15 Days That Changed Wrestling Forever (3)

3. Benoit Kills His Wife And Child, June 24th 2007

When prominent WWE superstar Chris Benoit murdered his wife and child in 2007 it may well have been the darkest day ever in pro wrestling. Benoit killed himself following the incident, so never had to answer for the murders. Instead Vince McMahon and WWE were put on trial by media.
Was this fair? Probably not. Benoit may have had brain damage from years of pro wrestling, so some decided that the company was to blame. Again, Vince had to put his company in order. Stringent health checks were put in place to ensure wrestlers were mentally and physically fit. Concussion testing became a huge consideration, with any wrestler head injury being given the utmost importance. Steel chair shots to the head were banned completely despite being a staple in the history of pro wrestling.
Creatively the company had to change as well. There was now a dark perception of WWE and its violent content. McMahon called for a overhaul, resulting in a less violent and more light hearted product. Vince’s own story even had to be changed. Awkwardly he had scripted his own death the week before Benoit died, meaning he had to break kayfabe and admit WWE was fake again on the Raw that announced Benoit’s death.
Ironically, the Benoit and Guerrero deaths made WWE a much better place. The health considerations that have been put into place since these dark fatalities took place have transformed the industry. If only these tragedies could have been spared in the first place.