Chyna, pioneering woman pro wrestler and ‘9th Wonder of the World,’ found dead at 45

[OriZ 3,157]

When I was in my 20's, I drove for a limo company part time nights. Part of our job at times was to pick some of the wrestlers up at the airport and take them to their hotels. One night I drove Andre The Giant and Chief Jay Strongbow in the same limo. I shook Andre's hand and his hand literally engulfed my entire forearm.

Yeah, he fell from a highwire or somethin like that, right?

Niiiiiice(on Andre).

Yeah Owen fell 50 feet when he was supposed to be lowered into the ring as the "blue blazer". The things those guys put themselves through.

[smilesammich 10,727]

Yeah, he fell from a highwire or somethin like that, right?

one of the very first ppv's i ever purchased, yep.

[OriZ 3,157]

one of the very first ppv's i ever purchased, yep.

It was the only time I ever saw Jim Ross say the word "angle" on live WWE TV. Normally they keep kayfabe very well but in order to make sure everyone KNEW this was NOT a part of an angle but a serious situation he had to.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Niiiiiice(on Andre).

Yeah Owen fell 50 feet when he was supposed to be lowered into the ring as the "blue blazer". The things those guys put themselves through.

I remember Owen being partnered up with Koko B Ware. That's about the time I stopped watching the WWE. I think The Red Rooster was the final straw for me.

one of the very first ppv's i ever purchased, yep.

I watched the first 6 or so Wrestlemania's and a couple Summer Slams as well.

[yuna628 9,744]

Now Prince has died! What a sad day...

[smilesammich 10,727]

I remember Owen being partnered up with Koko B Ware. That's about the time I stopped watching the WWE. I think The Red Rooster was the final straw for me.

I watched the first 6 or so Wrestlemania's and a couple Summer Slams as well.

i remember at the time, ordering ppv was a pretty big deal for me. it was expensive and all the aholes that swore they'd pitch in on the bill of course, never did.

Now Prince has died! What a sad day...

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

prince and bowie in the same year??? does god have a hit list on my idols?

[Transborderwife 4,666]

The theory of three strikes again. Doris Roberts Chyna and now prince

[smilesammich 10,727]

willie and loretta still gettin it, at least.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

willie and loretta still gettin it, at least.

And Keith Richards somehow soldiers on

[smilesammich 10,727]

And Keith Richards somehow soldiers on

his time is coming. hopefully he's next. just kidding that was mean.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Now that funeral will be a party

[Teddy B 17,252]

i remember at the time, ordering ppv was a pretty big deal for me. it was expensive and all the aholes that swore they'd pitch in on the bill of course, never did.

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

prince and bowie in the same year??? does god have a hit list on my idols?

Fortunately I never had that problem. Everyone who said they'd pitch in did.

Anyone else remember Haystacks Calhoun? He weighed over 600lbs. He looks a lot like Chum Lee from Pawn Stars.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Teddy B

[Janelle2002 3,865]

So sad. They're dying so young

[OriZ 3,157]

While what Benoit did was horrid, he loved his family and expressed and showed that many times, which made it all the more shocking. The things severe brain damage from all the bumps he took and dementia can do to you....

in benoit's case it was probably more of a steroid issue. he had low testosterone/still using. that will make you rage enough to kill your family, no brain damage needed.

As far as Benoit I found this:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3560015

That's kind of what I remembered them talking about at the time, too.

Nine years ago on June 25th, 2007, former WWE star and one-time world heavyweight champion Chris Benoit was discovered dead in his Georgia home after he had murdered his wife Nancy and son Daniel before taking his own life. In a long, emotional and at times horrifying interview with WWE star Chris Jericho, Benoit's former sister-in-law Sandra Toffoloni - the sister of Nancy Benoit - spoke openly about her experiences with Chris Benoit and the tragic events that stunned the wrestling world.

Both Toffoloni and Jericho remember Benoit as an incredibly intense and driven man who was very kind to his fans and a devoted father. Jericho notes that "if you lined up 100 people against the wall that knew Chris Benoit, 100 of them would have nothing but good stuff to say about him." Toffoloni said she became close with Chris and his family, and noticed slight behavioral changes in Benoit.

Via Talk Is Jericho:

"What really became noticeable was a little bit more of a sense of unsafe-ness and paranoia for the family. Like he just would constantly be checking the alarm at night, constantly be checking things.

And for himself, like when we would go to the gym and do things like that, he would take different ways every time, different routes to the same gym ... and never, ever before had that been, he used to be fairly laid back about stuff like that.

There was never any issue like that, so when it did start happening it was something I noticed immediately, like 'what is the deal with this?' And he seemed to have a little bit more short patience with things.... like going into Publix and getting food, he didn't want to do that anymore. He'd tell me what he wanted and send me, or if Nancy and I were out during the day just call and say 'pick this up.' It was a huge personality change ... not crazy huge where everyone else would notice, but people who were around him a lot would notice."

Toffoloni says she believes Benoit's downward spiral was a result of a number of factors, from the continual grief of losing close friends (such as Eddie Guerrero) to the stress of his job, to his reliance on medication and drugs.

"I've only ever given one interview in nine years... we've never spoken to anyone, but it's upsetting because, with Chris' dad and the big push for it to be 'concussion, concussion, concussion, this is why he did it because the Chris Benoit we know could never have done this.' They want to put it on something. 'This is the reason, OK good we don't have to blame Chris anymore.'

It was a combination of a lot of things. I think that it was a huge boulder of weight from loss and grief [following the death of fellow wrestlers], I think that it was a ton of medication altering his body chemistry, brain chemistry, alcohol, everything that was going on at that time, and also yes, a little bit of brain issue from hitting his head constantly over and over and over. Would it drive someone to murder? I don't know.

... I know there were issues in the house that he was having. With himself, struggling inside ... that coupled with the facts of what I know from being there immediately after that weekend and seeing everything. It wasn't the act of someone with brain damage. It wasn't, it's impossible. It's impossible for that to have been the case.

And I understand, being someone that is experiencing this loss still almost nine years later, I understand the necessity to want to put it on something and say 'this is why he did it. This is the reason right here.' Because the daily pain of living with not knowing why and not really knowing what happened is crippling, for lack of a better term. I can understand his parents and his family wanting to say 'this is why he wasn't himself, because of this reason.' I don't believe he was himself, yes, but I can't put it on any one thing."

http://www.foxsports.com/wwe/story/wwe-chris-benoit-chris-jericho-interview-sandra-toffolini-062716

Still incredibly sad nine years later.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Sad day for professional sports.?