WWE Hall of Famer JBL Reveals Tense Meeting About Chris Benoit Tribute with Vince McMahon

The highly anticipated Netflix docuseries on former WWE owner Vince McMahon premiered on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. The series delves into Vince's controversial legacy, including comments he made before his 2022 "hush money" scandal. Among the many topics explored, the series touches upon the tragic events surrounding Chris Benoit, who, in 2007, killed his wife Nancy and their seven-year-old son Daniel before taking his own life. Vince McMahon briefly addresses Benoit during episode six.

Shortly after Benoit's death, WWE aired a tribute show to honor him, unaware of the horrific circumstances surrounding his passing. WWE Hall of Famer John “Bradshaw” Layfield (JBL) provided insight into the tense moments leading up to the tribute in an episode of the Something To Wrestle With podcast. JBL recounted how initial doubts about Benoit's involvement led to an unprecedented conversation with Vince McMahon.

JBL recalled:

“I started thinking, what if Chris did it? I went to Taker [Undertaker] and said, ‘What if Chris did it?’ He just looked at me, and you could tell that the wheels were spinning. He said, ‘We need to talk to Vince.’ I said, ‘Yeah, we do.’ As we go to Vince, Steve [Austin] was the biggest name in wrestling history at the time, and still is. He grabbed Steve and said, ‘Steve, come with us. We gotta talk to Vince.’

“So me and Stone Cold and Taker went into Vince’s office. It was late in the day. I said, ‘Vince, what if Chris did it? We’re about to do a tribute show for a guy who could have done a horrific thing, if that’s a possibility.’ Vince looked at me, and I’ve never seen a man that was so indecisive in my life. I’ve never seen Vince like that. I don’t know if he had thought about it before. I can’t read his mind. I have no idea. He didn’t give anything away, as he never does. He said, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. I’m just telling you that there’s a chance that something horrific has happened here, and it could have been different from what we think.’

“He said, ‘What do you want me to do?’ He was not confronting me. He didn’t know what to do. He had no idea what to do. I mean, none. I don’t know if he had thought about it before, but you know, Vince is a quick mind, and he said, ‘John, I don’t know what to do.’ For Vince to say that, that maybe was the only time in his life he ever said that. I said, ‘I don’t know. That’s the downside risk.’ He said, ‘John, I think we have to go with what information we have now, and if it changes, we’ll change.’”

The revelation underscores the internal turmoil WWE faced during one of its darkest moments.

⚡ Backstage Update on Major WWE Event at Netflix Headquarters and Its Scheduled Date

WWE is gearing up for an exciting event at Netflix headquarters, scheduled for December 3, according to a report by PWInsider. Major stars l [...]

— Ben Jordan Kerin Nov 28, 2024 10:55PM