On June 25th, 2007, one week after Vince McMahons limousine blew up on RAW, there was speculation as to what happened to Vince McMahon. But instead of getting a show which was supposed to be a tribute to the McMahon character, Vince himself appeared on RAW, and informed the entire world that Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel were dead. That show was thus dedicated to be a 3-hour tribute to Benoits career. The next day on ECW, Vince once again appeared before the cameras, but the focus of his words was notably different: However, now some 26 hours later, the facts of this horrific tragedy are now apparent. Therefore, other than my comments, there will be no mention of Mr. Benoit's name tonight. On the contrary, tonight's show will be dedicated to everyone who has been affected by this terrible incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri7ZdIahMJg Vince didnt explicitly say what happened, but within a short few days of Benoits death, the whole world new the horrible truth: Benoit killed his wife, then his son, before committing suicide. The entire wrestling world was sent reeling. It was the most shocking wrestling-related revelation in the history of the sport. Fans of Benoits as well as his closest friends simply couldnt believe that Benoit, a quiet, respected family man, could commit such a horrible crime. The blame game soon commenced, with commentators suggesting steroid abuse, alcoholism, a difficult family life, and multiple concussions, as the root cause of Benoits behaviour. To this day, the Benoit issue remains arguably the most debated topic among wrestling fans. Some say its unfair for Benoits contributions to wrestling history to disappear due to his actions outside of the ring, while others condemn Benoit for his actions. While opinions on the matter may vary, what is universal is that this was the single-most shocking moment in modern wrestling history. What were some other shocking revelations that you think should've been included in this list? Let us know in the comments section below.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
