Source Yahoonews <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Canadian Press ADVERTISEMENT TORONTO - Canadian wrestling star Chris Benoit's brain was so badly damaged when he killed himself and his family that he shouldn't be held responsible for his actions, a new CBC documentary suggests. Medical research indicates that Benoit's brain resembled that of an 85-year-old man with dementia at the time of his death, and that repeated concussions led to last summer's shocking murder-suicide. "Steroid use couldn't have caused the damage he had to his brain," said Chris Nowinski, a former professional wrestler and author who prompted the analysis on Benoit's brain. "The Fifth Estate" documentary, which airs Wednesday at 9 p.m., probes the circumstances surrounding the premature death of Benoit and dozens of other professional wrestlers. "At this point, the odds are that his brain damage was the strongest factor in the event," Nowinski said, adding that more work is being done on the results. The research was conducted by Julian Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University. After Benoit and his family were found dead in their Atlanta home in June, some commentators speculated Benoit may have killed his family during an episode of steroid-induced rage. When Nowinski heard about the wrestler's death, he called police and told them to examine Benoit's brain to see if concussions played a role in any episodes of rage or depression. Nowinski has worked with researchers on former NFL players like Andre Waters and Terry Long, who both committed suicide. "What were seeing is a pattern is a unique brain disorder caused from years of trauma," he said. Out of six research subjects, three have committed suicide, he added. Nowinski retired from the World Wrestling Entertainment in 2003 and suffers from debilitating headaches during half of his waking hours. WWE chairman Vince McMahon has dismissed preliminary findings that have linked Benoit's suicide to concussions, saying he couldn't have functioned as a high-profile professional. But Nowkinski said the research speaks for itself. "His memory was good enough to function, but the other issues were certainly there in terms of his paranoia (and) depression ... he talked about memory problems in his own journal." Broadcaster Bob McKeown, who wrote the CBC documentary, said the research is undergoing a peer review and will be published soon in the American Journal of Neurology. McKeown said his own research found that wrestling is the most dangerous profession in the world per capita, with 21 deaths of professional wrestlers under 50 alone last year. At five-foot-11 and 220 pounds, Benoit was known as a fierce competitor with superior technical skills. When police discovered the bodies of the 40-year-old wrestler and his family, a Bible was reportedly found beside his wife Nancy and his young son Daniel. Police also said Nancy Benoit's feet and wrists were bound and there was blood under her head. Benoit, who was born in Montreal and grew up in Edmonton, became WWE's world champion in 2004 when he defeated Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a triple-threat match at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He began his career in 1985 training with the Hart family in Calgary and competed professionally for the western Canadian-based Stampede Wrestling.</div> Sounds plausible, continued concussions leading to brain damage etc.. moreso than 'roid rage' being the cause.
It does seam like this could be a factor. on another note is Chris Nowinski the wrestler that had the Harvard gimick?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Big Frame @ Feb 9 2008, 09:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It does seam like this could be a factor. on another note is Chris Nowinski the wrestler that had the Harvard gimick?</div> Yep. He was on the first "Tough Enough". (He lost, BTW.) He really went to Harvard.
