded as a hero died alone after slaughtering his family. Many assumed that Benoit's actions were to be blamed on the same kind of addictions and dependencies that had felled so many others in the industry. It was initially assumed that steroid abuse had led to Benoit being consumed by a fit of roid rage. But the truth was even crueler than that. Chris Benoit's brain had been seriously damaged by years of concussions suffered in the ring. Brain damage had changed Chris Benoit from a respected veteran and loving family man into a cold blooded killer. And it is that brain damage, coupled with its tragic effects, that separate the death of Chris Benoit from the death of Eddie Guerrero.
Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit both died because they were professional wrestlers. Eddie Guerrero succumbed to the demons faced by many others in the industry. His tale is a cautionary one because it could happen to virtually any wrestler who steps into the ring. But that isn't the case with Chris Benoit. Chris Benoit died not just because he was a professional wrestler, but because he was a professional wrestler who wrestled a specific, hard-hitting, brutal style. Chris Benoit died a murder because of his particular in-ring style. And it was a style that we loved. Chris Benoit wrestled a style that appealed directly to smarts. We fed off of his tenacity, and he fed off of our approval. He was an internet darling because of his ferocity. Chris Benoit knew what his fans, his die-hard fans, wanted. We wanted him to work snug. We wanted him to devour his opponent. We wanted blood. And so, in the course of giving his fans what we wanted, Chris Benoit did irreparable damage to his brain and inadvertently transformed himself into a murderer.
I believe in personal responsibility. We must all take responsibility for our own actions. Chris Benoit, and Chris Benoit alone, is ultimately responsible for the deaths of Nancy and Daniel Benoit. I'm not apologizing for Chris Benoit or his actions. But I've also realized that we smarts here in the IWC may have played some small role in driving Chris Benoit to those actions. And that's why I will never be able to say that I hate Chris Benoit for what he did. Because I truly do place part of the blame on myself.
And thus we must once more reexamine those closing moments of WrestleMania XX. When Eddie Guerrero died, we learned to celebrate every day. We can look back at Eddie's final years in the ring and celebrate his victory over his demons even though those demons would eventually take their toll. When we remember WrestleMania XX, we remember it as a celebration of Eddie Guerrero's life, career, and victories. But what of Chris Benoit? His in-ring career led to his demise. Every single match that Chris Benoit wrestled brought him closer and closer to that tragic weekend last summer. What if he had retired a year earlier? Two years earlier? Five years earlier? Would his life have ended in the same way? Would he have killed himself? Would he have slaughtered his family? Would Chris, Nancy, and Daniel Benoit be alive today if Chris Benoit had not won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX? Maybe. Maybe not. But the fact that we'll never know means that we can never look at WrestleMania XX in the same way again.
Four Years Later
I thought that this column was going to have a happy ending. I wanted this column to have a happy ending. Maybe I needed this column to have a happy ending. I really thought that I could revisit the events of the last four years and still find a way to return to the unbridled joy of that moment at the end of WrestleMania XX. But now I'm not so sure, and for that I am truly sorry. I would have never taken you down this path with me had I known that it would end like this. I've asked a lot of questions, and I've come up with few answers. Maybe that's just the way life goes sometime, but I had hoped for so much more with this column. I guess I had hoped that writing this column would help me find some closure, but at the moment I feel more confused than ever.
But let me tell you what has become clear to me as I've been writing. A career in professional wrestling takes a terrible toll on those who embark upon it. The severity of that toll may vary from wrestler to wrestler, but it can never entirely be avoided. And it is the price of life as a professional wrestler that ultimately dictates that there is only one reason to be a professional wrestler. You can't do it for the money. The price is too great. You can't do it for the fame. The price is too great. You can't do if for any reason but the love of the fans. Professional wrestlers wrestle for us. They spend the better part of their lives dedicated to entertaining us. They pay a terrible price for us. And that, more than anything else, is why we owe it to them to stand with them in the good times and the bad. And that may be the only way to salvage what is left of our memories of WrestleMania XX.
Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero died because they chose to live their lives entertaining us. As hard as it may be, and as much as it may hurt, we owe it to them to never forget that. And as impossible as it may seem at the moment, we need to continue to remember the final moments of WrestleMania XX as a celebration of all that Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero did for us. Because allowing our memories of WrestleMania XX to flicker and fade would cheapen both their lives and their deaths. So hold on to your memories. Keep them close and cherish them forever. Because the moment you begin to let life win the battle is the moment that life begins to steal those memories from you. It's the moment that your memories begin to splinter and shatter. And Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero deserve better than for us to sit idly by as our memories of WrestleMania XX fall to the ground like so many pieces of confetti.
Time it was, and what a time it was, it was A time of innocence, a time of confidence Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph Preserve your memories; They're all that's left you
Eddie Guerrero: October 9, 1967 November 13, 2005
Fantastic column! Thank you for posting. God bless Eddie. And God forgive Chris
Benoit.
Posted By: A-Ron (Guest) on March 24, 2008 at 09:02 PM
The single best column I've EVER read here. You hit it all perfectly. Kudos.
Maybe someday we'll get past all the "he who shall not be named"
nonsense.
Posted By: Steve307 (Guest) on March 24, 2008 at 11:41 PM
One of the best columns i have ever read. God bless Eddie, God Please forgive
Chris
Posted By: sivapc (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:16 AM
Good column, Scott, very heartfelt and spoke I think for the feelings a lot of
us have for Eddie and Chris. It's worth noting that Eddie's title reign was cut
short because Vince became concerned at the amount of pressure EG was putting on
himself as WWE Champion. Vince is no saint, but I believe that he really gave
Eddie his second chance. If you watch Eddie's DVD, Vince hugs him after his
epic title win at No Way Out '04, and it is as genuine as I've ever seen Vince.
By taking the title off Eddie, I think Vince felt he was avoiding Eddie lapsing
into past indiscretions to cope with the pressure. Cut to the tribute show they
did for Eddie and Vince was genuinely in tears when saying his piece. I think
Vince was an Eddie mark too. A point I'd like to make about Chris Benoit, and
please don't interpret as condoning his actions, but his mental state at the
time he committed those horrible acts would mean that he CANNOT be held
responsible for his actions. Had he not killed himself, a court of law would in
all likelihood have found him not fit to stand trial, or not guilty due to
mental illness.
Posted By: APinOz (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:35 AM
Great colum.Still cant get over the pic of the child killer. I mean your wife is
one thing, but your dam kid! Chris Benoits legacy will always be that of a
murdering coward. He should've just offed himself and left well enough alone.
Posted By: Hey Hey (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:43 AM
very goood column, chris benoit was my favourite wrestler
RIP eddie guero and chris benoit, god please forgive chris benoit
Posted By: nick (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:44 AM
that brought a tear to my eye. Thank you.
Posted By: Guest#7906 (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:45 AM
but his mental state at the
time he committed those horrible acts would mean that he CANNOT be held
responsible for his actions
Yeah, bs on that one dude.Lets just hope you never get taken out by someone who
cant be held responsible for there actions.
Posted By: Oh and by the by (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:47 AM
This is just an excellent column. I really appreciate it.
Posted By: Casey (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:50 AM
I have read every column on this website since around the time of Wrestlemania
20 and this is the best piece that has been posted.
Posted By: Guest (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:57 AM
I took home a piece of the confetti that came down from the rafters that night.
I still have it pressed in between the pages of my Wrestlemania XX program. A
wonderful conceit for a column, that. The confetti that dropped down over
Benoit, Guerrero and the MSG crowd was a very important and intrinsic part of
that moment which was so special and triumphant but is now ever so bitter
sweet.
Posted By: Ari Berenstein (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 12:57 AM
No Comment
Posted By: Learning Tree (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 01:24 AM
And that's all I got to say about that.
Posted By: Learning Tree (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 01:26 AM
Tremendous column, Scott. Kudos for saying the things I think many of us wish
we could say so eloquently.
Posted By: Andy Clark (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 01:35 AM
Brilliantly written and detailed but I do have to disagree on Benoit. Yes, he
may have had brain damage but it was still his hand that killed his wife and
son and I just can't forgive that, no matter what. I have some respect for his
actions but when I think of that moment, my heart breaks over such joy for a
man who turned into a monster. I do still miss Eddie but Benoit? It's hard to
miss the man knowing what he ended up becoming. But still, a great article.
Posted By: Michael Weyer (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 02:21 AM
My hands are shaking and my eyes are tearing.
Posted By: Torad (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 02:26 AM
Great column. I still get tears in my eyes whenever we talk about Eddie. He was
a great performer. And although i can never get out of my mind of what Chris
did, I will forgive him and remember him as a great wrestler who gave us what
we always wanted out of wrestlers: busting his ass to give a great match.
Posted By: Um...me (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 02:30 AM
Easily the best column on this site and I've been reading for 3 years..
You have a way with words that makes me speechless.
I always knew you were a good columnist, but if you can follow this up with a
good column (don't think you can beat this one) you will slowly become my
favorite on all of 411.
Scott Slimmer --Most underrated writer on 411.
Posted By: Dylan (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 03:25 AM
Great column!Thank you Scott!
Poor Eddie R.I.P.
Posted By: Pavel (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 03:39 AM
That column was beautiful.
That's literally all I can say.
Posted By: Guest#6309 (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:43 AM
Everytime I watch a Benoit match and see a flying headbutt, I cringe and can't
help but think "That's one step closer..."
Posted By: August (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:59 AM
people are talking here about forgiving Chris Benoit? who the fuck do you think
you are? there is only one dude, who can handle out forgiveness, and that is a
BIG GUY, sitting on a cloud, WAAAAAAY above you. bitches.
and make no mistake about it: Chris Benoit was one of the best ever.
pretty good column too.
Posted By: tully (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 05:35 AM
It's rare that I take anything I read on the net seriously, or even care enough
to post a comment, but what you wrote was from the heart, and deserves some
kudos.
This was easily the best article I have read on 411 in my 3 years of coming
here. Thankyou.
Posted By: some random dude (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 05:59 AM
you've moved me to tears...
after going back and watching it again...I realise now...that i still can't
believe they're both gone.
what's important, i suppose...is that they'll never be forgotten.
Thank you, Scott.
Posted By: jimmy (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:36 AM
Thanks for that, Scott. Haven't had a cry to myself in not nearly long enough.
Posted By: TAT (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:50 AM
Fantastic column Scott. Made me a bit teary eyed as well.
RIP Eddie, God have mercy on Benoit.
Posted By: Faisal (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:51 AM
You really wrote this one with your heart. Thank you very much.
Posted By: Eidolon (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Brilliance. Thank you for verbalizing my thoughts.
For all those who still think Benoit is a monster, I truly hope you never get
caught in a situation of diminished responsibility. People have killed others
when drunk or depressed. Chris's brain was far, far beyond that when he did
what he did.
Posted By: Finn (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 08:16 AM
This, by far, the best column written about Wrestlemania and the sad state of
affairs with Benoit. Simply beautiful.
I never thought about it but you are 100% correct that we, as fans, the smarts
that enjoyed Benoit's style and craved it (some even demanding it) are partly
responsible for the death of Nancy and Daniel.
The moment of Wrestlemania XX will never leave my mind. It was like we all won
the belt that night, not just Benoit and Guerrero. We all won that night.
Posted By: Vitamin D (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 09:22 AM
hey scott ive been reading 411 since mania 20 and i must say this is probably
the best article i have read on the page.i believe that because as writers you
guys beat things up to make them sound better but in this situation it feels
like this article was written with raw emotion. its hard to believe like you
said that these two men are gone and in such different circumstances.and as you
said chris benoit is responsible for what he did but so is eddie with what he
did to his own body.i know the crimes aren't similar but that must be taken
into account.what im trying to really say is that we all have our own opinion
and are entitle to it and they have you expressed yours in fantastic.keep up
the good work man
Posted By: michael bond (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Scott, I must admit I've never cared personally for your columns. However, after
reading this, I hereby declare you the single most amazing heartfeld genius on
this site. Bravo, sir.
Posted By: T.G. Corke (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 09:29 AM
Guerrero was a victim of his own demons and I will always feel for him. Benoit
on the other hand is nothing but a cold blooded murderer. A very good column
indeed but to say that fans had ANYTHING to do with driving him to do what he
did is ignorant. His actions were his own plain and simple.
Posted By: JMASCORPIO (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 09:42 AM
First of all, this was a wonderul column. Whenever I think about benoit and
eddie, there is no other moment that I can remember other than the ending of WM
XX. That wrestlemania will always hold a very important place in my heart. Yes
it was important because it was my first WM that I ever went to, yes it was
held in my hometown of NY and the Worlds greatest Arena. Hell, there was not
one person in the garden who was NOT wanting benoit or eddie to win. But one
cannot deny that when benoit countered the pedigree into the crossface, the
freakin garden went nuts. And when HHH tapped out... I can only smile about how
everybody was just celebrating like if the yankees won the world series. i mean
everybody was just high five & huging each other. A moment i will never
forget. I also have the confetti that fell, pressed inside the pages of my WM
XX program. But above all else, I will always remember eddie & benoit
embracing in the end. That right there people is what Wrestlemania is all
about. After 4 years, regardless of what happened last summer, that moment will
never die in my mind.
Posted By: Maurice (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Thank you.
Posted By: JohnEDowney (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Beautiful article, it's awesome to see someone give Chris Benoit the respect he
deserves. It seems like most folk are afraid to mention his name, which is
just plain stupid.
Posted By: princesskimmid (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Amazing, one of the most well-written, heartfelt colomns I've ever read anywhere
on the 'net. Thankyou.
Posted By: G3KKO (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 10:56 AM
"Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero died because they chose to live their
lives entertaining us."
I disagree with the idea that WE, the wrestling fans, are somewhat to blame for
their deaths.
Both wrestlers are two of my favorites. I was numb for obviously different
reasons when each died, but I am not responsible.
Eddie chose to do drugs. For whatever his reasons, to feel good or to be able
to deal with pain, it was his choice to do so. Maybe he was clean at the time
of his death, but we are all accountable for our actions, whether they be
present or past.
Benoit wrestled his style to entertain us. But I have to believe that he
enjoyed being one of the best wrestlers in every federation he worked for. I
know I would take great pride in that. His situation is different because I
believe if he knew the damage being done to his brain, he would've changed his
style. I do know that I did not make Benoit wrestle as he did. He wrestled
that way way before I saw him in WCW.
Both deaths, while tragic, were NOT to blame, even partly, on wrestling fans.
Posted By: Owen Can't Fly (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Just a personal opinion, but i believe the other cause for Benoit to snap and do
what he did also had to do with Eddie's passing. I heard reports that he just
couldn't deal with his friend dying. That along with his brain damage i believe
caused him to just lose all sence of reality. I really would like to believe
that they are somewhere still putting on fantastic matches together, but it's
hard to because of who Benoit took with him. I just hope God has forgiven
Benoit, and they are all finally at peace. Thanks for a great column, and
thanks to Eddie and Chris for the memories.
Posted By: unhappy one (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 11:43 AM
"tully" don't speak of the BIG GUY upstairs when u don't know jack
about Him. it just makes u look like an ignorant fool.
If you knew anything about the BIG GUY upstairs you would know He wants us all
to love everyone and forgive everyone for their sins.
So, yes, we can definitely hand out our forgiveness to Benoit.
The man Chris Benoit was not evil, the monster that killed Benoit's family was
evil.
And "Oh and by the by" I pray that some day you will see how ignorant
you are.
Posted By: 1 (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Ive been a wrestling fan since i can remember, i've read many, many articles,
but none of them have touched my heart so deeply that i actually cried. This is
the simply the best article on the net, and i thank you for writing, Scott.
Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, Thanks.
Posted By: Carlos (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:22 PM
There is no excusing what Benoit did but it has been proven he was a man who had
lost his sanity... thats why for me personally I don't find it hard to remember
the good times of Chris Benoit. That moment with Gurrero should of been played
over and over again for the next 50 years simply based on the fact that it was
perhaps the most emotional and fan satisfying moment in pro wrestling history.
Sadly we will never get to revisit this image again outside of IWC columns and
one day it may be completely forgotten in the annals of time.
Posted By: Andrew Barbarash (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Great column. I was there that night in the Garden, i cried when Eddie and
Chris were in the ring then, i cried this week when re-watching Wrestlemania,
its still all hard to fathom and take in and im crying while i read this. I
have a photo i took of Eddie and Chris in the ring that night, i've always
wanted to get it framed and put it in my house, and now, i think i will. Hold
onto your memories, you can't relieve them.
Posted By: simone65 (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Thanks for this article. This was really a great article. A great read.
I just have to honestly disagree with you on one thing. I steadfastly refuse to
say that we fans had a damn thing to do with what happened to Benoit. We never
asked him to wrestle the style he did. He brought it to us and we fell in love
with it, not vice versa. There are plenty of people who wrestled the same style
and they aren't murderers. Furthermore, as hard and as full force as he went...
he DIDN'T HAVE TO. He could have worked much looser but still made it look
stiff as Hell and we'd have loved it just as much. It's all about making it
LOOK real.
Most of us don't want it to be real, because we don't want our favorite
performers getting hurt. Furthermore, NOBODY but Benoit had any idea of the
true full toll it was taking on him. It was his responsibility to realize when
it was too much, and he obviously refused. I can't speak for anybody else, but
ever since his big neck injury, up to the last day I saw him wrestle, I'd
cringe when I asw him do something like the diving headbutt and silently beg
him never to bother doing it again. I didn't need him to put himself in that
kind of danger. He had earned my respect, and he had plenty of awesomeness in
his moveset without having to endanger himself like that. I'd like to think
most of us felt the same way.
So, I cannot agree that we are even a fraction responsible. You are talking
about the same fans begging for Kurt Angle to take some time off due to similar
crap. Does that mean we won't enjoy what he does in the ring? Of course not.
We'll still enjoy the Hell out of it. But we can't help but worry that a career
ending, or God forbid even life threatening injury could be nearby.
Benoit destroyed his own legacy with what he did and it is nobody's fault but
his own. It truly is sad, though, because it does seem to have been the
injuries and not the man, so in many ways, he too was a victim. Sad.
Posted By: RavenEffect (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Thanks for that, man. WMXX was indeed my favorite WWE moment probably of all
time, with two of my favorite wrestlers, and if I'm being honest, it still is.
You hit it on the head when you said it's as real as the business is ever going
to get. Real for them, real for us. Regardless of what happened after (and
damn, it hurts to think about it sometimes), it can still be looked as a moment
(even if it's just that one moment)where the little guys (both literally and
figuratively) stood tall. It's something to aspire to. I think we can all get
behind that.
Posted By: BJC (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:46 PM
"We" are NOT responsible for what Chris Benoit did, Chris Benoit is.
Concussions did not cause him to murder his family and he knew what he was
doing. He planned it out and sent text messages to a bunch of people in the Fed
to let them know how to find him. I don't want to hear people trying to lay a
guilt trip on the fans for what Benoit did. Its not MY fault Benoit turned out
to be a murderer because I enjoyed his wrestling matches too much. I really
like Chris Benoit in the ring, but if there is a just God and we are held
accountable for our actions by Him then Chris Benoit better be in Hell. There
is not rationale and no forgiveness for what he did. Nobody gets a pass on
murdering a woman and a child that trusted him because they were a good
worker.
I miss Eddie so much and I tear up every time I see his WWE title victory. I
was a Benoit fan before the incident but he turned out to be an Epic Fail of a
human being and I do not shed a tear for that bastard.
Posted By: JTX (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Wow. Just wow. I don't know if I have ever had goosebumps reading a wrestling
column before.
Posted By: Axle (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 01:10 PM
Fantastic!
Posted By: NONAME (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 01:20 PM
By far the best article I've read on this or any other wrestling site.
Posted By: Frank (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 01:37 PM
One more thing.
'Hey Hey', 'JMASCORPIO' and 'JTX', please end now for the love of all that is
compassionate in this world of ours. You embarrass me with your disgustingly
arrogant and evil opinions.
Posted By: T.G. Corke (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 01:56 PM
epic win
Posted By: juantonzoup (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 01:57 PM
Column of the year. Sorry your comment section is filled with arguments among
people who can't let go.
Posted By: Deano (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 02:10 PM
to this day, when i watch that moment, i get tears in my eyes. i can watch it 20
times a day for the next 20 years, and every time i'll still have tears in my
eyes.
Great column, i think the greatest i've ever read
Posted By: Litas Biggest Fan (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 02:15 PM
El mejor articulo sobre wrestling que he podido leer... Excelente analisis....
Casi me hace llorar
Posted By: jorturo (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Thank you
Posted By: Woz (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 02:56 PM
Two thumbs way up for the column. Awesome stuff. I was at WWE WRESTLEMANIA XX
& I'll never forget that moment for as long as I live. I will not allow
tragedy to steal that moment from me. I remember it as if I just happened. I
felt as if I myself was in that ring celebrating with them. Maybe that's why so
many of us cherished that moment so much.
Posted By: Infamous Male (Registered) on March 25, 2008 at 03:20 PM
Please fix the "Send It" server because I know 8 people who will want
to read this. You speak our thoughts more eloquently than we ever could.
Thank you!
Posted By: JoeG (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:14 PM
Im reading this while watching the Eddie DVD, and it really is a struggle to do
either knowing what has happened following on from WMXX.
An amazingly written article.
Posted By: mapoo (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:30 PM
as any who have read my posts before i have stood by the memory of chris benoit
and attacked any who refused to reconize his legacy. that being said this was
an amazing column that damn near brought tears to my eyes. I wish you many
thanks and I know that somewhere eddy and chris do to.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:34 PM
Chris Benoit's actions cheapened his Wrestlemania XX moment. And even worse,
since that image will likely be removed from WWE archives, it cheapens Eddie's
moment as well.
Life is about choices. Benoit could have chosen to leave professional
wrestling if he couldn't take it. Ultimately, wrestling is a job. If a job
burns you out, seek something else. And please spare me the excuse that
wrestling was all he knew. He could have always learned a trade, trained for
another job, or opened a gym. He had plenty of money, plenty of real estate,
and with a little more wisdom he could have made some wise investments.
Benoit is responsible for the choices he made. He just couldn't man up and
face his problems responsibly.
Posted By: Guest#0603 (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:55 PM
the only thing i asked myself when benoit killed his family....¿how the
SMARKS are going to take this? his beloved hero turned into a monster...still to
this day i see all of you have not taken his death very well.....it´s
been delicious to watch all of you cry...i for one could never care less about
him..the guy had zero personality and no charisma
Posted By: armin (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 04:57 PM
Call me a wuss all you want, but I couldn't bear to read through the column. I
was about to start crying because I was a fan of both guys ever since I saw
Nitro. I'm also in a public place right now, so I'll save this article for
later.
Posted By: Mike (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 05:16 PM
Thank you for writing such an excellent article. It was without doubt the best
article I've read since I've been visiting here.
God bless Eddie, and God forgive Benoit, I hope they're resting peacefully.
Thanks again, for the inspirational and awesome column.
Posted By: J.M. (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 05:22 PM
Best column I have ever read on this site. Fantastic. Really did move me.
Posted By: I Serotonin I (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 06:08 PM
It was the Demons getting the last laugh that hurt me.
In the past year since Benoits death I've felt a wide mixture of emotions.
Some, pure anger, others wanting me to forgive Chris Benoit.
Let's not kid ourselves here. Steroids didn't do this, Concussions didn't do
this, fan support didn't do this. BENOIT did this. That's what hurts the most.
I will always appreciate Benoit's matches and I'm just after watching Eddie's
sickest blade job in history against JBL. That's how much the guys cared.
RIP Eddie and God forgive Chris.
Posted By: Sean D (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 06:19 PM
Best column I've ever read about wrestling in my life. Fantastic.
It's kind of funny, (in a non-HAHA way) the death of Eddie Guerrero brought
wrestling fans closer together. The death of Chris Benoit split many fans into
two groups.
Posted By: Brendan (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 06:21 PM
great column. It brought back alot of memories. Benoit was always my favourite
wrestler. I really looked up to him so after that tragic day we all found out
what had happened I was speechless. I couldn't believe someone who I had
idolised for so many years could do something like that.
I remember the Eddie tribute show, I sat there with my fiance and we both cried
through the whole thing. I still cry now when I rewath the clip they put
together with the Johnny Cash song. Even just hearing the song brings back all
the images.
The picture of benoit and Eddie stnding together is still a powerful moment to
me. My mind floods with the memories of the two men embracing, It gives me a
good feeling inside but at the same time the memories of what came after mix in
and my emotions just get confused. Isat staring at that picture after reading
you column for 10-15mins.
Hopefully one day I will work out my feelings of this moment and the confusion
will finally clear.
RIP Eddie and Chris, you will always be remembered
Posted By: malkav (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 06:35 PM
Thanks.
Posted By: Juicy (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:14 PM
Classic column! I too believe in personal responsibility, but the older I get,
the more I think that life is too complicated for a bunch of simple answers. As
far as blaming the fans a bit, I can agree. Maybe if we didn't chant
"boring" every moment somebody uses a rest hold, the wrestlers
wouldn't be under so much preasure. Yes, he deserves the bulk of the blame, but
there is more than enough to go around. I'm mad at him for what he did, but I
miss seeing him and wish he were still around. Just a sad story all around.
Posted By: Capt. Smooth (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:17 PM
I've read 411 since about 2003 and this is the best column I've read on it. You
summed up my thoughts near to a T.
Posted By: Scotty (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 07:52 PM
great column
Posted By: dav (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 08:05 PM
Good gracious, Scott. Let me say that what you have made here is the single
greatest piece of work that has ever been posted on this site. That classic
match and the unforgettable aftermath is my favorite moment in wrestling. The
most satisfying moment in eighteen years of being a fan. When my favorite
wrestler of all time (Eddie) and his best friend, who I consider to be in the
top 3 wrestlers ever, have that moment, it was worth it live through the HLA,
Katie Vicks, Pregnancys, Male Cheerleaders, God angles, and all of WCW. If
wrestling had ended right there, it would have been okay.
It is so depressing how tainted that moment has become. But as you took us down
the path of memory lane, I was reminded of WHY that moment is so special. Two
best friends, working through blood, sweat, tears, time away from their
families, FINALLY reaching the top of the industry together. It was a fairytale
moment that stands as the single greatest thing to ever happen in this
industry.
I'm going to be honest. This column made me cry. Revisited the amazing joy of
March 14, the overwhelming sadness of November 14, and the unspeakable horror
of June 24, I was overcome with emotion. This column reminded me of why I am a
fan of this oft-ridiculous drama that I have LOVED for as long as I can
remember. It was as if you took all the words that wrestling fan, smart or
mark, have wanted to say and said it.
Much like that moment, that transcends the industry and stands as the greatest
moment in it's history, this column is in it's own league. Nothing I have read
or likely will ever read will effect me the way that reading this did.
I marked out reading about Mania XX. I cried when reading of Eddie's death. I
shook my head and tried to forget when reading about the Benoit Tragedy. These
three events are so filled with emotion that to many, they define the industry.
They define the very best and the very worst that pro wrestling has ever seen.
I'm sorry to rant, but I just cannot praise this moment enough. As we approach
Wrestlemania 24, I think it is important to remember four years ago, when all
was right with the world of wrestling. When smarts and marks alike celebrated
our heroes finally overcoming all odds.
The ultimate mark-out moment.
God bless you Scott. Thank you so much for this column.
Posted By: Aaron (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Scott, great column bro. I've been reading 411 since 96. I would sneak on while
in computer lab in junior high. This one column is by far and away the best
piece of incite into the lives and deaths of two great wrestlers, whatever
may be said about how one came to pass away. Keep up the good work man!
Posted By: Sikamike (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 09:44 PM
That was a brilliant column,you said it perfectly and its the best wrestling
column I have ever read.thank you.RIP Eddie and Chris.
Posted By: Melissa (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 09:48 PM
An amazing column! A truly emotional journey. You're a GREAT writer!
Posted By: Kristi (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 09:53 PM
Hey Scott...what can I say that hasn't already been said? This is simply
amazing...words cannot describe the emotions that you were able to create...I
am 18 years old, I have been watching wrestling with my bro since I was 3, and
I have always been a bigger fan of the older years, being very disappointed
with some of the things I see today, often questioning why I continue to watch
when all my favorites have come and gone, either having retired or sadly,
having passed on...But with this column, you made me realize, and others I
hope, why it is we continue. The memories. The emotions. The entertainment. The
fact that those wrestlers go out there, give it their all for US. Sure, we all
have our favorites, and we all love to hate, but there is one thing that MUST
remain: respect.
I've gone on long enough. I suggest you take a bow, because you surely deserve
it my fine sir. And though you may disregard this comment, I really meant every
word of it. Like you did yours.
Wrestlemania XX...Forever in our hearts, Eddie and Benoit.
Thank you Scott, and thank you wrestling...
Posted By: Peter (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Scott,
Just wow.
Thank you for sharing some of yourself with us.
RIP Eddie and Chris...
Posted By: Paul (Guest) on March 25, 2008 at 10:17 PM
The first image that comes to my mind when I think about the Eddie Guerrero
tribute is Chris Benoit breaking down and bawling on national TV over Eddie's
death, which by itself makes me emotional. I believe that God has already
forgiven Benoit, but it's up to us, his fans, to forgive him as well, and
recognize him as one of the best performers that pro wrestling has ever seen.
Posted By: Billy (Guest) on March 26, 2008 at 12:01 PM
tully, we are all capable of forgiveness. the only people God cannot forgive are
those incapable of forgiveness
excellent column, the best i have read so far at 411mania
Posted By: kapengmabula (Guest) on March 26, 2008 at 12:46 PM
I've been coming to this site for a few years now and I've never left a comment.
However, after reading this column I felt that I had to. It's easily the best
thing that I've read on this site, and the first time I've truly seen put into
words the emotions that I felt that night. It's a trip looking back on it now
and seeing where we're at now.
RIP Eddie Guerrero - One of the greatest wrestlers ever to have lived. Gone
but NEVER forgotten.
RIP Nancy and Daniel Benoit - Unfairly taken far before your time.
And Chris Benoit, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for what
you've done. But I hope to be able to look past it someday and remember the
man you were and not the man you had become.
Posted By: MannySJ (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 09:20 AM
One more thing.
'Hey Hey', 'JMASCORPIO' and 'JTX', please end now for the love of all that is
compassionate in this world of ours. You embarrass me with your disgustingly
arrogant and evil opinions.
Blow it out your ear Corke. Benoit could have chosen to get professional help
for his problems. they have treatment centers for that in the civilized parts
of the world. If his job was becoming that destructive then he should have been
man enough to GET OUT. If he had gone to management and told him the extent of
his problems there isn't a doubt in my mind that they would have bent over
backwards to help him. My comments are evil and arrogant? No murdering your
wife and child because you're mentally instable is EVIL and ARROGANT. I was a
huge mark for Benoit and there isn't a shadow of a doubt he was one of the
greatest performers to lace up a pair of the boots. His moment with Eddie at
WM20 was also one of my favorite moments in wrestling history. BUT when he
chose to murder his wife and child I lost all respect for him. Eddie was a
victim of his own demons and personal problems as well. but unlike Benoit he
conquered them before he went on a killing spree.
Posted By: JMASCORPIO (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 01:28 PM
Cheers from Spain.
Hands down, this is easily the best 411mania column ever.
Posted By: Solowrestling (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 02:12 PM
Perfect. Simply Perfect.
Thank you
Posted By: Marc (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 10:08 PM
I'm glad I took the time to read this column. Truly excellent work.
Posted By: Leo (Guest) on March 28, 2008 at 12:53 AM
The moment I'm one-third through the column, I know I have to post a comment
that this is the best thing I'd ever read related to pro wrestling.
Magnificent.
Posted By: JY (Guest) on March 28, 2008 at 07:13 AM
Absolutely awsome column, and thanks
The end of WMXX was my fav moment ever in wrestling. Chris Benoit was someone i
admired as not only a performer, but as a hero and a role model. His death
actually turned me off wrestling for a while caus ei couldnt stomach the media
and the whole "erase Chris Benoit from history". He made one of the
most atrocious things someone could ever do, and that just made me clash my
whole view on wrestling. But you know what, im gonna watch WM24, and im gonna
enjoy it...i owe that to the good times
Posted By: Megadeth (Guest) on March 30, 2008 at 02:54 AM
great peace of art
great job
RIP benoit ;(
Posted By: wolverine (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 08:09 AM
SO well written and I agree with the majority of what you said. It was also a
very sad read.
Posted By: Angie (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 07:42 PM
