WWE Releases Scott Armstrong, Recipient of Chris Benoit’s Final Text Messages

World Wrestling Entertainment periodically purges names from its roster – sometimes for mysterious reasons of internal office politics, but most often as part of a routine process of cost-cutting or keeping talent fresh and developed.

Of the four people dropped yesterday, only one was “a big surprise,” according to the Wrestling Observer website: referee Scott Armstrong, an ex-wrestler whose real name is Scott James. Armstrong “was well respected in the role” and “they need referees and they aren’t highly paid.”

I don’t know if this move is significant or not. But after we get past the breaking news of the next few days, I’ll review for new blog readers Armstrong’s role in the events of June 2007, when WWE was dealing with the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit. Armstrong was one of Benoit’s best friends and one of two recipients of his final text messages, whose timing and disclosure were a source of controversy. (The other recipient was wrestler Chavo Guerrero.)

Irv Muchnick