It was never going to be anyone else. Benoit was one of WWE's most popular stars of the early and mid 2000's. He held the World Heavyweight Title, the United States Title, the Intercontinental Title and both Tag Team Titles, making him one of few Triple Crown Champions. He is also one of only two people who have won the Royal Rumble from the number one position. He is also a murderer, having killed his wife, his youngest son Daniel and himself over the course of a weekend due to a psychotic episode brought on by brain damage. As word reached WWE on Monday June 25th 2007, they cancelled the scheduled Raw and aired a tribute to Benoit's life and career, including past matches and comments from wrestlers. It wasn't until the program was nearly over that the WWE learned that the police were handling the case as a double murder-suicide. The next night, before a broadcast of ECW, Vince McMahon released a recorded statement, saying that "The facts of this horrific tragedy have now come to light. Therefore, other than my comments, there will be no mention of Mr Benoit's name tonight" The subsequent burial of Benoit is one of necessity rather than politics or punishment, and wherever possible, WWE never mention him on their website or in the press and have never mentioned his name on television since. His merchandise was immediately pulled from WWE's online shop and mentions of him in archived footage were removed wherever possible. Recently, however, WWE have announced that footage of Benoit will be available on the WWE Network, but with a parental advisory displayed before the viewing. So there we are, ten of the most buried wrestlers in WWE history. Can you think of more? Let me know in the comments!
Stephen Maher has been a rock star, a bouncer, a banker and a busker on various streets in various countries. He's hung out with Robert Plant, he was at Nelson Mandela's birthday and he's swapped stories with prostitutes and crack addicts. He once performed at a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras by accident. These days, he passes the time by writing about music, wrestling, games and other forms of nerdery. And he rarely drinks the blood of the innocent.
