Rabid Wolverine

Well, I intended on doing some funny bits tonight, but as I flipped on the VCR that had recorded The 4400 last night, I saw that WWE Raw was doing a tribute show. And my heart sank. I stopped watching pro wrestling about 18 months ago, but I still feel an affinity and admiration for many of the performers-- a large number of whom unfortunately have short lifespans.

Monday, Chris Benoit and his wife and young son were found dead in their home.

It's pretty early to tell what exactly happened, but from what I gathered from doing a little research on the Web, police are looking at the scene as a double-murder/suicide. Autopsies are supposed to be performed Tuesday, but police have stated that guns were not involved and there was no indication of stabbing, either.

I'm sure in the next few weeks, the truth will be known and people will have various opinions on the events leading up to the deaths, but I wanted to take just a little time to honor the man dubbed "The Crippler" and "The Rabid Wolverine".

To watch the guy in a match was to see someone who gave it all-- all the time-- as well as to see one of the greatest technicians of the "sport", ever. I used to read a lot of backstage stuff, and I can't remember a single person who had anything bad to say about the guy. "Dependable", "amazing", "professional", "calm", "respect" were just a few of the words used to describe him by anyone who talked about him.

His character never really struck a chord in me; I never really rooted for him. But I respected him. To watch a match he was in was to watch a master do his thing.

Pro wrestling gets laughed at by society at large for being fake, but I followed it enough to know that even though things are predetermined and matches are usually planned-out, these guys still take risks with their bodies. Being a pro wrestler takes an unbelievable amount of dedication. It is not an easy life. Jumping off the top rope onto another person hurts. Getting smacked by chair would do serious damage to someone in the "real world", but it still has to hurt like Hell in the ring. These professionals know how to take a hit-- but they still get hit. I'm sure Benoit wouldn't disagree with me since he had to have neck surgery a few years back to repair the damage he had done to him in his career.

For pro wrestling to lose someone like Benoit is a terrible blow. It's hard to compare him to people in other fields, but losing Benoit is to wrestling like losing Pacino in acting or Scorsese in directing. "Sports Entertainment" lost one of its greatest workers of all time Monday.

I don't even watch it anymore, but I will miss him.