WWE superstar Chris Benoit had severe brain damage before 2007 deaths

Doctors who examined Chris Benoit's brain after the 2007 deaths reported severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The case prompted wrestling organisations to review concussion protocols and in-ring practices.

Chris Benoit, a former WWE world champion, was found dead in 2007 alongside his wife and young son in their Georgia home. Authorities described the incident as a murder-suicide. Medical examiners later examined Benoit's brain and reported severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition linked to repeated head injuries. The findings renewed attention to long-term brain injury in professional wrestling. Known facts: - Authorities reported three deaths at Benoit's Georgia home in 2007 and described the incident as a murder-suicide. - A post-mortem examination of Benoit's brain was reported to show severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). - Friends and messages in the days before the deaths were reported as showing confusion and withdrawal that experts connected with severe brain trauma. - The case is reported to have led wrestling organisations to adopt stricter concussion protocols and reduce some high-risk in-ring practices. Summary: The discovery of severe CTE in Benoit's brain is presented as a central factor in how the case has been understood and discussed. The reported findings changed discussion and policy around head injuries in professional wrestling. Undetermined at this time.