False Finishes
June 27th, 2007Remember what I talked about yesterday? You know, about opportunists in the media? It starts with this article, Chokehold May Have Killed Benoit’s Son.
Listen: Chris Benoit killed Chris Benoit’s son, and whether he suffocated him with a pillow, crushed his throat with his hands or asphixiated him with his biceps is irrelevant to wrestling unless you’re one of those people that still thinks wrestlers bleed with ketchup or some other makeshift device and want to blame a man on an industry. Anybody that tries to blame wrestling for this tragedy is shameless and those who believe it are fools who are falling for a false finish.
Like I said yesterday, there are questions to be answered about antidepressents, steroids, the atmosphere backstage and the schedule they work under. But let’s not pretend as the Atlanta Journal is or as CNN did that this has anything to do with wrestling. It doesn’t. That doesn’t mean I’m not putting any blame on the company, because I think it possible that they could’ve done more for Benoit (and for wrestlers in general) but the key distinction I’d like to make is that wrestling is not to blame, and I think my point and speculation are enhanced by this, which I read today.
If wrestlers had six weeks off twice a year, every year, year after year, it would dramatically, I believe, change the mental and physical health of wrestlers. It would change the tone of the locker room from an endless frat party/rock concert tour/pro athlete season to a more reasonable, humane, family-friendly, health-friendly environment. If every wrestler in the locker room had mandatory breaks of six weeks twice a year, they’d be “on” for nine months a year total, still have plenty of time to make a great living, perhaps have a long career, and along the way enjoy life more, be there for their kids and spouses, decompress, explore hobbies, and build well-rounded lives.
The decision to keep increases the intake of pills to get to sleep, and then take pills from a different bottle to get going in the morning might not be made. Instead, the light at the end of the tunnel would always be visible. Knowing that every four or five months an extended breather was coming up could change the attitude of wrestlers who take pills because there is no end in sight, so the only relief or high or reason to go on is pharmaceutical.
It’s something to think about as a wrestler’s schedule is brutal, and all the days of work certainly didn’t help Benoit’s psyche or his family, as it’s clear he was abusing prescription drugs, taking steroids and slowly losing himself, as some wrestlers have alluded to changes in his character over the last several months. The author brings up the level of respect Benoit had from his co-workers, wrestling writers and fans such as myself, which is what makes it all the more apparent that something has to be done for the wrestlers, and that WWE might bear some responsibility, but for very different reasons than Remember what I talked about yesterday? You know, about opportunists in the media? It starts with this article, Chokehold May Have Killed Benoit’s Son.
Listen: Chris Benoit killed Chris Benoit’s son, and whether he suffocated him with a pillow, crushed his throat with his hands or asphixiated him with his biceps is irrelevant to wrestling unless you’re one of those people that still thinks wrestlers bleed with ketchup or some other makeshift device and want to blame a man on an industry. Anybody that tries to blame wrestling for this tragedy is shameless and those who believe it are fools who are falling for a false finish.
Like I said yesterday, there are questions to be answered about antidepressents, steroids, the atmosphere backstage and the schedule they work under. But let’s not pretend as the Atlanta Journal is or as CNN did that this has anything to do with wrestling. It doesn’t. That doesn’t mean I’m not putting any blame on the company, because I think it possible that they could’ve done more for Benoit (and for wrestlers in general) but the key distinction I’d like to make is that wrestling is not to blame, and I think my point and speculation are enhanced by this, which I read today.
If wrestlers had six weeks off twice a year, every year, year after year, it would dramatically, I believe, change the mental and physical health of wrestlers. It would change the tone of the locker room from an endless frat party/rock concert tour/pro athlete season to a more reasonable, humane, family-friendly, health-friendly environment. If every wrestler in the locker room had mandatory breaks of six weeks twice a year, they’d be “on” for nine months a year total, still have plenty of time to make a great living, perhaps have a long career, and along the way enjoy life more, be there for their kids and spouses, decompress, explore hobbies, and build well-rounded lives.
The decision to keep increases the intake of pills to get to sleep, and then take pills from a different bottle to get going in the morning might not be made. Instead, the light at the end of the tunnel would always be visible. Knowing that every four or five months an extended breather was coming up could change the attitude of wrestlers who take pills because there is no end in sight, so the only relief or high or reason to go on is pharmaceutical.
It’s something to think about as a wrestler’s schedule is brutal, and all the days of work certainly didn’t help Benoit’s psyche or his family, as it’s clear he was abusing prescription drugs, taking steroids and slowly losing himself, as some wrestlers have alluded to changes in his character over the last several months. The author brings up the level of respect Benoit had from his co-workers, wrestling writers and fans such as myself, which is what makes it all the more apparent that something has to be done for the wrestlers, and that WWE might bear some responsibility, but for very different reasons than Joe Pressbox is selling us on.