I think I have mentioned it here before, but I have a secret…I am a closet wrestling fan. Yes, I know it is not real, but neither are television shows or movies and I love those just the same. I grew up watching wrestling. Seriously, I was a teen when Jerry “The King” Lawler, now an announcer for the WWE, was in his wrestling heyday.
My husband started watching wrestling later in life than I did. He was in his thirties when he was conned into watching it by his then-roommate. But, shortly thereafter, he was hooked too. We didn’t watch much WWE when we first married, but within the last couple of years, we started watching it on again and off again. We probably haven’t watched it in six months when tonight, with nothing else on, I flipped the television to WWE Monday Night RAW. We were shocked to hear of the death of wrestling superstar Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy (herself a former WWE personality), and their seven-year-old son Daniel.
There isn’t much known yet, but apparently the family was found dead earlier today inside their suburban Atlanta home. To add mystery to the situation, Benoit was to have appeared at a pay-per-view event in Houston last night, but cancelled at the last minute. I have heard it was for “personal reasons” and “a family crisis.” Several Atlanta stations are reporting the family was found “slain” inside their home and the police are investigating it as a homicide. The Sheriff’s Department isn’t releasing any other information, other than saying that Benoit was not shot.
We probably won’t know what happened for at least another day, as autopsies are being performed. What I do know is that it seems like everyone, fans and fellow wrestlers alike, loved Chris Benoit. You know, in wrestling, a particular wrestler can be a “good guy” for a while then hook up with the “bad guys.” I don’t ever remember Benoit being a “bad guy.” He was small in stature compare to many of the hulking wrestlers today, but he was a hard worker, having held the world heavyweight championship title, the intercontinental champion title, and also several tag team titles.
Tonight, the usual Monday Night RAW was cancelled and WWE ran a tribute to Chris. Whether you like wrestling or not, please keep his family and friends in your thoughts.