Former WWE Star Says Steroids Had Nothing To Do With Chris Benoit Tragedy

Nearly twenty years after Chris Benoit murdered his wife and child, Nancy and Daniel, then took his own life, the wrestling world remains in the tragedy's shadow. And even to this day, many have trouble reconciling Benoit as a man who was both a world class in-ring talent, as well as someone who committed such vile acts against those that loved him. In some ways, his former co-worker Maven is in that group as well.

Appearing on Conrad Thompson's "False Finish" podcast, Maven discussed plenty about Benoit, including how today's world made it difficult to acknowledge both Benoit's wrestling career and his harrowing final act. But while that's difficult to parse, one thing Maven doesn't believe is difficult is acknowledging that CTE played a bigger role in the tragedy than steroids, as some believe.

"The moment someone blames steroids on what he did, I shut them down immediately," Maven said. "Steroids had nothing to do [with it]. Steroids is an easy way, and whenever you see somebody say 'Roid rage,' that's an easy way for someone to excuse someone being an a*****e. That's it. Chris Benoit suffered from brain damage. Hands down. And I think they've said his brain was that of an 80 year old. 

"It's just...you never know what it's going to take to make someone snap, to take them over that edge. And what he did there in Georgia, it's unforgivable. Completely unforgivable. And I even said it before; he gutted two families. Two families will forever be altered for his heinous actions. That said, the man was an amazing wrestler. And the man put together a body of work that I just...I wish other wrestlers coming up could learn from."

To quote this article, please credit "False Finish" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription