RIP Chris Benoit

If there is one thing that many don't know is that wrestling has been very much a part of my life since I was a child. Of course, grappling with my father and cousin back then doesn't count as actually wrestling but I grew up watching the sport. In fact, besides the tons of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures I had, I also had almost every known wrestler action figure in my possession, complete with the wrestling ring. And it also of no surprise then that I would recreate my own star-studded dream matches which only fans could dream of seeing. That, coupled with the fact that wrestling is called sports entertainment, come to think of it, might have been a contributing factor to my liking for theatrics. HAHA.

Still, I've been more of a reader in recent times than a spectator. I've to resort to WWE.com for up to date results of weekly shows considering I've absolute zero time to watch it on TV.

So, what's the point of this entry on wrestling then you ask?

On a more sombre note, the picture above is that of Chris Benoit, who recently passed and even made the cover page of our local papers. Next to him is his best friend, the late Eddie Guerrero. Both men represent and embody what wrestling is all about. They both had to battle their demons and have had their fair share of having to climb the ladder to success. Therefore, it was fitting then in 2004 that both of them managed to win the most prestigious honour in the wrestling circle, the World Championship.

I've never really posted an entry about wrestling despite the many tragic deaths the sport has seen over the years. But, it's different this time.

Sure I love Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock for their rebellious streak and bringing much comedy to the sport or as of late, Ken Kennedy for replacing the both of them. However, there was always one wrestler I had admired the most. The one I would choose everytime I played the WWE games. The Rabid Wolverine. The Crippler. Chris Benoit. It isn't a secret that he is widely recognised as one of the best techincal wrestlers around.

Also, in 2002, I managed to meet the man himself when he came to Singapore to do a promotional run before the actual event. Had he not passed, he would've been at Bugis on July 6th this year. And I thought that I could watch him in action again, live, come July 28.

I don't want to go into the details of his death and that of his family's. I want to live with the memory of a determined man, passionate to the core for his craft. This is an awfully tragic loss and I don't know if watching wrestling will ever be the same again.