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Jim Ross: Benoit Murder was "terrible, inexcusable act"

Posted: Jul 3rd 2007 By: CMBurnham

Even it what could be the most difficult time in the history of professional wrestling, Jim Ross is still proud of his employer.

It's given him so much, he said, that he could never say much bad about the industry. But there are many eyes on World Wrestling Entertainment after the death of Chris Benoit, his wife and son in an apparent murder-suicide.

"I would never condone what Chris allegedly did even if you put a gun to my head," Ross said. "It was a terrible, inexcusable act. But it's an act that I don't think anybody down here on Earth will completely understand or know why it happened."

Ross, the Hall of Fame announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment, lives in Norman and follows the Sooner football team, and has focused on his soon-to-open barbecue joint in Norman, to keep his mind off of Benoit.

He talked about all that's swirling around the WWE in an interview Tuesday.

"I'm more than ever looking forward to being around the people," said Ross, who along with being the voice of the WWE also served as the head of talent relations from 1996 to 2005. "I need to get back to having some fun again."

Ross hopes that when he talks to his customers, their views of the wrestling won't be skewed. He hopes the diners will instead share memories of shows they attended and what matches they remember the most. The stuff that Ross wants wrestling to be known for.

Understandably, Ross and the rest of the WWE have been struggling for the last 10 days. Accusations of "Roid Rage"; and uncontrollable wrestlers have been common themes of cable TV news, accusations Ross discounts. Shows Ross calls "infotainment" have badgered wrestling, calling for massive changes to the very core of the product.

"All anybody wants to hit is the negatives and the 'evil world' of wrestling," said Ross, who recruited and hired Benoit for the WWF in 2000. "Some of the news reports of the Geraldos, the Nancy Graces, the Greta Van Susterens, the Hannity and Colmes--people I used to watch with a modicum of respect. I look at those news shows in an entirely different light."

What is easier to figure out is the kind of memories Ross has for Benoit. On TV, Ross would frequently call Benoit the "Rabid Wolverine." He meant it as a compliment for an undersized competitor who excelled at grappling and high-risk maneuvers.

When Ross announces Monday Night Raw, he talks fast in his Oklahoma accent. The enthusiasm and love for what he is doing is obvious. But when Ross talks about Benoit, the accent slows to a drawl. The words are a little bit more deliberate, a little bit more careful. He's still trying to figure out how a man he called a close friend murdered his family.

"It's impossible. You can't reconcile it," Ross said. "You can't figure out what a guy that is one of the leaders, and a guy that would step up and help correct young wrestlers would do that. He would sit down with them and say 'Look, here's what you're doing wrong and here's the perception that you got to get over. You can't do this. This is locker room protocol.'"

Ross compared it to what veteran athletes are supposed to do for rookies and how Benoit was an example. Benoit is still an example, but now he is an example of the absolute worst that can happen to a person.

When Ross heard about Benoit's death he was saddened. When it became apparent Benoit was a murderer, Ross said it became surreal.

"I was in absolute shock. There was a numbness that came over me," Ross said. "It was like a mule kicking you. I've been kicked by a horse. I've been kicked by a milk cow. And it hurts. But no pain that I've ever encountered hurt like that. It's almost like an out-of-body experience. You know you're sitting there and you're hearing this information but part of your heart and your soul is detached because you're trying to process all this information, and it's tough."

Tough could also describe the predicament the WWE is in. A recent storyline involving the faked death of Vince McMahon was scrapped when Benoit died, a storyline that was criticized for its violence and lack of creativity.

Benoit's actions, however, have done much more damage.

"To say that we're not in some challenging waters would be inaccurate and would be naive," Ross said.

He predicted that the WWE would eventually recover and persevere but never truly move on.

"We're all trying to get over our broken hearts," Ross said. "That's something maybe not all of us will be able to accomplish."