Jimmy Wang Yang Shares Uncomfortable Feelings on Chris Benoit Tribute Show

Orlando, Florida — Former WWE star Jimmy Wang Yang opened up about his feelings regarding the tribute show for Chris Benoit, who infamously murdered his family and then took his own life in 2007. Yang described how he initially felt uneasy about commemorating Benoit’s wrestling career after the horrific news broke.

In a recent interview with Cheap Heat Productions, Yang stated, “I don’t care anything about his wrestling ability now. What he did disqualifies him to me as a wrestler.” He reflected on how he processed the tragic information when Vince McMahon announced Benoit’s death during a meeting with the WWE roster.

Yang recounted the moment as chaotic, saying, “I looked directly at Brian Kendrick and said, ‘Yep, he finally did it, huh?’” Despite their shared thoughts on Benoit’s actions, Yang hoped for an alternate explanation, thinking perhaps it was a robbery gone wrong. “It was crazy mixed emotions at that time,” he added.

The following day, WWE planned to air a tribute show for Benoit, but Yang felt uncomfortable participating. He recalled, “My gut felt weird. I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do a tribute match to Chris Benoit.’” After more information began leaking, Yang decided to no-show SmackDown, citing a discomfort with the tribute. “I had a bad feeling about what happened. I just didn’t want to be part of it,” he said.

Yang faced some consequences from WWE for missing the show, but his decision was later understood as the details surrounding Benoit’s tragic end came to light. “Personally, I don’t give a sh*t what wrestling match he did or all this other stuff. I don’t care. The last thing he did, that’s what sticks with me,” Yang expressed.