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WWE News
WWE News: WWE's official statement in response to Chris Benoit brain finding (w/Keller Reax) Sep 6, 2007 - 3:23:00 PM
WWE issued the following statement about the findings from the Sports Legacy Institute's examination of Chris Benoit's brain:
"Today's attempt to explain that Chris Benoit's murder of his family was possibly caused by some form of dementia as a result of alleged concussions is speculative. WWE can certainly understand the anguish of a father having to deal with the fact that his son allegedly murdered his wife and young son, as Chris Benoit is alleged to have done. We respect the desire of that father to do whatever he can to find some explanation as to why his son might commit such horrible acts."
WWE spokeswoman Jennifer McIntosh said officials "dug around" and found "no medical records of [Benoit] suffering a concussion.
KELLER'S ANALYSIS: Did they leave out the part about how they're going to do an investigation into the effects of concussions based on this new information - the first time a long-time WWE's wrestler's brain was examined post-mortem for effects of blows to the head? Did they leave the part out about how until further notice, they will be banning chairshots to the head? Did they leave the part out about hiring a concusssion specialist to travel on the road with contracted talents to be sure they aren't wrestling while suffering from major or minor concussions, thus doing more irreversible damage? Because all I read there was a condescending write-off of alarming findings by the Sports Legacy Institute that should set off alarms within the locker room and corporate offices that there might be major ramifications about to come to light from the increasingly violent style WWE has employed over the last ten years (tempered now compared to its peak, but still prevalent as evidenced by Triple H giving Umaga stiff chairshots to the head on this week's Raw).
Oh, WWE "dug around" and found no records of Benoit suffering concussions? How shocking, considering they don't, as best as I know, have any policy or procedure in place that would recognize or diagnose or treat them. That is more damning than anything - that WWE is admitting they have no records of Benoit suffering a concussion. The follow-up question is: Do you have any records of any wrestlers suffering concussions? What protocol is there to diagnose a concussion? What happens when one is diagnosed (if one ever is), and what are examples of wrestlers being pulled from scheduled performances because of a diganosed concussion?
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