Canadian Crippler Dead at the age of 40

Chris Benoit, formerly known as the Canadian Crippler of the World Wrestling Federation (i'll never remember it as the WWE), has passed away along with his wife and 7 year old child. They were found in their home today reports ESPN.com.

If you didn't follow the WWF as a kid, you definitely missed out. It was like one of those cruel obsessions. You knew it was fake, yet you continued to watch (for a little while at least). The local events at the Civic Center were always worth the price of admission.

There will always be the debate: Are wrestlers really athletes? I'd say yes, although theres varying degrees. Chris Benoit was a phenomenal athlete with a disregard for fear. He would jump from the highest regions of the ring to then land on an opponents face (skull to skull). He had one of the more grueling finishing moves "The Crossface Crippler" shown to the left (Ken Shamrock still holds the all-time greatest finishing move).

I guess I'm at the point in my life where the guys I followed when I was younger are getting up there in age and its just weird to say the least. I mean Benoit wasnt old at all, but you get what I'm saying.

Rest In Peace Chris ... it was a good ride, you definitely kept me entertained. Checkout the YouTube Video below if you enjoyed watching Benoit back in the day: