WWE legend warned Vince McMahon about Chris Benoit tragedy before RAW tribute show
Vince McMahon dedicated the June 25, 2007, edition of WWE RAW to Chris Benoit after the wrestler's death. In a recent podcast episode, WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) recalled how he raised concerns about the tribute show before it aired.
Between June 22-24, 2007, Benoit murdered his wife Nancy and seven-year-old son Daniel before committing suicide. The harrowing details of the tragedy had not yet come to light when RAW was due to go on the air.
On Something to Wrestle, JBL said he suspected before the episode that Benoit might have done something "horrific." After consulting WWE legends Steve Austin and The Undertaker, all three men went to discuss the matter with McMahon.
"'Taker said, 'John, tell Vince what you just said to me,'" JBL stated. "I said, 'Vince, what if Chris did it?' And I said, 'We're about to do a tribute show for a guy that could have done a horrific thing, if that is a possibility.' And Vince looked at me, and I've never seen a man that was so decisive so indecisive in my life. I've never seen Vince like that." [1:38:26 – 1:38:52]
Vince McMahon opened the three-hour RAW episode with a heartfelt tribute to Benoit, describing the situation as "a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss." Toward the end of the show, reports emerged that Benoit was responsible for all three deaths.
JBL says Vince McMahon "asked for help"
Chris Benoit was widely viewed as one of WWE's most reliable and talented wrestlers. According to John Bradshaw Layfield, the Canadian was also a "beloved" person behind the scenes.
JBL added that Vince McMahon had no idea what to do and asked others in the room for guidance:
"I don't know if he'd thought about it before, but he literally asked for help. He said, 'Well, you tell me what you think we should do.' I said, 'Vince, I don't know. I'm just telling you the downside and I'm telling you what could have happened.' I said, 'This looks like something that could have been different from what everybody's thinking.'" [1:40:26 – 1:40:42]
McMahon discussed Benoit in the recent Mr. McMahon docuseries on Netflix. He rejected the theory that steroids contributed to the double murder-suicide and claimed the wrestler simply "went nuts."
Please credit Something to Wrestle and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
