Trish, Booker, Sharmell, & Helms Comment On Benoit
All these messages (except for Booker T) were made before the sordid details regarding the Benoit family tragedy came out.
– Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus had the following message posted on her official website:
Trish Remembers Chris Benoit. We at TrishStratus.com are deeply saddened over the loss of Chris Benoit. Trish had this to say: "Chris was an incredible person, wrestler and friend. To the wrestling business he is the epitome of excellence, an example of dedication and passion, someone who lived their dreams. I shared many moments with Chris, I had the privilage of being his tag partner, we shared a Canadian heritage, we even shared a gap tooth, something that we laughed about years ago. Nancy was a beautiful person inside and out, it was always a pleasure to share a conversation with her, her smile lighting up a room. Their son Daniel rounded out a beautiful family. My thoughts are with the family, friends, as well as others whose lives Chris and his family touched. What an amazing life. I am deeply saddened by Chris' passing, and humbled by all that he was able to accomplish."
Shortly after the news broke out, WWE Diva Queen Sharmell sent out the following message on the MySpace for her indy promotion PWA: The following will be posted on https://bookertonline.com. Feel free to leave your thoughts on our forum. Thanks for the well wishes, and voices of support, as we have lost a dear family....There are no easy words at a time like this. We have already endured a difficult week, with the death of our beloved "Sensational Sherri", and now with the unfortunate news of the untimely passing of Chris Benoit and his family. My husband and I would first like to extend our thoughts and prayers to entire Benoit family, during this difficult period. Chris Benoit was a tenacious rival, a gracious gentleman, and most of all, a wonderful friend. Booker and I had the honor of knowing Chris and his family for more than a decade, and our lives have been enriched ever since. While our hearts are saddened, we choose to celebrate Chris' life, his achievements, and his undying dedication to both this business, and to you the fans. The "Rabid Wolverine" may be gone, but his legacy will not be forgetten. Chris' tenacity will live on, as he will be emulated for years to come (just as he sought to emulate his idol, The Dynamite Kid). In conclusion, we hope that this tragedy serves to help people focus on what is truly important, as we certainly will. Please be grateful for everything that you have, and always keep your family ties as strong as possible. Queen Sharmell
– Gregory Helms posted the following blog entry just after the news of the Benoit family death broke out. However, when the sad details regarding the deaths came out, he pulled the blog: To my friend Chris Benoit R.I.P. I was sitting here at my computer when I got a call informing me of the death of Chris Benoit and his family. Other than saying that my thoughts go out to to his remaining family, I don't know what to say. Chris had just called me on Thursday to check on me as he has every week since my surgery and now days later I find out that he's gone. He was my friend. This hurts! This f**ing sucks!!!! Rest in peace my friend! Love you!
– WWE superstar King Booker sat down with KHOU out of Houston, Texas today to talk about the Benoit tragedy. Below are some of the highlights. Booker said that he knew Benoit personally and as most people in the business that knew Benoit have said, commented that he had never seen a bad side of Benoit. He noted that he knew Benoit's wife Nancy and all of his children. He characterized what has happened as completely "out of the norm and unexplainable." Booker noted that he wrestled Benoit in 75-100 matches and just recently talked to him for about thirty minutes about the wrestling business. "We're all tired at certain points, we work a lot of hours, but I never saw this side of Chris. I've never seen Chris mad. I've never seen Chris angry. He was always the guy with a lot of positive energy, always pushing the guys." He went on to tell a story of a student that came to his wrestling school in Houston, Texas to be trained. Booker said that the student arrived from Illinois, with "no way to go back" and had $800 in his pocket. He revealed that the student carried around a photo of Benoit and Eddie Guerrero with him, as he was inspired by them to pursue a career in professional wrestling. "That was just the type of person he was, always encouraging people. He didn't even know this guy, but that's the type of person he was." Booker commented. When "roid rage" was brought up in the interview, Booker commented, "The media is going to put a spin on it, you know. We know that. WWE knows that. Did the guy last week who murders his wife and kid last week have any form of roid rage? He was a cop. This happens in any form of life. I feel like the human life is a delicate piece of equipment and everyone has their breaking point. We don't know what his breaking point was. You don't know what my point is, I don't know what your point is. We're all human. I just think it was a huge malfunction and whatever it was, we may never know. It's not for us to know. It's out of our hands and with God now." Booker said that the wrestling industry is a huge family and he's cried and wanted to pull his hair out over the tragedy. He revealed that he loved Chris and said that he is mad to see him "go out like this. I'm pissed at him in certain ways. I wish I could just hold him for a second, but it's out of our hands. I'll be there at the funeral and tell him goodbye and hopefully see him on the other side. Hopefully, I'll find out what happened one day."