Did testosterone rage drive Benoit's murderous rampage?

Posted Jul 17th 2007 6:40PM by Peter Cohan

World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) issued a statement that sheds no light on why Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself. The statement suggests that in Benoit's last drug test in April 2007, he tested negative for anabolic steroids and testosterone. And that today's toxicology report suggests he took testosterone after the April 2007 drug test.

This statement is at odds with an AP report which claims that Benoit's body contained 10 times the normal level of testosterone, as well as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone. The testosterone, a synthetic version of the primary male sex hormone, is considered an anabolic steroid.

This statement raises more questions than it answers:

Why does WWE try to confuse the issue by making it appear that testosterone and anabolic steroids are different?
Why was he taking testosterone?
Are testosterone injections considered legitimate by the WWE?
Could excess testosterone lead to murderous behavior?
Who delivered the testosterone injection?
Does the WWE in any way sanction such injections?
What, if anything, is WWE trying to exonerate itself of with this statement?
Could WWE operate successfully if its entertainers were drug free?

I don't know the answers to any of these questions and think that they are worth investigating. If anyone knows any of these answers, please comment below.

Peter Cohan is president of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He owns has no financial interest in WWE stock.

Tags: Chris Benoit, ChrisBenoit, Steroids, Testosterone, WWE