He is also available for hire as a freelance DJ and trapeze artist, both skills he honed in college. For this reason, its probably not all that surprising hes one of the few who would buck convention and speak glowingly about Chris Benoit on an episode of The Stone Cold Podcast. He called me on his way home from the doctor, this was at like 11 oclock or 11:15 in the morning on his way home from the doctors office, and he got on me for not calling him and coming over. This includes mass shooters, bombers, terrorists, and family annihilators. Be the judge read the full 911 report text messages and all I have not included the crime scene photos as they are too big to upload at one time perhaps I will make another post if this gets attention. Though some answers emerged after Chris Benoits death, the world would never know what motivated the bloody end of the wrestler who killed his family and then himself. Benoit's professional debut also came at Stampede Wrestling, which is Stu Hart's promotion. The divorce was withdrawn later in the year. Out of character for Mr. Benoit the WWE called local authorities for a welfare check to find . On the afternoon of June 23, 2007, Chavo Guerrero received a voice message from Chris Benoit, who claimed that he had missed his flight and would be late to the WWE SmackDown live event scheduled that day in Beaumont, Texas. He rapidly ascended from the Stampede Wrestling circuit to the New Japan World Wrestling circuit, then to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF)/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Perhaps the first wrestler to buck this trend was Batista, a close friend of Benoit who released his autobiography in October 2007, a mere three months after the tragedy took place. We need to confirm your email address. I think if Chris Benoit had been anything other than a professional wrestler he would still be alive, Mike Benoit said. In fact, many remembered him to be a respectful, devoted person to his craft, his friends, and especially his family, but Chris was far from the perfect person. Benoit missed the house shows leading up to the show and the event itself, leading to WWE replacing him with Johnny Nitro. Holly revealed that he had plans with Chris in his last days that would have had Bob going to the Benoit house when the murders occurred. . Once, they even formed an unlikely tag team against the equally strange tandem of Eddie Guerrero and Rikishi. "Chris Benoit was replaced by Johnny Nitro for the ECW World Championship match at Vengeance, as Benoit was not there due to personal issues, stemming from the death of his wife . By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. As his father later told ABC News, Benoit wanted to wrestle even as a young boy. You can learn more about Holly through his highly recommended 2013 autobiography entitled The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story. Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times. His top right lateral incisor was missing for the majority of his career, and the general belief was that Benoit lost this tooth after taking a knock during training or during a match early in his career. It's all part of WWE's continued refusal to promote anything that Benoit ever accomplished during his time as a professional wrestler. The police have turned his cell phone off. A 3-day tragedy finalized that day involving Chris Benoit and the murders of his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel, before taking his own life. We, along with Bob, can only be grateful that he stayed safe from a dangerous situation. Later, he met a wrestler named Marcel Pringle, who helped get Hollys foot in the door for training in Pensacola, Florida. Born in Canada in 1967, Chris Benoit was a legend in the professional wrestling community. Some of them have praised Benoit now and again, focusing on his work and career. Naturally, this extends to the Chris Benoit situation, as Cena has been publicly agreeing with WWEs stance that silence is the best policy as recently as July 2017. Cena also represents his employers views and opinions, strictly adhering to the official company line on practically every issue imaginable. If it wasn't for the dark history inside the walls of this red brick residence on 15 th St . In Cenas words, people should take ownershipof their actions, and that means all of them. He teamed up with Rick Patterson to face off against Butch Moffat and Mike Hammer in his debut match back in 1985. All revealed: The first film gave no hints about Benoit's private life but this time around we find out a little more about him, including the fact that he has a live-in boyfriend - played by a. Follow Me on Twitter :: http://www.twitter.com/aab777 Add Me On Facebook :: https://www.facebook.com/aab777 The emotional WrestleMania XX celebration, where Eddie and Benoit raised their titles high and hugged each other, is still a spine-chilling moment. Benoit then told Guerrero that his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, were suffering from food poisoning. Chris Benoit - the name haunts professional wrestling to this day for the double-murder homicide that occurred back in 2007. In 2016, Jerichos stance changed a bit during a discussion with Nancys sister Sandra, where he learned new details about his friends horrific crime spree. While it was Morrison who lucked out and won the ECW Championship that night, Punk was the wrestler originally poised to face Benoit, and thus, he was the one who had major plans changed in a heartbeat without any explanation. He noted that the J Cup was always a special night and in fact, upon winning the Royal Rumble, the Super J Cup immediately came to mind as he was physically and mentally exhausted. Nowadays, the subject never gets brought up at all due to Triple Hs high-level corporate position in WWE, a company that refuses to acknowledge the former World Champions name in any way. Chris Benoit's House Credit: realtor.com Chris Benoit was a successful WWE wrestler Credit: Kmazur - Getty Images . Main Eventer. But, as mentioned above, one of the most significant factors was the death of Chris Benoit. It's been almost 13 years since the incident. (Brian Adams and Johnny Crush in July and August 07) Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Brian Pillman all died the night before they were set to win title belts. But while we know about the friendship, not many know how it all started. Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer has always referred to Chris Benoit as a legendary wrestler. Austin even went a step further by saying that as a person and a wrestler, he loved Benoit. By STEVE DONOHUE. We actually couldnt print a single sentence of New Jacks hateful rant about Benoit due to the number of profanities it contained. Chris even mentioned that he wondered what it would be like to step in the ring with each of them. He did have his share of memorable feuds, including one with Booker T that featured a best-of-seven series for the World Television Championship in 1998. But though Benoits toxicology report caused a media frenzy, with many pointing to roid rage as a potential reason why the wrestler had killed his family and himself, experts had their doubts. Celebrity Detective Steve I had talked to him a few days prior to that, and he said, Hey, Im gonna be home on Wednesday.. On March 14, 2004, Nancy and Daniel joined Chris in the ring at WrestleMania 20 as the show went off the air in celebration of Chriss career and life-defining WWE World Heavyweight Championship win. Fast forward two decades, to the year 2006, and Japan witnessed the second Pegasus Kid Finn Balor this time as the new wrestler under the mask. Could another wrestler patch things up with Triple H like CM Punk did? Your login session has expired. The peak of Hollys WWE career came after his return from neck surgery. Garage side door is open," Benoit, who apparently . Chris Benoit made his WWE debut on the January 31, 2000, episode of "Monday Night Raw"alongside Eddie Guerrero,Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn, all of whom had joined him in jumping ship from WCW. Then, Benoit searched for the easiest way a person could break their neck. Bob Holly continued, So I didnt call him; I just went home. Back to the point, this was enough for Venis to develop a very strong opinion on Benoit as an incredibly talented worker, something that was completely shattered by the way Benoit left this Earth. But everything changed over three days in June 2007 when, unbeknownst to the world, Benoit murdered his wife Nancy, then his seven-year-old son Daniel, before taking his own life. It has been over 12 years since the death of Chris Benoit sent shockwaves across the professional wrestling world. He returned in January 1994 after sending in that Percy Pringle endorsed tape under the gimmick of a NASCAR driver named Thurman "Sparky" Plugg. That same day, his friend Chavo Guerrero, the nephew of the late wrestler Eddie Guerrero, received a strange message from the wrestler. I meanthat hit me hard. . Booker didnt even touch on the subject of Benoits crimes and focused entirely on the positive experiences they had inside the ring. According to Sports Keeda, Nancy claimed that Chris Benoit could get unpredictable when he lost his temper, and she worried hed hurt her or their son, Daniel. And yet, thats exactly what he did. Fortunately, Sabu recovered from the injury, though it wasn't the last time he broke his neck while wrestling for the hardcore-centric promotion. Kevin Mazur/WireImageChris Benoit became a highly respected wrestler, especially for his technical skills in the ring. For a crash course in how two wrestlers can make one anothers careers in 7 matches or less, look no further than the series between Booker T and Chris Benoit that took place in WCW throughout 1998. However, the rise of the New World Order in 1996 as well as Pillman's departure to the WWE proved to be a serious blow to the Horsemen's relevance in WCW. This apparently includes when troll-like fans of NXT decide to heckle the performers by chanting Benoits name, which happened immediately prior to NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. We shook hands, introduced ourselves and he joked, "Boy, I feel like a ghost." Their 11,376 square foot, 5-bed and 8-bath suburban home was the site of JonBent's tragic murder in 1996. . But at least one person continues to defend the wrestler who killed his family. He married Nancy in November 2000, eight months after the birth of their son, Daniel. [Photo: WWE]Bob Holly last wrestled June 2, 2019, for the World Association of Wrestling (WAW) in Norwich, Norfolk, England* in a losing effort against Cody Hall and Luke Hawx at WAW Fightmare 3. New Africa/Shutterstock. Benoit had two children from his marriage with Martina David and Megan. Quite frankly, were not even sure if the two ever wrestled one another or spent more than a few minutes together, but New Jacks vitriolic comments about Benoit in the wake of his murders were too intense for us not to mention on this list. For more information, please see our As such, it was a shock when the world learned that Chris Benoit died by suicide at 40 years old and that hed taken Nancy and Daniel with him. After 10 years of ups and downs, Chris and Nancy's marriage ended in the worst way possible, when Chris violently murdered her in their Georgia home. It is 2 time World Champion Chris Benoit. Unfortunately, the chanting got so loud that Triple H had to address it by sternly telling them to shut up, pointing out it wasnt funny. Shane Helms learned Chris Benoit felt this way about him in a major way when he was sidelined from the sport for over a full year due to a severe neck injury. Holly shared the following when asked by Ross what was the night like when he found out that Chris, Nancy, and Daniel were gone. Chris Benoit is a name that is hard to talk about. One of the people making this claim is MVP, who had been regularly working with Benoit in the months leading up to his death. I've interviewed a couple of dozen wrestlers throughout my radio career and current podcast venture and despite Chris Benoit's morbid and unforgivable final days, this was one of the greatest birthday memories I've ever had. They were former WWE Tag Team Champions together and had also feuded over the Intercontinental and European belts, not to mention the fact they were also extremely close behind the scenes. an orton v benoit fued would have been an instant classic. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Benoit's professional debut also came at Stampede Wrestling . Guerrero's nephew and former tag teammate, Chavo Guerrero, likewise noted that it was almost like Benoit lost a spouse now that he was, for the first time in his wrestling career, showing emotion to his fellow wrestlers. I would like people to have an understanding that the tragedy that took place in 2007 happened because of his career choice.. Or, discover the disturbing story of Juana Barraza, the pro-wrestler who made a habit out of murdering old ladies. Back when Punk was still working for WWE, Punk was asked if the company was trying to erase Benoit from history, and unlike the usual company line at the time, he refused to back down. We briefly discussed Stampede Wrestling, the Hart's and then I concluded with this question. And that was really tough to digest because I talked to Chris. . JonBenet Ramsey House Inside. A makeshift memorial at the Benoit house in Fayetteville, Georgia, shortly after Chris Benoit died after killing his family. When Michael Cole calls John Cena the Face of WWE, he doesnt simply mean that the 16-time World Champion is the most famous superstar in the business. Eddie Guerrero, with whom Chris Benoit was extremely close, died of heart failure on Nov. 13, 2005, at age 38. Chris Jericho telling his stories of Chris Benoit on the Season 2 premiere of 'Dark Side of the Ring.' Vice/YouTube. On June 25, 2007 three bodies were discovered at the Benoit home in Fayetteville, Georgia: Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy Benoit, and his 7-year-old son Daniel. The Canadian Crippler would win the bout, allowing him to fight for the vacant ECW World Championship a few days later at the Vengeance pay-per-view. This all culminated at WrestleMania XX in 2004, where the two longtime friends celebrated in the ring as new world champions Benoit, representing the Raw brand, won the World Heavyweight Championship, while Guerrero, who was affiliated with the SmackDown brand, beat Kurt Angle to take the WWE Championship. A letter, penned by Chris Benoit, was later found with the introduction "I am preparing to leave this Earth". The house is 4,177 square feet and has a total of eight bedrooms. I dont think that roid rage, which is believed to be a snap judgment in emotions or actions, I dont think this is what explains Chriss behavior., Instead, some experts believed that Benoits brain injuries led the wrestler to kill his family and take his own life. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Growing up in Edmonton in the 1970s, Chris Benoit had pro wrestling dreams at a very young age(via Maxim). None of those houses actually exist. As Chris Jericho testifies, Benoit and Nancy's relationship went from very loving to, in Jericho's carefully chosen words, "volatile.". More than 50 percent of the voters wanted Chris Benoit to be out of the Hall of Fame 53.6 percent to be precise. Bob Holly dropkicks Brock Lesnar. This was a murder-suicide spree that lasted over, I believe, a three-day weekend, Dr. Julian Bailes, who works for West Virginia Universitys Health and Science Center, told ABC News. JOIN THE CONVERSATION. But as long as people still remember the horrific events of June 22 to 24, 2007, it's almost a given that WWE won't even think of considering him for potential induction. He said, Hey, why dont you come by my house and see me? Privacy Policy. I asked, "Prior to winning the Royal Rumble in 2004, was the Super J Cup on April 16, 1994, the best performance of your career?". Indeed, some of Benoits friends remarked that hed seemed different before he died. Sullivan also has a personal connection to the family in that he feuded against Benoit over Nancys love in WCW, in an angle that imitated life when she legitimately left Sullivan for Chris. His friends and the WWE grew concerned after he no-showed the various events for that weekend. In a statement to ABC News, the wrestling organization insisted that Someone with the brain of an 85-year-old with dementia would be unable to keep a traveling work schedule, drive himself to arenas, and perform intricate maneuvers in the ring much less commit a methodical murder-suicide over a 48 hour period.. They leave potted plants, a smashed-up guitar, a baggie of uncooked macaroni. I was supposed to be at his house that day. Shortly after Chris answered the door, there was a scuffle & then his house phone line went dead. However, some individuals were extremely close friends with Chris Benoit the man, to the extent they still cant reconcile the person he was with the way he ended his and his familys lives. Im a writer, author, wife, and animal lover. Joined on: Aug 22, 2007. 4) Chris was not hanging from the weight machine, he was laying on the floor underneath the machine. "What can you promise tomorrow on Smackdown?" In December of 2014, Bob Holly joined host Jim Ross on an episode of the now-discontinued Ross Report podcast. Chris Benoit, center, mourns the death of Eddie Guerrero during a WWE tribute show Source: Smark Henry Wrestling. From an early age, he honed in on the idea of being a wrestler after seeing a. if benoit was still alive, i think he could have had a great fued with orton for the wwe title, following ortons win at wm 24, which would have meant that HHH would have had to go after the world title. Eleven years later, Angle returned to WWE long after the Benoit tragedyhad taken place, and hes since been one of the few people employed by the company to say good things about his former opponent while under contract. Bob Holly is a former professional wrestler who is best known for his long tenure in the WWE. Chris Benoit's House. Cables, ladders, chairs the props they were using when they were getting hit in the head. Thankfully, these are just hypothetical questions and not heartbreaking facts. The company's website still recognizes his 153-day reign as World Heavyweight Champion in 2004, and there are some news articleson the site that mention him by name, including a few that detail developments related to the murder-suicide. Ive had these for awhile. After all, Chris Benoit was known as a consummate professional and, more importantly, a. Out of character for Mr. Benoit the WWE called local authorities for a welfare check to find the bodies of Nancy, Chris and Daniel Benoit later it was ruled a double murder suicide. He joked, "you're making me look taller than I already am.". Along the way, Benoit became a highly regarded wrestler. This is in stark contrast to what Triple H said immediately after Benoits death in the controversial Raw tribute to Benoit, where he glowingly praised the mans work and claimed to hold a great respect for him to the end. According to Chris Jericho, Benoit sobbed uncontrollably at Guerrero's funeral and gave him "the most desperate, saddest 'I'm hanging on for dear life' hugs that you could ever get,"as quoted by CBR. In Veniss words, Benoit is nothing but a coward, having committed atrocities so horrible they completely invalidate all the good done in his life. The name of his is father, Chris Benoit, and his mother, Martina Benoit. Others have pointed to mental illness, noting the repeated chair shots to the head and various other injuries caused Benoit to have the brain of a much older man. Well, thats the cleaned up version, anyway. Part 3 - Chris Benoit, The Man Who Booked His Own Divorce Chris Benoit had a year-plus feud with WCW booker Kevin Sullivan. Chris Benoit killed his wife Nancy Benoit, and their son Daniel. WWE 7. [Photo: WWE]In January of 2004, Holly challenged Lesnar unsuccessfully for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. ATLANTA-A verbal agreement has been reached in the fight over the estate of Canadian pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife . Enter Chris Benoit's name in the search bar on WWE's website, and you won't get any results. Holly shared the following when asked by Ross what was the night like when he found out that Chris, Nancy, and Daniel were gone. A key focus of the documentary is that after Eddie Guerrero died in 2005, Chris Benoit fell apart emotionally. The Fayette County, Georgia Sheriff's Department is currently investigating this case. It seemed that no one in the WWE locker room was more affected by his death than Benoit, as multiple colleagues recalled on Vice's "Dark Side of the Ring." (Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed.) But Benoit never showed up. [Chris] said, Well, next time youre up here, you need to come see us and come to the house, and Im like, Okay, I will, I will. In this article, we try to look beyond the tragedy and take a closer glimpse at the man. Reflecting on his brief joy over Benoits no-show, Morrison claims he retrospectively feels like the biggest douchebag in the world.. "That played a role,". To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. The booking of this feud led to Benoit and Nancy, Sullivan's wife at the time, developing an off-screen romance. With this information, MVP believes mental illness is more responsible than Benoit himself, and thus, he can still praise the ways in which the future killer helped his own career. I shed light on unsolved mysteries and shocking crimes. "I dont know if you know this or not, Bob Holly begins, I was supposed to be at Chris house [the night] that he killed Nancy. All three were dead. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. During a match in Japan, Benoit used an Enzuigiri kick which knocked Eddie out cold. The wrestler, born in Quebec, had steadily climbed the ranks of pro wrestling over 22 years. Long-time friends Chris Benoit and Bob Holly. If you find that some photos violates copyright or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. benoit could also have had a brilliant fued with jericho, and i would also have loved to see some matches between him and hbk. But Nancy later withdrew her divorce petition. This was like 5 hours after I got done talking to him.". Kevin Mazur/WireImageChris Benoits death has profoundly impacted his legacy as a professional wrestler. Many questions go to roid rage as you will see many steroids were found in the house. police files. But despite taking part in many now-iconic matches and winning his fair share of championships, his name isn't one that you should expect to see in anyone's wrestling hall of fame going forward. Here are some of the things that you probably didn't know about Chris Benoit. Growing up in California and Oregon, Holly watched Big Time Wrestling and Portland Wrestling, idolizing Pat Patterson, Curt Hennig, Jesse Ventura, and Roddy Piper. I said, How are you and Nancy doing? cause I knew him and Nancy were having trouble because we talked and he said, his exact words were: Aww, shes acting like Hitler again.. Chris Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler for the world wrestling entertainment (WWE). . Back in 1986, Benoit landed in New Japan Pro Wrestling. In 2007, he almost found himself in the middle of one of the most tragic stories in wrestling history the Benoit family tragedy. One of the most prolific interviews within this timeframe was Chris Jericho's, and with good reason. Given that anabolic steroids were found at the scene of the crime, the media pushed the narrative that the murder-suicide was caused by "roid rage." Author: Luke Marcoccia Jan. 23, 2023. Who is Chris Benoit? Nancy wanted Chris Benoit to quit wrestling in 2007. Bob Holly won the WWF Tag Team Championship with The 1-2-3 Kid at the 1995 Royal Rumble pay-per-view and competed in the infamous Brawl for All shoot boxing tournament in 1998. The police have no record of this. He had some notable matches under the gimmick in Japan and went on to earn plenty of respect there. I get it, Chris. This subreddit is not meant to glorify mass killers, but rather to discuss and attempt to understand their behavior. For most of his time in WCW, Benoit was utilized as a mid-card talent. Jim Ross brought up how Bob Holly may have been one of the last guys on the WWE roster Chris Benoit spoke to. Bite My Shinny Metal Ass. During May of 2007, a colleague of mine noted that she was going to interview Chris Benoit on behalf of our college radio station. "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. It sits on 0.15 acres of property and has views of the Rocky Mountains. He was 13 years old he was breaking records in high school in our basement.. His second wife, Nancy, filed for divorce shortly after they wed in 2000. Though Benoit seemed to be able to function normally outside the ring, marrying twice and having three children, he sometimes displayed violent behavior. Inside The Death Of Chris Benoit, The Professional Wrestler Who Killed His Family And Then Himself. But his success came at a cost. July 17, 2007 / 2:44 PM / AP. Both men were respected athletes up until that point, and afterward, both were truly poised for greatness, slowly gravitating up the card until they became World Champions. Not just ones that are performed in front of an audience. For this reason, Cene believes that the Benoit that killed his family is the same Benoit that got in the ring and wrestled, and therefore, WWE, nor should its top superstars, cant support him. Barry Williams/Getty ImagesA makeshift memorial at the Benoit house in Fayetteville, Georgia, shortly after Chris Benoit died after killing his family. This was the main focus of Jerichos thoughts during his many news appearances, with his favorite talking points all focused on the fact Benoit was a great friend, husband, and father up until the very last moments of his life. June 22 to June 24, 2007 will forever go down as the darkest weekend in the history of professional wrestling, for that was the three-day span in which former WWE and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit brutally murdered his wife and 7-year-old son. Alright, Ill be there!, And then I find out that he killed Nancy at like, what was it, 4:30 or 5 oclock that afternoon? The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), Stories about Chris Benoit behind the curtain, was not the person many remembered him to be, Nancy filed due to alleged domestic abuse, The WWF transitioned to a more adult-oriented product in late 1997 in what is now looked back on as The Attitude Era, Holly showed Matt how tough and real the wrestling world can be, The Day I Met Chris Benoit 3 Weeks Before the Tragic Double Murder-Suicide, Jimmy Snuka and the Death of Nancy Argentino, Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. Charlie Benoit was told that he had a long road ahead of him when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2011. He explained to me that his time in Japan was special and he learned a great deal from his opponents and peers. Chair shots to the head were banned and blood usage was restricted. Check it out. Investigators soon determined that as early as June 22, 2007, Chris Benoit murdered Nancy and Daniel before killing himself. Nowhere, though, is his name listed in the show descriptions, not even in the one for WrestleMania XX, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Shawn Michaels and Triple H. The debate onwhether or not Chris Benoit should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame still rages on 15 years later. Next, it appears that Benoit gave his son Xanax, then smothered him. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.