CHRIS BENOIT: A VICTIM OF THE BUSINESS
- 06/26/2007 (8:00:05 pm)
- Road Warrior Animal
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To all the Wrestling fans over the world he was known as the "Pegasus Kid" mostly in Japan or "The Rabid Wolverine" Chris Benoit.
I on the other hand was glad not only to call him a fellow performer as that is what we are, but as a good friend. I also was a good friend of "Woman" Nancy, his late wife working with her on numerous occasions.
The Wrestling business is not for the weak, or meek person, it is for the individual who is willing to take risks, doing dangerous moves night after night and most of his or her career have a limited family life.
Not at all wanting to not have a family life, but it is that the business dictates that you pay a price for fame and glory and something has to give and the family unit pays the ultimate price for fame.
This is a business, that has suffered so many horrific events and deaths and senseless loss of precious lives that needs a governing body to protect and preserve the welfare of the athlete and or performer.
Maybe a Union or maybe not but certainly it raises questions?
Would it have made a difference if a certain performer had more time off to nurture his or her injuries, or just plain clear their heads, or just get off the cruel hard road which can "cripple" your emotions and make you numb all over.
I know I have been there many times myself.
This is where the term "Independent Contractor" comes to mind. I believe along with most of my fellow wrestlers, that term needs to be altered, as when you are told where to go, what time you have to go, when you have to be somewhere, the date or time you have to be there, what to wear, and if you change your flight you will get fined.
If you are late you will get fined, and you have to take a mandatory wellness urine test, in most of my experiences having to abide by all the conditions. I was always considered to be an "EMPLOYEE" not a IC. Being an EMPLOYEE you should be protected by a governing body assuring your best welfare, families welfare and health.
After years of having anywhere from 280 to 325 days a year on the road, I certainly believe that a much added rest would have been needed and appreciated. But at that time if the boss did not give you the time off and you were a top guy you would just say goodbye and take the time off or go work in Japan where all you have to do is make the bus and everything else is taken care of for you, not that the work in the ring wasn't hard it was harder.
As you did not have to worry about renting cars or getting a hotel booked or finding a gym to train in or getting hurt all this is taken care of for you.
But after the demise of AWA, WCW and other wrestling territories folding like Memphis, Portland and others, the big dog stepped in, bought out all the other companies, meanwhile Japan and time off seemed like a thing of the past. Even now at the present rate of 4 days a week which most every top guy in the WWE works now it still averages around 200 days a year, more than most people work in a single year, and that is not counting personal appearances which are another 25% more demanding.
Chris Benoit wanted time off, he had mentioned it to me when I worked with the same company . Some other wrestlers whom had talked to Chris say that recently Benoit wanted some time off to clear his head, whether that was granted or not I do not know, it may or may not have been an issue. It is hard however to get time off when hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on you on advertising, TV and other expensive avenues.
It is amazing now how everyone wants to jump on the so called Steroid band wagon, give me a break, these so called experts who have never done them nor have they experienced the demanding schedule that a wrestler or any top athlete keeps, experts giving their worthless opinion just to sell ratings and promote false truths, most people responding to this issue never put on spikes, wrestling boots, done anything athletic in their lives, but they do have an opinion. It takes more than steroids to make a person snap to this degree to the point of not comprehending all actions.
After experiencing the business and the demands it puts on you mentally and physically it take numerous factors to cause such actions.
All that I know is something needs to change, the wrestlers all need to be covered by the best of insurance policies, having them paid for, not having to pay for everything yourself, as it gets quite demanding and expensive.
After all, men like Chris Benoit, a man's man, some time or another have a breaking point and the business or wrestling company in charge need to make sure these athletes are sound, not only in body but more so in mind, having mandatory Psychological and physical checkups to assure that. I think and pray that in the future that whichever company hires the athlete they do everything possible for the welfare of that athlete.
The wellness program is only a start in the right direction, it still has a long way to go.
This wrestling business cannot afford to lose anymore Benoit's, Hennig's, Rude's, Hawk's, Smith's, Hart's, Candito's, Pillman's, just to name a few that can never be replaced.
From Road Warrior ANIMAL
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