Chris Benoit's final WWE opponent Elijah Burke reveals what he told him in the ring
The Chris Benoit murder-suicide is one of the most controversial episodes in the history of pro wrestling, and one of the saddest. Benoit was on his way to have a legendary career in WWE, before it all ended in 2007.
Chris Benoit's final match in WWE came against Elijah Burke in 2007, just a few days before his death. Benoit and Burke faced each other in a singles match on June 19, 2007, five days before Chris Benoit's death.
Burke, in a recent interview, reveals what Benoit told him in the ring, in what turned out to be Chris Benoit's final match.
Elijah Burke on what Chris Benoit told him in the ring
In a recent interview with Wrestling Epicenter, Elijah Burke spoke about numerous things, one of which was Benoit's behavior in his final match in WWE. Burke said that there were no signs about the heinous act that Benoit was about to do in the days after their match.
He revealed what Benoit told him in the ring during his match:
"One thing Chris was big on, and hindsight is 20/20 on this if I could say, ‘oh, that kind of makes sense’, is just the fact that he said, ‘talk to me out there. I might forget.’ So, after everything that happened, when it came back that he had like the brain of an 80 year old with Alzheimer’s. That was like, ‘hmm, that is interesting’. In this business, I was always taught that we should communicate in rings. So, I didn’t think anything of it. That could have been a sign. Chris Benoit asking me to talk to him? (H/T TalkSport)
Burke said that there was no indication whatsoever that Chris Benoit's brain had degenerated, which was discovered later.
The former WWE Superstar had faced Benoit in a match on ECW, days before the latter's death, a match that Benoit won.
After a few years with WWE, where he came through the ranks, Burke was released in 2008 and he went on to wrestle in TNA, as well as a few indie promotions.