Could brain damage explain why professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, his son and himself? Yes, according to some researchers. The analysis by doctors affiliated with the Sports Legacy Institute suggests repeated concussions could have contributed to the killings at Benoit's suburban Atlanta home.It would be a gross oversimplification to blame the Benoit murder-suicide on steroids, and it would be a gross oversimplification to blame it on concussions Benoit suffered in the ring. And it's important to distinguish between making excuses for what Benoit did and trying to find an explanation for why he did it.
The wrestler's father, Michael Benoit, told reporters Wednesday that he knows his son had concussions because his son told him so. But he also said he knows of no medical records or records kept by the wrestling league to support the diagnosis.
Steroid use also has lingered as a theory behind the killings, since anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home and tests conducted by authorities showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he died.
But no one should see this report as an excuse. It should instead serve as a wakeup call that the long-term effects of brain damage in wrestling, boxing, football and other sports have consequences that we don't fully understand, and consequences that we need to study more thoroughly.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-05-2007 @ 11:54PM
George B Vieto said...
I read in one of the wrestilng "dirt sheets" that Harley Race told Chris Benoit that be careful with his flying headbutt maneuver that overuse of that move would result in double vision and head injuries that would shorten his career. Since Harley used that move himself during his wrestling career.
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9-06-2007 @ 12:31AM
LParmee1 said...
If head injuries over the length of his career did cause some brain damage then wouldn't the physicals the WWE claim to administer have picked up on bruising to the brain? I still believe that this guy was just overcome by malicious thoughts that he probably harbored for years until he released them in this tragic event. Benoit's actions cannot be excused, and the sooner people admit the truth that he was a mentally unstable evil individual the better.
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9-06-2007 @ 1:15AM
savinbiller said...
I think the WWE should make sure these "wrestlers" who suffer concussions or other injuries are fully healed before that come back. They need these guys to be healthy in order to give the fans what they want. Maybe they should start banning these high risk moves some of them perform. But then again, it seems all Vince and other sport owners care about is how much money these guys make for them before they become obsolete.
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9-06-2007 @ 12:35PM
Side Show Bob! said...
Meat on the hoof, that's all they are, and after the last tear is shed, there will be a replacement to Beniot and it will be business as usual. Just a damn shame. Bet there won't even be an investigation into the current wrestlers health conditions either until this manefests itself again.
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