WWE's Concussion Issue
Last week it was reported that Chris Benoit's brain was severely damaged due to concussions, which were suffered during his professional wrestling career. His brain was comparable to that of an 85 year old person with Alzheimer's. The brain damage was even cited as a possible new reason Benoit may have snapped and committed the horrific double murder-suicide. This can't be fully blamed on WWE, as Benoit spent years in other wrestling organizations, but his last 10 or so were in the WWE. This once again opens the floodgate for questions about how WWE takes care of its stars these days.
On the ABC Nightline report last week, Benoit's father was part of the show, as he was the one who released the brain test results to the public. Benoit's father made an interesting recollection that he asked his son, Chris, "does it hurt when you get hit in the head with a chair?" Chris' answer was "you're damn right it hurts". Obviously, flying headbutts, getting bashed on the head repeatedly with a metal chair and falling through tables, ladders and other objects is going to cause a fair share of damage.
Last week's episode of the WWE Raw show on TV brought yet another interesting example. Umaga (Eddie Fatu) is rumored to be amongst the suspended wrestlers from WWE. He was effectively "written out" of the Raw show by way of Triple H bashing him on the head several times with a chair and then using a sledgehammer to repeatedly hit him. The two important things to note are that Triple H uses a real sledgehammer (although he doesn't hit hard and covers the top with his hand) and that Umaga was hit repeatedly on his skull with a metal chair.
With all this going on, there's been wrestling fans who still demand a return to the older and more extreme hardcore style matches that WWE and ECW used to feature. The questions remain: should WWE be taking better care of its superstars? As a company is it the duty of the WWE to protect the safety of its performers? Or is this sort of thing fair game for those who choose to be "in the business"?
I agree with Chris Benoit's father in the comment he made that the company he works for makes the safety of its employees a top priority. While individuals do make a choice to enter the wrestling business, the company itself should always ensure that a person's wellness comes ahead of the entertainment factor.
On the ABC Nightline report last week, Benoit's father was part of the show, as he was the one who released the brain test results to the public. Benoit's father made an interesting recollection that he asked his son, Chris, "does it hurt when you get hit in the head with a chair?" Chris' answer was "you're damn right it hurts". Obviously, flying headbutts, getting bashed on the head repeatedly with a metal chair and falling through tables, ladders and other objects is going to cause a fair share of damage.
Last week's episode of the WWE Raw show on TV brought yet another interesting example. Umaga (Eddie Fatu) is rumored to be amongst the suspended wrestlers from WWE. He was effectively "written out" of the Raw show by way of Triple H bashing him on the head several times with a chair and then using a sledgehammer to repeatedly hit him. The two important things to note are that Triple H uses a real sledgehammer (although he doesn't hit hard and covers the top with his hand) and that Umaga was hit repeatedly on his skull with a metal chair.
With all this going on, there's been wrestling fans who still demand a return to the older and more extreme hardcore style matches that WWE and ECW used to feature. The questions remain: should WWE be taking better care of its superstars? As a company is it the duty of the WWE to protect the safety of its performers? Or is this sort of thing fair game for those who choose to be "in the business"?
I agree with Chris Benoit's father in the comment he made that the company he works for makes the safety of its employees a top priority. While individuals do make a choice to enter the wrestling business, the company itself should always ensure that a person's wellness comes ahead of the entertainment factor.
Labels: Chris Benoit, Commentary, Concussions, WWE Miscellaneous
2 Comments:
Ok, look, I have been watching wrestling since I was like 10 years old (23 years) & the superstars make a choice about which moves they do in the ring. Not all of them dive head first from the top turnbuckle like Benoit did & plus, Harley Race did this exact same move and he has not done the horrific crime(s) that Benoit has done. So everyone needs to stop blaming the WWE for Benoit's actions!!!!
Samantha, good point, and I agree, we shouldn't blame anyone but the individual when a crime is committed. But you can make a case that the WWE can take measures to protect its superstars and keep them safe from concussions. When a chair being smashed on someone's head is part of the script or match, then that's WWE's responsibility, in my opinion.
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