By Wade Keller, Torch editor

CNN's investigative unit presented a documentary last night titled "Death Grip" focused on Chris Benoit's life and death, and WWE's history with performance-enhancing drugs including many other performers dying before age 50 in recent years.

The documentary featured interviews with Vince and Linda McMahon, Chris Kanyon, "Patriot" Del Wilkes, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Dr. Black, Irv Mushnick, Chris Benoit's father, "Dynamite Kid" Tommy Billington, Billington's ex-wife, and C.M. Punk.

Punk was portrayed as the drug-free wrestler in WWE who is getting a push as a way for WWE to prove a point that not all athletes in the company are drug users. Punk said that wasn't the case, and it was more circumstances that led to him getting a push now, but those circumstances were not dependent in any way on Benoit's death.

John Cena said he would not deny taking steroids, but no one would ever prove that he did.

Vince McMahon said he would not accept blame for the string of deaths of wrestlers who had wrestled for him. He said as someone "passes through" his organization, they are not responsible for their personal choices, actions, or decisions.

The documentary told a compelling story of Benoit idolizing Billington, following in his footsteps, and eventually rising to more fame than his idol. All along, though, they both had similar problems resulting, evidence suggests, from the drugs they took to succeed as small men in a big man's industry. Billington put a gun to his wife's chin once; his wife considered killing herself and her two young kids to avoid living in fear of Billington. Billington was shown destitute, living in public housing, in a wheel chair without use of his legs.

CNN has published a transcript of the interview conducted with Vince and Linda McMahon for the documentary. Article Link

KELLER ANALYSIS: This was an excellent documentary. It covered a lot of territory in about 40 minutes (subtracting commercials and news updates). It did so in a somber, responsible, measured tone, without any condescension, bombast, or sensationalizing that can often creep into stories on serious issues in the pro wrestling industry.

I spoke for over 30 minutes about this documentary in today's Daily Keller Hotline, available exclusively for PWTorch VIP members.

We will be presenting much more analysis of the Vince & Linda CNN transcript, the documentary, and other angles stemming from this story in coming days on PWTorch.com and in upcoming PWTorch Newsletters.

We welcome your thoughts on the documentary. The latest PWTorch Poll asks for your opinion on it. Send your extended thoughts to us, too, so we can print Reader Reax batches in coming days.

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