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Notes from the E! Canada Chris Benoit special tonight:
*It was a totally new piece on Benoit, although some b-roll footage is rehashed from the CBC 5th estate piece.
*The special featured comments from Ted DiBiase, DDP, Michael Benoit, Bret Hart, Ross Hart, Heath McCoy (history of stampede book), Greg Oliver (Slam! Wrestling) and Barb Diguilo (Fan590 Toronto).
*They showed Stampede footage and Benoit talking about his past in Stampede, as well as footage from TV stations in Atlanta.
*They had Ross talk about how Vince purchased Stampede and took over the industry.
*When talking about his stint to ECW, they showed still photos of Edge and Kevin Sullivan.
*They talk about Sabu breaking his neck, and how he got 'The Crippler' name.
*Barb says that WCW was a farm system for WWE in the mid 90s when Benoit went there, although she did properly explain the Sullivan-Women-Benoit storyline.
*Jason Tavares (billed as a former WWE wrestler) explains how the Owen Hart stunt went wrong with the widespread still photos being shown. Ross Hart says he was at his parents house that night of the PPV when he found out. Bret says its the worst thing that could have happened in wrestling.
*Barb says everyone who was in the dungeon was part of the extended family, so Benoit was part of the family.
*They said Benoit beat Sid for the WCW title and then Vince made an offer for him (not overly true).
*DDP said Benoit was the hardest guy in the business, saying he did the same thing on house shows that he would be on TV. They show footage of Benoit talking about how determination makes him champion at an airport (I think in Edmonton). They show footage of DDP and Benoit wrestling.
*Greg Oliver says his wrestling romance with Nancy was expected to last.
*CHYNA (as listed) says Daniel Benoit son was the cutest kid she had ever seen.
*Greg Oliver and Brandon Pender, manager in WCW talk about the time wrestlers have on the road. 'Bad Ass Billy Gunn' (that is what it says) says they wrestle 365 days a year.
*They mistakenly say that Benoit's WWE World title win was an Intercontinental title win, even though it shows him at WM with the title. Barb says it is an honor to win the World title in both WCW and WWE.
*They show footage of Chyna and Benoit fighting outside. Chyna says wrestling is a painful job.
*Greg Oliver and Bret talk about Benoit breaking his neck and saying when you are out of wrestling, you are a liability. You have to keep working to get paid because there is no liability plan.
*Grandon Pender says a lot of guys use pain killers to survive and says people become addicted.
*Michelle Billington (Dynamite Kid's ex-wife) says all the wrestlers carry fanny packs with them and there are basically pharmacies inside them.
*Bret Hart says everyone has their own medicine kit.
*Greg says sometimes wrestlers have to take illegal stuff to survive.
*Michelle Billington says first time she found steroids was in Dynamite's shaving kit, but he told her a lie about what they were. Said Dynamite became more short tempered the more he took.
*They say Benoit didn't learn from Dynamite and began to take pain killers to get back faster from his neck injury.
*Brandon Pender says a lot of guys take the stuff doctors prescribe and use it to get lots of muscle.
*Heath says everyone thought Benoit was a family man. Oliver says wrestlers get their thrill from being in front of the audience. DDP says there is nothing like hearing your music play and coming out to the ring, and they show a bunch of DDP stills, including stuff from a match against Bret Hart.
*Michael Benoit said when Chris got back to the ring, he stopped taking garbage out to the street, got a driver to take him home and such.
*Ted DiBiase says the life expectancy for marriages in wrestling is horrible. He says its not a glamorous life, as they talk about Nancy filing for divorce.
*Barb talks about the restraining order and when the two got back together.
*They move to Eddie Guerrero. Greg Oliver talks about him dying in a hotel room. Ted DiBiase says he was on the jet with Vince McMahon and went with him to the hotel when they found out. Greg Oliver describes the drug overdose and how he was a star on TV. DiBiase says Eddie's death affected Chris cause they were very tight.
*Michael says after Guerrero's death, he spoke to Chris about not doing steroids because of the enlarged heart. He says Chris told him he took steroids, a limited amount, because of his broken neck.
*Greg Oliver says Guerrero was Benoit's moral compass. Michael says Chris was never a religious guy in the past.
*Barb says that the first show he missed on the weekend was Chris saying he had a family emergency and that they (the family) were throwing up. She says they were not answering phone calls and he never came to the PPV. She talks about the text messages Chris sent to workers in WWE.
*They say at 4pm on the Monday that a cop car was sent to the Benoit household.
*Michael Benoit says he found out from a cousin of his who called him in the car and said, 'Is it true?'
*Heath McCoy says no one believed at first Chris could do that. Michelle Billington says she first thought it was a mistake. Michael Benoit says it was a dark day. He says it was out of character for Chris. 0
*Greg Oliver says it traumatized a lot of wrestlers, and others felt betrayed by Chris's actions.
*They talk about the toxicology report. Barb says its an ongoing dispute about the steroid-rage, but Michael says there is nothing tying Chris to drugs and steroids.
*They showed Scott Ballard, district attorney in Atlanta saying he could never get his mind around killing a 7 year old.
*McCoy says Benoit lived on steroids for at least half his life.
*Greg Oliver says there were other things going on in his life.
*Ted DiBiase says he never showed roid-rages in his life, and he has seen the affect it does have on people. He says Benoit didn't drink either.
*Bret says Chris was a loveable guy, would get a door for a lady.
*Michael Benoit says Chris Nowinski called him, and thought when he wanted Chris's brain it would be for the National Enquirer. Nowinsky says he got lucky that Michael picked up the phone.
*Chris Nowinski says he found out when he was in a restaurant and had just ate with four congressmen. He says since he knew Benoit and this was out of character, he felt obligated to help protect Chris Benoit's memory and find an answer.
*Chris Nowinski explains what was found, as discussed about in the past. They show the before and after photos of a normal brain versus Benoit's brain. The doctor for Sports Legacy Institute says it was the worst case they have ever seen. Chris N says he was not operating at full capacity anymore.
*Michael Benoit says the paranoia and the violence make sense due to Chris' condition.
*McCoy says looking back it was obvious he was in trouble, due to steroids and depression, as well as the marital problems, but he said the closest people in his life didn't see the signs.
*Michael Benoit says there was a chance before his death for Chris to retire and work backstage, but Chris said he was making too much money to retire.
*They bombed the ending of the show! The 7th segment was accidentally replayed in the last 10 minutes of the show, word-for-word, and they finish with teasing that they are going to talk about chair shots to the head, but instead they role the credits!!!
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