Wwe’s Handling of the Chris Benoit Scandle

To What Extent, if Any, Had WWE Distanced Itself From Chris Benoit? How Had In-Ring Performances Been Affected? Chris Benoit, ahead his tragic wipe prohibited, was a world ren leted, sort out card professional wrestler for mainstream professional grappling hook comp whatever, World battle Entertainment (WWE) formerly World Wrestling Federation (WWF). As WWE were transmit a tribute show in Benoits memory, news which intercommunicate why the wrestler had passed began circulating. The coif to that question was indeed chilling and has take WWE to disassociating itself with their former icon and Benoits re inductation hitting an all sequence low (Ring Surf, 2009). Reports to this day split up that, over a period of days, Benoit had choked his wife and sm othered his son both to death, before taking his own life on June 2007. Previous to these events, WWE had eer been below scrutiny. From the nigh siz equal to(p) organizations, their circumscribe was deemed violent and sex ist (Consoli and Torpey-Kemph, 1999).Also, since Chairman, Vince McMahon jr, publicly stated that professional battle matches atomic number 18 booked with predetermined outcomes, a butterfly effect-like chain of other various emerging news stories slowly began to unravel. More of which attempted to reveal win secrets behind the clamshell industry namely depicting the woebegone treatment of performers. When journalists found Benoits story they had plenty of choice on what to blame drugs, roid rage, etc. How constantly, every(prenominal)one knew that the WWE must be at fault. Lachlan, et al. 2009) states that the popularity attained by professional wrestling makes its presence impossible to ignore and concerns about its potence influence difficult to avoid. For these agents the WWE is always under high pretend surveillance by press and critics. On February 2006, in response to some other high profile wrestlers untimely death, the company rove a wellness policy in place, whic h tests for tabu substances and performs annual cardiac evaluations. The policy gained a positive reception and WWE looked to slowly disassociate itself from the reports that contracted to foil the wrestling industry.After Benoits death, most were looking to the wellness policy for an invoice the US House Committee on Oversight and Government mitigate requested that WWE hand in any material regarding the wellness policy, which had always been dealt with privately. Ashamedly, WWE had shortly after, suspended 11 wrestlers for violation of the policy and from then on withstand taken more stern measures when dealing with violations. It was ultimately found, by the Sports Legacy Institute, that Benoit had a severe case of chronic traumatic brain disorder his brain showed an advanced form of dementia (ABC News, 2007).ABC News (2007) quotes the neurosurgeon in question as saying that while he cant be certain that the brain damage ca utilize Benoits actions, he believes it is the st arring(p) cause. Contrastingly and rather unsurprisingly, WWE have said in a later statement Todays attempt to explain that Chris Benoits murder of his family was possibly ca utilize by some form of dementia as a entrust of alleged concussions is speculative (USA Today, 2007). Representing his WWE Vince McMahon, in an interview with CNN (2009), but claims that these findings havent even been critiqued by other members of the scientific participation.Regardless of the cogency of the Sports Legacy Institutes study quick to miss the possibility of concussion, mental deterioration and any slight mistake or misconduct on the part of WWE, McMahons product falls under overmuch more pressure. Continuing his interview, Vince McMahon defends that Benoits performances takes no responsibility for his actions. As a company constantly in the public eye, the WWE have banned chair shots to the head, but believe they have nonhing more to answer for its what it is in the ring he says.Upon learn ing of the catastrophe, Vince had immediately save a public delineate up statement, to air just before their next tri-weekly broadcast. Among his sincere concern for those involved, he assures (Mr. Mcmahons speach about Chris Benoit, 2007) the facts of this horrific tragedy be now apparent. Therefore there will be no mention of Mr Benoits name tonight. Referring to Vince McMahons CNN interview (2009), he explains anyone who becomes a murderer, I mean, you want to disassociate yourself with that individual Chris Benoit has not, and will not define the WWE.However, Vince McMahon and the WWE have since been under fire from wrestling caramel browns and observers who inadvertently claim that through disassociation, the tragic incident involving Chris Benoit has defined how the WWE has grown and in many an(prenominal) ways hidden over the years. There is a net broad(a) view from smarks (smart fans), that in an attempt to disassociate Benoit from the company, WWE have allowed vital and sincere aspects of pro wrestlings performance art to go with him. An on railway line fan have a bun in the ovens Benoit German suplex banned from WWE? (Yahoo Answers, 2010) No chops? (Balderson, 2010) WWE is NOT wrestling, states another.Certain professional wrestling moves, created a long time ago and already interwoven into the stuff of the industry, as with many other wrestlers, had over time become corresponding with Chris Benoit. I have conducted a content synopsis study victimization two consumes of WWE PPV events to explore to what extent, if any, WWEs disassociation from Chris Benoit has had an effect on the content of their wrestling matches and the performance of their contracted wrestlers. WWE has always walked a thin, interesting line concerning the content of professional wrestling among their programming.Former professional wrestler, Laurence De Garis remarks the pastime, regarding the (then) WWFs 1999 prospectus Interestingly, professional wrestling is now here to be found in the description. The WWFs description of itself represents a shift in disdain models away from a sports-based, live-events course and more toward a television show (Sammond, 2005). Such motives give the apprehension that the WWE may have assumed they had nothing to lose by disassociating itself from Chris Benoit in such a manner. In the past few years he explains, there has been emphasis on mic work and acting ability, as a professional wrestler I am primarily interested in having matches, hopefully good ones. Sampling in content analysis is exposed to the same concerns it would be in any quantitative study. It should be both delegate and significant (Rose, 2007). Within my study, I was comparing two contrary time periods within (arguably) a sports show each sample I had taken had to be representative of a full year.As Rose (2007) states which sample system you choose or which combination of methods will depend on the implications of your research ques tion. My research question as posed is representative of the highest quality sample, so as to investigate what kind, if any care is put into influencing the show. The sports show I am researching has designated Pay-Per-View events near monthly throughout the year. I have therefore chosen to analyse four PPVs per sample I have. This equates to 26 hours of analysis. Coding means attaching a set of descriptive labels (or categories) to the images (Rose, 2007).The purpose of my study is to analyse how the relationship between Benoit and WWE has changed. As tidy sum have suggested that WWE has made an unnecessary effort to erase connotations of Benoit from any further matches, I have focused specifically on wrestling moves used regularly by Benoit. My analysis is categorised into three moves well used by Benoit and additionally three categories which document the use of any confusable variation of those moves. These additional categories however are not as objective, as I have taken a subjective stance in determining whether they are to be counted or not.As Hansen, Cottle, Negrine & Newb obsolete (1998) iterate content analysis, of course, could never be objective in a value-free sense of the word it does not analyse everything there is to analyse in a text (no method could, nor would there be any purpose in trying). Many wrestlers in the WWE have similar move sets and no two matches are ever the same. What is evident from personal experience with the WWE is that the moves I have coded arent inescapably only used by Chris Benoit. A more sophisticated analysis can be developed by exploring the relations between diverse coding categories (Rose, 2007).And as such, I had coded a further factoring household which would specify by which wrestler the move had been used allowing me to see patterns in my results and explain further, any changes to how wrestlers are performing. Here are the written results, in chronological order of events, to accompany my graphs emergi ng from the analysis I have conducted Vengeance 2005 - dig Edge chopper 13. Michaels 10, Jericho 3 -Chop Variation 3. Benjamin 2, Christian 1 -German Suplex 3. Angle 3 -Similar belly out to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 0 -Crossface Variations 2. Carlito 1, Benjamin 1 survivor Series 2005 Knife Edge Chop 26. Benoit 4, Flair 15, Michaels 5, Masters 2 -Chop Variation 3. JBL 2, charge 1 -German Suplex 4. Benoit 4 -Similar belly out to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 0 -Crossface Variations 3. Booker 1, Angle 2 august Rumble 2006 -Knife Edge Chop 61. Noble 8, Flair 8, Benoit 23, Carlito 1, Tatanka 12, Murdock 1, Michaels 8 -Chop Variation 4. Show 3, Viscera 1 -German Suplex 5. Benoit 4, Angle 1 -Similar Belly to Back Suplex 1. Benoit 1 -Crippler Crossface 1. Benoit 1 -Crossface Variations 3. Murdock 1, Michaels 1, Cena 1 Wrestlemania (22) 2006 -Knife Edge Chop 24.Flair 8, Benoit 3, stratus 4, Michaels 9 -Chop Variation 2. Flair 1, Finlay 1 -German Suplex 8. Benoit 3, Angle 5 -Similar Belly to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 2. Benoit 2 -Crossface Variations 2. Cena 2 24/06/07 Benoits death Summerslam 2008 -Knife Edge Chop 0 -Chop Variation 1. capital of Jamaica 1 -German Suplex0 -Similar Belly to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 0 -Crossface Variations 4. MVP 1, Marella 2, Cena 1 Survivor Series 2008 -Knife Edge Chop 5. Michaels 5 -Chop Variation 1. Kingston 1 -German Suplex 0 -Similar Belly to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 0 -Crossface Variations 1.Cena 1 Royal Rumble 2009 -Knife Edge Chop 0 -Chop Variation 9. Phoenix 1, Finlay 1, Kingston 2, Show 5 -German Suplex 0 -Similar Belly to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 0 -Crossface Variations 2. JBL 1, Cena 1 Wrestlemania (25) 2009 -Knife Edge Chop 21. Snuka 1, Steamboat 2, Jericho 1, Flair 5, Michaels 12 -Chop Variation 9. Snuka 2, Steamboat 3, Show 4 -German Suplex 0 -Similar Belly to Back Suplex 0 -Crippler Crossface 1. Michaels 1 -Crossface Variations 2. M Hardy 1, Cena 1 These findings draw a clear line in the sand from the date of Benoits death as to how he is to be treated in WWE.Findings blatantly point to the Knife Edge Chop. Chris Benoit was relatively famous for this, and throughout my 2005-2006, pre death sample analysis, it was used 124 times. Whereas in my 2008-2009, post death sample analysis, almost no one on the axial motion was using it. Lack of this move however, did seem to be a business decision. At Wrestlemania 09 the WWEs most prominent PPV of the year, veteran wrestler, Shawn Michaels had his retirement match. As such, out of respect for Michaels, it seems that Vince and the WWE had given him an ejection to the otherwise enforced recipe as it is withal prominent in Michaels repertory.It comes to mention that Wrestlemania also vie host to several guest veterans for whose match had also given exception to the rule, despite that one regular wrestler was involved in their match, also using the move. However I cant disregard that which proves, overa ll, Knife Edge Chops and German Suplexes are being retired from WWE wrestling. Over the history of professional wrestling, these specific moves have been a must-have in almost every technical (particularly British) wrestlers arsenal.Nowadays WWE remains the powerhouse of the pro wrestling world therefore many new and inexperienced companies will follow them by example and other rising wrestlers may eliminate these moves from their repertoire to present themselves as a more viable WWE acquisition. Thereby WWE are affecting, not just themselves but the entire industry. As said above, the WWE, and following that, many subsequent companies, are caring more about out of ring performance, marketability and self promotion. Sammond (2005) specifies Inside the world of professional wrestling, many veterans and old timers lament that the art of wrestling has disappeared.Whereas modern wrestling companies may in fact see this as progress. Eras and changes are frequent in wrestling, and most f amously, the WWE. Only a few generations ago, the wrestling business was a virtually protected, closed society. Its secrets were strongly guarded (Sammond, 2005). Changes can yet be caused by many things. Perhaps most popular The Attitude era was the result of one wrestlers character push Stone refrigerating Steve Austin. Upon realising that fans were responding to this archetypal rebel over other faces (fan favourites), the WWE responded with edgier material.Though, this era inevitably aphorism its end when other factors came into play. The incident involving Chris Benoit however, had caused many to monitor WWEs content. It is for this reason that the WWE has done its best to stay above any discreditable doings taking any other action they feel necessary to remove themselves from under the microscope. Enter, the era of PG along with the smark boom. I am very happy with the validity of my method. However there are certain things I would be able to research further to better pres ent an answer.Using the same methods, it would be multipurpose to analyse both, recent WWE years and other wrestling companies. Investigating how much influence WWE does in fact have over pro wrestling, and how they are evolving. My findings indicate that WWEs reaction has given reason to remove any reference from future competition. Although we can believe this is a fickle promotion decision, these statistics reiterate that Benoit will never be put back on his pedestal hes going to be known as the family killer first and great wrestler second (Balderson, 2010).