Wrestling podcaster Trevor Dame recently sparked significant controversy by crossing a line that many fans believe should never be crossed—and then treating the fallout as a joke. On February 4, Dame tweeted about the 2007 murders of Nancy Benoit and Daniel Benoit, using this tragic event to mock YouTube thumbnails and exaggerated reaction images. His tweet said:
“I wish Benoit’s murder had happened today and we’d see a YouTube thumbnail of Brian making faces over the caption ‘What did he do?!’”
This comment immediately ignited outrage within the pro wrestling community on social media. The 2007 incident, where Chris Benoit tragically killed his wife Nancy and their seven-year-old son Daniel before taking his own life, remains one of wrestling’s darkest chapters, later connected to Benoit’s severe brain injuries from years spent wrestling.
Many fans accused Dame of making light of a tragedy involving the death of a woman and child purely for shock value. Although the tweet was widely circulated and eventually deleted, the backlash never fully subsided.
Instead of expressing remorse, Dame appeared to revel in the attention. When criticized for his tweet appearing on X’s news tab, he boasted, “Ah, the news tab is now available.” He went even further, joking about the controversial headlines that day by stating, “This might be the funniest pickle barrel I’ve ever gotten into. Top news of the day: More celebrities reveal on Epstein file, says Ricochet wasted career, man says he wants to see Benoit murdered again.”
Rather than backtrack, Dame doubled down on the tweets, acknowledging how they were perceived while continuing to treat the situation as entertainment. So far, he has neither apologized nor acknowledged the victims mentioned. Brian Alvarez, referenced in the tweet, has also remained silent publicly. Many wrestling fans view this not as a thoughtless mistake but as a conscious choice to exploit a real family tragedy and then celebrate the outrage it generated. Deleting the tweet did little to undo the damage, especially given how Dame celebrated the controversy afterward.
Do you believe removing the tweet is sufficient, or has Trevor Dame permanently crossed a boundary by joking about a real-life tragedy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Fan Take: This incident highlights the often blurred lines between entertainment and respect in wrestling culture. For WWE fans, it serves as a reminder that the sport’s history involves real-life pain and loss that should never be trivialized, as failing to honor these moments risks alienating fans and damaging the community’s integrity.
