Vince McMahon rejects the idea that Chris Benoit was suffering from ‘roid rage’ or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he killed his wife, 7-year-old son and himself in a 2007 murder-suicide.
Speaking in a new Netflix documentary, the scandalized 79-year-old wrestling promoter was asked about Benoit, who authorities say strangulated his wife Nancy and son Daniel at their Georgia home before hanging himself.
Although a precise explanation has remained elusive, two compelling theories emerged in 2009: Benoit was suffering drug and alcohol problems or he was dealing with CTE, a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma.
McMahon, who promoted Benoit in the WWE, rejected both of these theories in the new Netflix documentary, Mr. McMahon.
‘There is no correlation between taking steroids and what happened to Chris Benoit,’ the WWE’s former CEO told Netflix. ‘Human beings are flawed. Chris went nuts. It happens in every form of life and everything, so that’s the only thing I can take away from it.’
McMahon (right) rejects the idea that Benoit (left) was battling CTE or roid rage in 2007
Steroids were found at Benoit’s home after the tragedy, but authorities dismissed suggestions that ‘roid rage’ played a part in the murder-suicide.
McMahon found the CTE argument even less compelling.
‘This doctor came up with this ridiculous statement of ‘Okay here’s why Chris Benoit did this,’ McMahon said. ‘There was some sort of trauma to his head and things were shown where Chris would dive off the rope and hit someone with his head.’
As McMahon claimed in wrestling vernacular, Benoit did not actually suffer head injuries by jumping off the top rope.
‘That’s a complete work,’ McMahon said. ‘It looks like there’s damage and there’s not. We know what we’re doing, we don’t hurt each other.’
A make-shift shrine adorns the fence of the home of pro wrestler Chris Benoit July 1, 2007
And McMahon wasn’t the only insider to dismiss CTE as a potential culprit.
Steve Austin, the WWE legend, doesn’t believe the disease is impacting wrestling.
‘I worked for a long time,’ Austin said in the Netflix documentary. ‘I got dropped on my head one time, I got concussed. But other than that, I can’t remember having too many concussions in the business of pro wrestling. And my take on that has always been, if you were just wrestling and you got a bunch of concussions, you’re probably doing something wrong.
‘I’m not a CTE guy,’ he said. ‘Just don’t believe in it.’
However, in 2009, researches working with Benoit’s family revealed that his brain was so severely damaged that it resembled an 85-year-old’s.
Also in 2009, Benoit’s doctor, Phil Astin, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally distributing prescription drugs to patients.
Janel Grant (pictured) filed a sex trafficking lawsuit against McMahon earlier this year
McMahon is currently facing a lawsuit over sex-trafficking allegations from a former employee.
The attorney of the ex-WWE employee suing Vince McMahon for sex trafficking has branded him ‘delusional’ after he condemned the upcoming Netflix docuseries on his career and scandals.
Janel Grant, who filed that lawsuit against McMahon earlier this year, has accused the 79-year-old billionaire of sexual assault, emotional abuse and human trafficking from her time working for his wrestling promotion.
Ahead of its premiere, the wrestling tycoon spoke out against the producers who worked on the doc, accusing them of misleading viewers with ‘editing tricks’ which do not provide an accurate representation of his career.
As well as Grant’s sex trafficking lawsuit, which was paused in May at the request of the Justice Department, McMahon has also faced further allegations of sexual misconduct and hush-money payments totaling almost $15million, leading to his initial WWE exit in 2022.
Netflix is set to release its bombshell docuseries, ‘Mr. McMahon’, later this week
A year later, McMahon returned to the desk as the UFC partnered with WWE to form TKO – becoming a combat sports and entertainment juggernaut. He took on the role of Executive Chairman of the WWE.
However, in January 2024, McMahon resigned from that role after the first reports of an alleged sex-trafficking scheme surfaced.
Netflix announced its docuseries at the end of August alongside an official poster, writing that it is ‘chronicling the rise and fall of the WWE’s controversial founder’.
The show is said to include interviews with ‘McMahon before his resignation, his family, and some of the most iconic names in wrestling history. As well as the journalists who uncovered McMahon’s allegations’.
‘I don’t regret participating in this Netflix documentary,’ McMahon began his statement.
Grant’s sex trafficking allegations against the former WWE boss are set to be addressed
‘The producers had an opportunity to tell an objective story about my life and the incredible business I built, which were equally filled with excitement, drama, fun, and a fair amount of controversy and life lessons.
‘Unfortunately, based on an early partial cut I’ve seen, this doc falls short and takes the predictable path of conflating the ‘Mr. McMahon’ character with my true self, Vince. The title and promos alone make that evident.
‘A lot has been misinterpreted or left out entirely in an effort to leave viewers intentionally confused. The producers use typical editing tricks with out of context footage and dated soundbites etc. to distort the viewers’ perception and support a deceptive narrative.’
He concluded his statement by saying: ‘I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story.’
