10 Things Deleted From WWE History

2. Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit
network.wwe.com

Few singular moments have had as dramatic an impact on professional wrestling as the Chris Benoit tragedy.

This horrific story unfolded in June 2007, when police found the corpses Chris, his wife Nancy, and son Daniel inside their family home. WWE responded with a full three-hour tribute show on the next episode of Monday Night Raw, but the situation was still shrouded in mystery, and the full, grisly truth wasn't revealed until after the show had finished.

It was discovered that Chris had committed the murders himself, and WWE's tone changed. Vince McMahon appeared on the June 26th edition of ECW, explaining the circumstances to the TV audience, before stating that there would be no further mention of Benoit's name going forward. It's a policy that they've staunchly adhered to all the way through to the present day.

Benoit's name hasn't been uttered on television in over 10 years, and his legacy has been deleted from history. His matches remain on the WWE Network, but they're untagged, and the company done everything in their power to distance themselves from his name.

They'd acknowledge him as one of the greatest in-ring competitors of all time (which he was) if not for the tragedy, but while a small, vocal contingent disagree with WWE removing his legacy, their stance is entirely justified.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.