So much for the Who Murdered Mr. McMahon storyline.
That went out the window when Vincent Kennedy McMahon, standing alone in the middle of a wrestling ring, somberly announced to a Monday Night RAW TV audience that Chris Benoit was dead, along with his wife Nancy and seven-year-old son Daniel.
Little did we know that one day later police would suggest that Benoit was a murderer, who, for reasons we'll never fully know, strangled his wife and smothered his child.
Police say Benoit then killed himself.
I interviewed Chris Benoit a couple of years ago. For a guy not given much time on a WWE microphone, he was eloquent and brimming with passion for wrestling.
He seemed like a good and decent man, who put in plenty of hours of charity work and signed autographs until his hand was sore. I admired his in-ring work -- he could bring the best out of the worst.
Now, we're told, he's a murderer ... a murderer who happened to be a mighty fine wrestler.
To many, Chris Benoit was a hero, a guy who persevered and reached the pinnacle of his craft through blood, sweat and tears -- toothless aggression they labelled it.
There were Chris Benoit posters, Chris Benoit action figures and Chris Benoit T-shirts.
But there'll be no tribute here. Not when a seven-year-old boy and his mother lay dead.
OUT OF HAND? Steve Austin's ex-wife, Debra Williams said: "The domestic and drug abuse is out of hand in the WWE and something needs to be done about it."
SHOWS CANCELLED: With respect to the Benoit tragedy, four WWE Canadian dates in Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary and Edmonton, have been cancelled.
SUPER SUPERSHOW: Ottawa will host SuperEx Showdown: When Legends Collide on Aug. 23. This is truly a wonderful lineup with guys like Jeff Jarrett, Christian Cage, Abdullah the Butcher, Devon Nicholson, Greg (The Hammer) Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, AJ Styles, Koko B Ware, Pierre Carl Ouellet and, recently announced, King Kong Bundy vs. Kamala.
VENGEANCE: Here are the results from last Sunday's WWE Vengeance: John Cena beat King Booker, Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley and Mick Foley; Deuce and Domino beat Sgt. Slaughter and Superfly Snuka; MVP beat Ric Flair; Edge beat Batista.
RELATED LINKS
Chris Benoit tragedy news section
Chris Benoit biography and story archive
