Wrestling with the Horror That Destroyed a Family and Crippled a Sport
By Steven Johnson, Heath McCoy, Irv Muchnick and Greg Oliver
The life and alarming death of acclaimed professional wrestler Chris Benoit are explored in this timely and exhaustive biography. In June 2007 Benoit committed suicide after killing his wife and son, and the media coverage surrounding this event—as well as the facts of the case and its effects on professional wrestling—are all extensively addressed. Benoit’s life prior to and during his pro wrestling career is examined, as is his significant impact on the wrestling world and widespread popularity. This close-up look at one of pro wrestling’s greatest and most lamented figures also presents the place of his tragedy in the darker side of wrestling’s history.
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SOME BRIEF THOUGHTS ON CHRIS BENOIT
So much happened in that whirlwind of 2007, after we learned of Chris Benoit’s horrific murder of his wife and child, and then his suicide. I was always a fan, and then we got to know each other a little during his time in WCW. After Eddie Guerrero died, I sent him a note, knowing that Eddie was one of his best friends. I got back a few emails that were revealing in retrospect. They were gold from a journalistic aspect. What to do with them? While the tabloid newspapers offered far more money, I elected to take the high road. I did an articles for the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, the Globe and Mail, and the Sun Media newspapers. Appearing on Entertainment Tonight Canada to promote the book is probably my highest-profile TV interview to date. I am especially proud of all the work the SlamWrestling.net team did covering it. Here is the Chris Benoit & Nancy Benoit story archive.
BENOIT: THE SLAMWRESTLING REVIEW
One of the biggest challenges when you run a website is figuring out how to have your own books reviewed without any cries of favoritism or worse. It was even more complicated with four authors and their various connections in the media and wrestling worlds. Mike Jenkinson, a freelance writer in Edmonton, Alberta, that I had never met did the write-up at SlamWrestling.net: QUICKIE BENOIT BOOK HITS — AND MISSES
BULLDOG’S BOOKSHELF
The MerchandiseAndMemories.com website, run by the mysterious Canadian Bulldog, has a very robust book section, and has a review of Benoit: Wrestling with the Horror That Destroyed a Family and Crippled a Sport. An excerpt: “[It] provides some unique insights into arguably wrestling’s darkest period and Chris Benoit, and I have no problem recommending it for a read.”