– This weekend marks the five-year anniversary of the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide that occurred over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007.

Chris Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging. Autopsy results show Benoit first murdered his wife. She was bound at the feet and wrists and died of asphyxiation on the evening of June 22, 2007. The couple’s son, who also died of asphyxia, was apparently killed as he lay in bed on June 23, 2007. The following day, Benoit committed suicide by hanging himself with the pulley of a weight machine.

– Tommy Dreamer has published his latest column, where he proclaims “Life really is a lot like pro wrestling.”

“I say life is a lot like pro wrestling. It is scripted, but we can’t predict the outcome. In wrestling, you get knocked down a lot, but it is how you get up and keep on fighting that makes you the person you are,” he writes.

– Mick Foley announced via Twitter upcoming Stand-up comedy appearances: “7/12 in Ocala, FL 7/18+19 on Long Island, 7/20-22 in NJ, 7/25-28 in #Montreal realmickfoley.com.”

Speaking to The Fight Club Chicago, former WCW and ECW star Scotty Riggs weighed in on the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide and why he believes that Vince McMahon feels Benoit is a blackeye to WWE.

“I still believe that what happened, the tragedy with Chris and Nancy and Daniel… I knew them well,” said Riggs. ” “[I] Used to eat dinner with Chris and he would get on his cell phone and he would be on the phone with Nancy and he would give me the phone and I’m like what and he goes, ‘Nancy wants to say hello to you. She loves you.’

“I had a great relationship with the family. So whatever happened in that period of time, I still don’t think it’s the Chris Benoit that all of us knew. It might have been that physical person, but the mental person… whatever was going on with him mentally, I just don’t think that was him.

“Verne Gagne a lot of people knew him from AWA and this wrestling historian, basically is in a retirement home. Killed a roommate, something of the sort. Never got the publicity because he wasn’t high profile at that time. But he had no recollection of it. Didn’t remember doing it and they basically gave him a free get go. Basically did the same thing, took another persons life. Whether it’s your family or whether its a person or anything of that sort. Scott Hall, he’s had his demons, found out what he did early before he started wrestling when he took a life, but how it affects you. You see how it’s affecting him, his demons and his life now.

“But with Chris, no one ever saw what was happening in his mind. You saw glimpses of things that maybe might make you question, but no red flags that would make you think he’d do that. So for people who really, really respect him as a wrestler… The fans will never forget Chris Benoit. Wrestlers who knew Chris Benoit as Chris and as a guy who was there as a friend will never forget him and so he’ll be remembered.

“I think WWE, Vince McMahon will never acknowledge him because of there quote, unquote family PG status right now. They just won’t do it. To them its a black eye. Vince, he’ll deny everything and he’ll just sweep it under the rug and only let the good be seen. He’ll get rid of the bad, pretend it didn’t exist. He does that with everything and everybody and always has. It’s unfortunate.”

Riggs also discussed Eric Bischoff, the New World Order, WWE and more in the interview. It is available here.

WWE has attempted to distance themselves from Chris Benoit since his career and life ended in a murder–suicide on June 24, 2007. With the exception of his results and listings in WWE.com’s title history (though summaries of his title reigns have been removed), and select content published when he was alive, he is generally not acknowledged by the sports entertainment organization. All mentions of Benoit have been removed from archived footage broadcast on WWE Classics On Demand whenever possible. Matches and other footage involving Benoit have appeared very sparingly on new video releases. Benoit was, however, listed in the first WWE Encyclopedia volume released in 2009, where his wrestling career up to where he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton in 2004 is detailed, along with title history. A second volume is scheduled for release this September and author Kevin Sullivan confirmed that Benoit is once again listed.

When asked via Twitter whether the new edition will have a Benoit section, Sullivan responded, “Yes, he does.”

Vince McMahon stated during a 2009 interview with WWE Magazine for “The Untold History of the WWE” issue that it is okay to acknowledge Benoit within a historical context but not in a promotional manner.

“It’s not right to pretend he didn’t exist,” he said when asked whether Benoit’s history can be acknowledged by WWE. “It’s one thing to include him as part of a historical perspective, which I believe is okay, and it’s another thing to promote him, which is not okay.

“The situation is very similar to that of O.J. Simpson—despite his controversy, O.J. was still a part of the NFL scene. You can’t deny that he existed.”

Over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007. Benoit killed his wife, Nancy Benoit, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging.

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shot a fight scene with TNA Wrestling star Kurt Angle on Saturday for the upcoming 2013 black comedy film Pain & Gain. Johnson then tweeted a photo of himself with Angle and film director Michael Bay on Monday with the caption reading: “The Peoples Champ, The Maestro Michael Bay, The Olympic Gold Medalist.”

— CNN-IBN, CNN’s India news affiliate, posted a photo of the late Chris Benoit in their article recapping WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view event.

— WWE will hold a Raw SuperShow on Monday, July 2, 2012 at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 12, 2012.

— 2011 WWE video titles Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator and Greatest Rivalries – Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart are now available on Netflix.

— Mixed martial artist-turned-actress Gina Carano is in negotiations with Universal Pictures to join the cast of the next installment of Fast & Furious movie franchise. The Hollywood Reporter reports Carano’s character would join Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character’s team in the movie, which is scheduled to begin filming later this year. Fast & Furious 6 is slated for release on May 24, 2013.

— ESPN.com published an article acknowledging John Cena’s birthday, who turns 35 years old Monday. Included are “five interesting facts” on the WWE Superstar.

— WWE will hold a Supershow at the Civic Center in Augusta, Maine on Friday, June 15, 2012. Bell time is 7:30 p.m.

— The April 20 episode of WWE Vintage Collection featured matches from WCW’s annual Spring Stampede pay-per-view event: British Bulldog vs. Curt Hennig (1998), Steve Austin vs. The Great Muta (1994), Chavo Guerrero vs. Ultimo Dragon (1998), Diamond Dallas Page vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (1997).

— Irvin Muchnick’s book, Chris & Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death, will be re-released as an E-book by ECW Press.

Jon Chattman of The Huffington Post conducted an interview with Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady Peace where they discuss how they’ve had to retire Chris Benoit’s WWE theme song “Whatever” altogether because of the incomprehensible tragedy that took place five years ago.

Over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007, Benoit killed his wife Nancy and strangled his seven-year-old son Daniel before committing suicide via hanging. Chattman, a music blogger, asks band frontman Raine Maida and guitarist Steve Mazur if they still play “Whatever” following the event.

“I couldn’t imagine singing that to be honest, it’s so tied into him and the tragedy that happened, I just couldn’t get it out of my head,” says Mazur.

Maida adds they’ve removed the song from their catalog. Chattman thinks it “sucks” they no longer play it since it’s such a “kickass” song.

Actor Liam Nessen

Actor Liam Neeson was asked during the press junket for The Grey about a rumor that he’s in talks to portray Vince McMahon in the upcoming Chris Benoit biopic Crossface.

The Grey director Joe Carnahan answered first, telling Neeson, “I can’t see you doing that dude.” Neeson added, “No, I never heard of [the movie].”

Neeson added that he has no interest in the role, largely because he knows very little about the WWE CEO, almost nothing about Benoit, and is not a fan of professional wrestling.

Crossface was announced last month. Casting is underway and production is set to begin this fall.

We want to know – who do YOU think should play Vince McMahon in the Chris Benoit movie? Hit up the comments below with your casting choice.

John Cena appeared to allude to the day Chris Benoit was found dead in a Twitter message prior to tonight’s Raw SuperShow at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“Home of Whataburger. An arena of celebration…and reflection. All cities are wonderful to WWE..but Corpus..I will never forget,” Cena wrote Monday.

On June 25, 2007, WWE canceled a three-hour-long live Raw show that was to have taken place in Corpus Christi, Texas after news broke that Benoit and his family were found dead in their home. Vince McMahon made the announcement before company employees that day at the arena; many of whom were coincidentally dressed for a scripted memorial for the Mr. McMahon character. WWE instead paid tribute to the life and career of Benoit with matches and segments from the Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story video title and comments from wrestlers and announcers from Raw, SmackDown and ECW. It was not until the program was nearly over that reports surfaced that police were working under the belief that Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself.

SRG Films’ upcoming film Crossface retelling Chris Benoit’s descent into double murder and suicide will feature actors portraying his wrestling peers.

“Eddie [Guerrero] is obviously very important to the story,” Sarah Coulter tells WorstPreviews.com, who has already written the first draft of the script. “Triple H, Kurt Angle, they’re all there, but it’s early and things can still change.”

Regarding whether the film will be a biopic, Coulter says, “Chris had a remarkable career. You take a look at his time in Japan and with Stu Hart, and you realize that you’d need more than one movie to tell the entire Chris Benoit story. Ultimately, it’s about the 2007 murders/suicide, so we had to pick and choose the right moments in Chris’ career that may have been factors in his downfall.”

Coulter adds several actors are under consideration for the lead role and that an official casting announcement will be made soon.

– Dave Meltzer stated on the December 24 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that the Survivor Series pay-per-view buy figure is lower than the initial estimate of 280,000. It was reported that of that figure, 180,000 pay-per-view purchases came from the United States. The updated estimate drops the buy figure to 260,000 as only 160,000 pay-per-view purchases came from the United States for The Rock’s first wrestling match in over seven years.

The estimate compares to 244,000 buys for Survivor Series in 2010 and 235,000 in 2009, which nearly got the show scrapped from the annual pay-per-view line-up.

– Jim Ross commented on Chris Benoit’s candidacy for entrance into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“Chris Benoit will never be inducted into WWE HOF. Great wrestler but horrific ending to his life overrides career.”

— Jim Ross says he has no interest in seeing the final days of Chris Benoit re-told in a new big screen ‘biographical thriller’, entitled Crossface. When asked for comment on the upcoming movie, he tweeted:

“No thoughts…no interest…too sad.”

When further pressed about the issue, Ross wrote:

“I was asked my opinion re: potential Beniot movie. I gave my opinion, did ‘man’ up. Have no interest reliving the tragedy. I lost 3 friends.”

As we reported over the weekend, SRG Films announced Saturday formal plans to produce a film based on the life of the deceased former wrestler, which will be adapted from Matthew Randazzo’s book Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry. Production is tentatively scheduled to begin next fall.

— Former WWE star Chris Masters is now on Facebook. He tweeted,

“Be sure to check out my FB page. Lots of updates! Christopher Mordetzky.”

The final days of Chris Benoit will be re-told in a new big screen ‘biographical thriller’, entitled Crossface.

SRG Films have bought the rights to Matthew Randazzo’s book Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry, to retell the wrestler’s story, whose career and life ended in a double murder–suicide.

Sarah Coulter has already written the first draft of the script, which is expected to begin filming late next year. Talks are underway with potential actors and directors and the film already has an IMDB page.

Coulter says, “People immediately point to steroids, never thinking about the brain trauma these wrestlers can, and do, incur in their profession, nor do they consider the rigorous schedule that keeps them working even when they shouldn t be. The Benoit story is one that needs to be brought into the light.”

More details are available here.

Jim Ross answered a series of fan questions Saturday on Twitter including whether he’d ever consider joining TNA Wrestling, why Chris Benoit and Owen Hart have not been enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame, why SmackDown isn’t live, and more.

Matt Hardy returning to WWE: “Matt Hardy should get clean and sober & not worry about wrestling until his life isn’t an embarrassment & being put at risk.”

Why SmackDown isn’t live on a weekly basis: “Smackdown isn’t live because of exorbitant, increased tv production costs of keeping production crew on road all week.”

If reports of him penning an autobiography are true: “Not true..more Internet dirt. I’m not in process of writing a book. ‘maybe’ some day.”

If he’d ever join TNA Wrestling: “I’m a WWE guy plus TNA has excellent announcers & they don’t need my services.”

Why Owen Hart is not in the WWE Hall of Fame: “Owen Hart has not been inducted because of potential legal issues w/ his estate, etc.”

Why Chris Benoit is not in the WWE Hall of Fame: “Why #ChrisBenoit not yet inducted to #HOF?…. You can’t be serious.”

The fan replied, “Benoit was a GREAT wrestler, you’ve got to give him credit for that.”

Ross responded, “No one ever said Benoit wasn’t a great wrestler did they? The last few days of his life precludes his HOF status.”

— Following a several year hiatus, “The Informer” is once again featured in WWE Magazine. Though the monthly column largely consisted of made-up stories, it would at times correctly predict future storylines. The feature is now branded as “WWE gossip” and appears to be a mashup of kayfabe and legitimate backstage tales. Highlights from the October 2011 edition are as follows:

* “Would a certain A-list Hollywood celeb please stop calling our offices in hopes of landing a Raw guest-star slot? You had your chance already, pal!”

* “I hear a top-level, WWE Hall of Fame-bound Superstar suggested that Natalya use the double sharpshooter at 2010’s WWE TLC.”

* “During a recent photo shoot, a Superstar demanded that the makeup artist stop touching up the Divas and focus her attention on him!”

* “A source tells us that The Rock isn’t the only Attitude Era Superstar planning to step in the ring in 2012. Hint: There’s an “E” in his name.”

— It was reported yesterday that WWE.com’s bio on referee Mike Chioda made mention of deceased wrestler Chris Benoit, who is considered persona non grata within the organization. He recalled November 29, 2004, when he and a fellow official declared contrary decisions in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship; Chioda saw Benoit pinned for the three-count while Edge tapped out simultaneously. The Benoit mention has since been removed.

Meanwhile, WWE.com’s bio on referee Jack Doan says Benoit’s match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania X-Seven is one of his most memorable moments.

— Diana Hart Smith, mother of recently released WWE Superstar David Hart Smith, took aim at Michael Cole yesterday on Twitter as she called the WWE broadcaster effeminate.

“Michael Cole is such an expose of garbage wrestling–MC is brutally effeminine,” she wrote to a follower. “Oh well. On another level, STRIKEFORCE=HARRY SMITH.”

For what it’s worth, the self-proclaimed “Voice of WWE” did Smith no favors during his lone broadcast booth appearance on an episode of Raw last year as he criticized the third generation wrestler’s verbal ability and lack of charisma.

— Reader SirWombat sent word that WWE.com’s bio on referee Mike Chioda makes mention of deceased wrestler Chris Benoit, who is considered persona non grata within the organization.

It reads: “Chioda also distinctly remembers Nov. 29, 2004, when he and a fellow official declared contrary decisions in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship; Chioda saw Chris Benoit pinned for the three-count while Edge tapped out simultaneously. It’s a moment in his career that’s nearly impossible to replicate.”

— The June 3 episode of WWE SmackDown featuring a World Heavyweight Championship Match scored a 1.77 cable rating, down from 1.83 on May 27 and 1.89 on May 20.

SmackDown averaged 2.7 million viewers, extending the program’s streak of less than 3.0 million viewers to five consecutive weeks.

Prior to the program’s ratings downturn, the show was averaging 3.06 million viewers per episode in 2011.

— Currently airing on WWE Classics On Demand is the June 22, 1998 episode of WCW Monday Nitro. One of the matches featured is Steve “Mongo” McMichael vs. Stevie Ray, which climaxes with Benoit interfering in the bout by preventing the Harlem Heat member from using a steel chair.

— WWE will highlight “High Flyers” during July on WWE Classics On Demand. The synopsis reads: “All July on WWE Classics On Demand, we soar to new heights with sports-entertainments greatest “High Flyers.” Relive the aerial artistry of pioneers like Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka to the modern day aerial masters like Rey Mysterio. Plus don’t miss an all-new episode of the original roundtable series, Legends of Wrestling.”

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— The late Chris Benoit is shown a few times in WWE’s forthcoming The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro DVD (scheduled for release on June 7), and even in the same segments as Woman. However, no full matches of Benoit are included in the DVD, not to mention that in segments where he is shown, commentary referring to “The Crippler” is muted.

— Shawn Michaels and friends of his went to Joplin, Missouri Thursday to offer support to tornado victims.

“Me & my buds got cases of H2O & sum dry goods & headed 2 Joplin MO, jus wanna c if we can do anything,” he wrote on Twitter. “Can’t hurt 2 give it a try.”

— Hornswoggle will throw out the first pitch at the July 7 Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers game at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

— WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart appears at MVP Sports Collectibles in Victoria, BC, Canada on Saturday, June 25 from 2-4pm. Call 250-380-1958 for more information.

To add further fuel to the widespread belief that Vince McMahon held Randy Savage in contempt during the wrestling legend’s final years, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper claimed Friday on Twitter that the multi-time world champion once slapped the WWE Chairman at a bar.

He wrote, “Randy slapped Vince in a bar…End of that story!!”

The WWE Hall of Famer was writing stories on Savage following his passing earlier in the day.

Former WWE talent Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, however, doesn’t believe that their alleged animosity is due to the bar incident in question. He wrote on Twitter in response to a fan bringing up the allegation: “I respectfully disagree with Roddy. Not that it didn’t happen, but it’s not where the heat came from.”

There is a long-standing internet rumor regarding an alleged incident between Savage and Stephanie McMahon that was said to have occurred several years ago, therefore explaining Vince’s animosity towards him. While the allegation has never been verified, Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer said on his podcast two years ago that ‘top people’ within WWE believed the rumor to be true, though not known for sure.

– WWE’s new “Big Show: A Gian’t World” 3-disc DVD set was officially released today. You can buy it for under $23 at Amazon.com (34% off retail).

– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown tapings will take place from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.

Following his return on Monday’s RAW, WWE confirmed that The Undertaker will return to SmackDown this Friday.

Advertised locally is Edge, Big Show and Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater in a handicap match.

“Dashing” Cody Rhodes will also make his big WrestleMania announcement tonight.

There was talk backstage at RAW that A Divas Title match between champion Eve Torres and one of The Bella Twins might take place on SmackDown as well.

– The latest issue of WWE Magazine, which features the “Definitive Guide to WrestleMania” does not list any Chris Benoit WrestleMania matches. Even the main event of WrestleMania XX, which saw Chris Benoit capture the World Heavyweight title in a triple threat match that also included Shawn Michaels and Triple H, is listed as Kane vs. The Undertaker.

A federal judge in Atlanta ruled Wednesday that Hustler magazine owes the family of Nancy Benoit damages for publishing nude photographs of her.

The magazine claimed that the 25-year-old nude photographs of Nancy Benoit, who was killed by her husband, Chris Benoit, were newsworthy. U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr., however, felt otherwise as he said there is “no question” that her family suffered damages and the photographs were purely published for the magazine’s profit.

“No reasonable juror could conclude that [Larry Flynt Publishing] did not publish the photographs and the article for financial gain,” Thrash wrote. “The evidence shows that LFP made significant profits off the March 2008 issue and that the reaction to the Benoit photographs was ‘huge and overwhelmingly positive.'”

Thrash ordered that a jury trial be held to determine the damages, but no date has been set.

Michael Benoit Campaigns Against Linda McMahin (Photo by Jessica Hill)

Michael Benoit, the father of the late Chris Benoit, is speaking at a press conference in Connecticut today for Linda McMahon’s Democratic Senate race opponent, Richard Blumenthal. Benoit is speaking out about how WWE treats its wrestlers and said he was there to “change an industry that is out of control.”

Benoit says that Vince and Linda McMahon are motivated by nothing but money.. “The only reason that woman wants to go to Washington is to protect the dollars that WWE makes, to head off any attempt to regulate their industry.” said Benoit.

Linda McMahon spoke to reporters shortly before Benoit’s press conference and calls Michael Benoit’s position “bitter and sad.”

“I think Mr. Blumenthal has really tried to focus in only saying that WWE does not treat its performers well, when in fact, WWE treats its performers incredibly well and it wants to make sure that those men and women in the ring are protected,” she said.

“I can truly understand the pain of a father who has not only lost a child but a son who was involved in a heinous crime of killing his wife and his son,” McMahon said to reporters. “I can understand that his feelings are bitter, sad, wants to find answer and would like to also find someone to blame.”

Benoit responded: “Maybe I come off as a bitter father. I’m determined to make change in this industry so we don’t have people dropping dead at the age of 30.”

Among the topics discussed in Chris Jericho’s upcoming autobiography, Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Steps, is that of Chris Benoit. He offers insight into the man he previously considered a friend.

Regarding Benoit’s peculiar sense of humor, the rough draft states: “Not a giggle, not a chuckle, not a tee-hee…never went ‘Ha.’ But when somebody threw up or fell down the stairs, he would laugh out loud for hours on end.”

On being his friend, Jericho said while they were close, it wasn’t easy.

The rough draft states: “I considered Chris to be one of my closest companions, but it wasn’t always easy to be his friend. You had to take the good with the bad when it came to his friendship.”

Upon learning of the Benoit family death, Jericho notes: “My gut feeling was Chris had killed them.”

The book also features discussion of his arrival to WWE, the highs and lows, his relationship with Vince McMahon, the creation of Fozzy, and more. The book is set for release on February 16, 2011.

For more details on the book, click here.

— Seeing as Chris Benoit took part in the Elimination Chamber Match that took place at the 2005 New Year’s Revolution pay-per-view, he is featured in WWE’s newly released DVD set highlighting the Elimination Chamber, Satan’s Prison: The Anthology of the Elimination Chamber. While he’s shown in the match – the first marketed of him by WWE since his 2007 double murder and suicide – anything remotely complimentary said by the announcers regarding Benoit was edited off the DVD

— WWE newcomers Jey and Jimmy Uso have received much praise amongst company officials, reports www.f4wonline.com. The twin sons of former WWE star Rikishi have quickly risen up the ranks in the company as they were signed to developmental contracts just last January.

— The SmackDown house show on October 16th, 2010 will be held at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Tickets go on sale August 28th, 2010 at noon. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

— WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler announced Thursday on his official website that he is launching a new wrestling promotion in his home city of Memphis. The inaugural taping of his new wrestling television show, Memphis Friends, was held Thursday evening at “The Vine.” The series will debut on Saturday, Jun. 5 at 11:00 a.m. on the Ion Network (channel 50) in the Memphis market. WWE will be providing footage for the series.

— News and photos of Randy Savage’s recent wedding provoked a tidal wave of internet searches pertaining to the former wrestling champion as he was one of the most searched for topics on Google.com on Thursday, according to Google Trends.

Savage recently married his long time girlfriend, Lynn — his second marriage. Images that have surfaced online show Savage looking significantly different than how wrestling fans remember him as he now sports a white beard and gray hair. His hairline has also greatly receded.

— In today’s wrestling birthdays, Chris Benoit would have turned 43 years old while Nancy “Woman” Benoit (née Toffoloni) would have turned 46.

ESPN.com has published an extensive report on brain damage to pro athletes, especially pro wrestlers, with the big news that former WWE wrestler Andrew “Test” Martin had brain damage similar to Chris Benoit’s at the time of his death in March.

Studies conducted on Martin’s brain revealed that he suffered damage “stemming from repeated blows to the head.” Dr. Bennet Omalu, co-director of the Brain Injury Research Institute, told ESPN that they discovered “excessive amounts of tau proteins similar to those he found in Benoit.” Both Benoit and Martin are said to have had brains similar to “those of Alzheimer’s patients more than twice their age.”

Omalu explains, “After repeated blows to the head, at some point the brain loses the ability to heal itself. he tau impairs normal brain function and kills brain cells. The delicate balance of the neurotransmitters, which control moods and drives and maintains safety, can be destroyed. With Andrew Martin as the second case, the WWE and the sport in general have to ask themselves, ‘Is this a trend?’ The science tells us that jumping off 10-foot ladders and slamming people with tables and chairs is simply bad for the brain.”

WWE was contacted by ESPN and said the following regarding Dr. Omalu’s findings:

While this is a new emerging science, the WWE is unaware of the veracity of any of these tests, be it for Chris Benoit or Andrew Martin. Dr. Omalu claims that Mr. Benoit had a brain that resembled an 85-year-old with Alzheimer’s, which would lead one to ponder how Mr. Benoit would have found his way to an airport, let alone been able to remember all the moves and information that is required to perform in the ring. WWE has been asking to see the research and tests results in the case of Mr. Benoit for years and has not been supplied with them.

Visit ESPN.com to read the entire article.