Shining a Spotlight 3.29.07: Roid Rage
Posted by Michael Weyer on 03.29.2007
How steroids are and will continue to be a big part of professional wrestling and how promoters, stars and even the fanbase bear responsibility for it.
There's really only one major story to talk about this week and that's the one that's been making the rounds of the national news organizations. I'm talking, of course, of the new investigations into steroid use by WWE stars. Since it was reported on SI.com, it's gone around a bit with many speaking on it. Needless to say, the IWC's reaction has been interesting but I want to talk about the mainstream reaction first.
Before I do that, I think it's important to lay out some facts on steroids. Contrary to popular belief, they're not as incredibly deadly as some may paint them as. In fact, they've been used in medical procedures for years and there is no link between steroids and things like cancer. Yes, there are effects like hair loss and the possibility of tendons becoming easier to break but when used properly, the dangerous effects can be minimal. Of course, many don't use them properly and go overboard, leading to long-term damage. But then athletes have a short shelf life as is and thus don't really care about such long-term effects.
If anything, the news reports on this showcase what many fans have known for years, which is that the general public doesn't look at the business or those who follow it in the most positive light. I've already seen some comedians cracking jokes about how "shocking" this is, that wrestlers lie and do drugs to make themselves look better. It once again brings up the old stereotype that wrestling fans are automatically less intelligent than fans of real sports, because they enjoy following it so much.
It seems to be getting more play now because of the steroid allegations in baseball that have risen the last few years and the reaction to them. What always strikes me about sportswriters is how they put sports in such a higher place in society than they really are. When Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire, among others, spoke at Congress about steroid use, practically every writer I saw did a big thing on how it was the duty of Congress to start maintaing a watch on how steroids in baseball were used. In a rare move, pundits from both sides united in the common thought "aren't there more important things for them to be doing?"
My respect for baseball, and for that matter the vast majority of organized sports, was pretty much killed by the 1994 baseball strike. For men making millions of dollars for hitting and throwing a ball around screwing over the fans who made them rich in the first place just because they felt they weren't getting enough was a craw way too hard to chew for me. It's extremely hard to sympathize with rich men demanding even more and sadly that attitude is growing with more and more multi-million dollar deals, often for stars who fail to live up to them.
So, that some of these guys don't even rely on their natural abilities or training but try to "beef up" with drugs is even more disgraceful. Unfortunately, I'm a realist so I know it's not anything new. The basic fact is that steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs have been used in sports for decades and are likely to continue for a while. Sports are a business when it comes down to it and any of weakness can jeopardize the million dollar contracts these guys live for. So, if this mentality exists in regular sports, you can imagine how it can be in wrestling.
Wrestling is entertainment. I'm sorry, I know a lot of purists will argue that point, but it's true. Cut away everything and the fact is, the business is just what Vince McMahon has said "sports entertainment." It was created that way back in the forties and television made it even more so. Sure, a lot of the old-time guys were true athletes and all but the point of wrestling is to entertain people. It's a fixed sport, after all, so having to rely on natural ability isn't as important.
However, wrestlers are expected to present a certain image and that's where the steroids come in. Wrestlers are expected to be musclemen, near perfect specimens, it's part of the whole deal. Sure, there are those who don't quite fit that mode (Verne Gagne and Dusty Rhodes pop immediately to mind) but since the early 1980's, the powerhouse has been a key figure in wrestling and most often the ones who get pushes.
You can't blame all this on Vince McMahon, although I'm sure many would like to. The rise of wrestlers who were heavily into steroids pre-dates Vince's takeover of the WWF by several years. Superstar Billy Graham, Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan are the key culprits, all of whom enhanced their physiques with drugs to lead a revolution in the business. Steroids had been making their rounds in the bodybuilding circle at that time and the laws regulating them weren't as strict back then. Hell, there were even magazines detailing which styles of steroids could be most beneficial for certain body types and how to use them.
It's downright amazing to realize how vastly different attitudes toward things we know now are bad for you once were. Cigarettes were incredibly popular from the ‘40's to the ‘60's, openly advertised on television with no clues as to the dangerous effects they possessed. The debate over pot and marijuana use and their effects are still debated today. So, yes, steroids have always had these negative effects but many were willing to ignore the unsubstantiated dangers in exchange for its benefits.
It was their choice in so many ways and that includes some Internet darlings like the Dynamite Kid, Eddie Guerrero, Owen Hart and others. Just look at how Eddie and Rey bulked up so much when they joined WWE (not to mention their back acne suddenly rising as well). Of course, HHH is obvious with the way his hair has thinned and the wear and tear on his body. Dynamite is a prime example, as he was about 225 pounds on a frame that was never meant to hold more than 190. His steroid use led to painkillers that played a large part in leaving him an invalid today. Scott Steiner's steroid use turned him from one of the most amazing athletes to watch in 1990 to the bloated freak today who can barely go five minutes before getting winded. Yet, wrestlers will still try whatever it takes to give themselves a push and keep themselves on top.
That promoters turn a blind eye to this shouldn't be surprising. It's the same reason that baseball and football do, the money and the fact they don't want bad press. It's why it's overlooked in mainstream so in wrestling, which isn't even a real sport, it makes even more sense. Vince obviously has taken some roids over the years so it's natural he wouldn't crack down on it. But WCW guys were soon bulking up after Jim Crockett left and you can't tell me no one in ECW wasn't doing them either. TNA appears to be more athletic but considering the rise of guys like Steiner and Tomoko, they seem ready to turn a blind eye as well. But then, consider the decades of promoters looking away when guys would drink or do drugs a lot worse than steroids and you'll see that keeping a sharp eye on things isn't among their high priorities. And then consider how most pro sports follow that exact same mentality.
It takes something like Eddie's death (which really had more to do with his alcohol and drug addiction than steroids) to shake things up which is how this much-derided wellness policy has come to be. I know many mock it but the fact is, WWE has been tough about some guys when problems occur. Take last summer, when Bobby Lashley was removed from the US title match at Bash that he was primed to win. The recent ouster of Joey Mercury amidst talk he failed a test does show Vince is a bit serious about it. True, you can argue the recent publicity pushed him to it but while he may be dollars and cents and all, deep down (admittedly, way, way deep down) Vince does have a heart. His paying for the funeral of Bam Bam Bigelow, a guy who hadn't worked for WWE in almost a decade, should show that. Vince may ride these guys hard but he doesn't want to see them die either.
Now onto the talk some guys (mainly newer ones) have made over how this is going to be a big blow to WWE's business. First off, this is nothing, I mean nothing, compared to the federal case the government launched on Vince back in 1992-94. The full story of how the investigation came to be and the blitz it led on Vince is rather complicated and convoluted, as federal cases often are. It also doesn't help that some of the people involved have differing versions of the events. For the best take, I recommend Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham's quite excellent Sex, Lies and Headlocks, one of the best books on the business out there. The steroid trial takes up a great deal of the book, detailing the case and the courtroom proceedings.
Keep in mind, things were different then. The Internet was in its infancy so the news of it wasn't as huge as this recent report was. WWE was still into kayfabe and thus wouldn't talk about it. More importantly was the reports of the wide-spread use of steroids in the business. One big moment came when Hulk Hogan admitted on the stand that he had taken steroids for years, after long denying allegations on talk shows. A reporter actually came up to Hogan after his testimony and used a paper roll to show how his famous "22-inch pythons" had shrunk to half their size. If anything, the confirmation of Hulk's juicing did a big number on his appeal when he came to WCW (where he started off rail-thin but magically grew back to his former physique).
Talk about the Monday Night War all you want but the closest WWF has come to complete destruction was in June of 1994 when the verdict came in. It was clear that with Vince distracted, WWF was wandering creatively (the Lex Express, Doink, the Kliq rising, etc) and everyone knew that if Vince was jailed, they were in big trouble. Reportedly, Jerry Jarrett was approached with the idea that he'd take over as head booker and creative vision if Vince was found guilty. But, thanks to his tough lawyer team and some mistakes of the prosecution, Vince was found not guilty and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
So this latest report isn't as likely to scare Vince too much. After all, unlike that federal case, this isn't saying that Vince personally supplied his workers with steroids, but rather just ignored it, which, as I've pointed out, is common throughout "real" sports as well. It's wise of Edge and Gregory Helms to admit to it, since they can easily claim now they've been clean for as least the last year and a half. It should also be pointed out that, used properly, steroids do help with injury and illness, two things pro wrestlers are all too frequent to get. Edge had that severe neck injury and thus needed something to kick-start the healing process, using legitimate doctors, not the ones used by WWF and WCW for years who would just do the bare minimum to keep the guys okay enough to wrestle another night. I know people are a bit surprised to see Angle on that list but considering it's a small miracle the man is still walking,
The problem is that a lot of guys don't just let go with doing it to help healing and keep on going. It unfortunately leads to things like chronic injuries (Batista, HHH) and a slower, more sloppy in-ring performance (Hogan, Steiner, Ultimate Warrior and many, many others). Of course, some are prone to sharp mood swings, not quite the infamous "roid rage" but still dangerous (Rick Rude is a good example of the latter). But for some of the guys listed in that article, I think they're in the clear for now.
A major exception is Randy Orton, a guy who's been in more than enough hot water over the years with WWE. Now, he had suffered that bad injury so the steroids could be excused as healing. But he does seem to have a big attitude that's led to some suspensions and word is he might be facing another. I don't know if that's tied into the steroids but rumors are that unlike Edge or Helms, he didn't get his meds legally so he might looking at another long removal from TV time. It's hard to tell for sure, of course due to rumors and such but maybe Orton needs the wake-up call.
I'm not going to start demanding that WWE ban all steroid use and automatically fine, suspends and/or fire anyone caught breaking the policy. I'm a realist and realistically, if professional sports aren't going to go that length, there's no way sports entertainment will. Vince and for that matter, TNA, will turn a blind eye to such things for a while yet and wrestlers will continue to shoot up to try and make it better in the business. But WWE is at least trying to keep it more under control before it leads to fatal consequences. Sure, you can argue they're looking at bad publicity and the bottom line but saving workers pain isn't a bad thing.
As I said before, athletes have a short shelf life and most wrestlers know that. They're willing to put up with the pain of steroid abuse for now if it benefits them from the hardships of the road and working five nights a week. But they should be aware of the long-term damage they're risking. Superstar Billy Graham is a walking (or, rather, limping) showcase of the dangers of such long-term abuse and many others have suffered as well. Unfortunately, the business demands men of a certain style and they will continue to try to live up to that.
So maybe the fanbase deserves a tiny amount of the blame for the steroid use. We do expect a lot from these guys and can be merciless in our disdain if they don't perform well enough. So many of them want to please us well, not just because it's their jobs, but because they like it. Thus, many will do what they think it takes to keep entertaining. So, just accept that steroids are going to play a part in wrestling for a long while to come. It's not a pretty thought but it's a fact that can't be denied. No matter how much those in charge will try.
Well, my Wrestlemania III column had a few guys pointing out some errors I had made…
Yo dude,
There was no punches and big boot after Hogan knocked the Giant down with the clothesline. It was Knockdown, Hulk Up, Slam, Legdrop, then the pin...just wanted to throw that out there.
Andy Garcia
He battered Andre with some punches and then the boot to stun him. Then, in something that was still incredible to watch today, Hogan picked up the
seven-foot 550 pound Andre and slammed him to the mat, pushing the crowd into a mad frenzy. One legdrop later and Hogan was victorious. "
I thought this seemed odd, and this was in no way meant to knit pick but that first sentence never happened haha. After Hogan knocks Andre down with
a clothesline he just hulks up and slams him.Just letting you know (I had to check myself; I thought I remembered the end of the match wrong)
Great article though
Richard Jenkins
You'd think the fact I have this match on three different DVD sets would let me remember it better. Guess I just got tied into it since that's how just about all of Hogan's matches back then ended. Sorry about that mix-up.
Chris Jacobs took exception to one of my comments in the article:
Andre the Giant's comment of, "in his homeland of France waiting to die" you are a sick bastard, what goes through the heads of you and people like you that get off on death, you are a blatant ass that doesn't deserve to have a reporter's column.
Okay…how do you really feel? Seriously, sorry if that came off too crass but the fact was, Andre knew his life wasn't going to be long and didn't want to come back. As for bitter comments, I recall one guy in the 411 Roundtable Review of WMIII talking about the Piper/Adrian Adonis match and saying "Adonis lost his hair and a year later, lost his head," a comment I thought a bit crass myself. I'm sorry if that offended, just wanted to give the idea how far gone health-wise Andre was at that time.
Scott "Red Cordell" had a nice letter with a good comment and another correction: REALLY enjoyed the piece on WM III man. Some of the back stories you gave were outstanding, including Andre really coming back just because of the match as well as giving everyone a good sense of exactly how big the event really way (I was 7 at the time and not quite into it yet). When I first watched WM II probably around 89 or 90 I was in complete awe, and I've never forgotten that 93,173 number.
Just trying to help, but a few things were slightly off in the article: Beefcake and Valentine still won their match with the Rougeaus and in the Piper/Adonis match, the ref wasn't knocked out, Adonis let Piper go before the hand dropped a third time, but Piper got it up just in time.
Great stuff, I love any in depth article on the WWF in the mid-late 80's. Thanks.
Thanks for the letter, Red. Yeah, another mess-up there. And maybe the number wasn't for real but it was something to see for sure. Glad WWE just put out a special 20th anniversary DVD to give younger fans a look at it.
Speaking of the crowd, Andrew Prentice has a nice long one on big crowds in wrestling:
Thanks for your Wrestlemania 3 article. It took me back. In Australia, Wrestlemania was shown on network TV (there being no cable or PPV in this country back in 1987). It screened here about 2 weeks after the actual event. I watched the show on a Friday night with some college buddies and a whole lot of beer (I was significantly older than 12 at the time), and afterwards we went out and celebrated at several night clubs – most of us had ripped our T-shirts off Hogan-style at the end of the show and so were banned from entering all but the seediest of places.
A few years back I was writing for an Australian magazine and did a series on Wrestlemania. However, I could never find the Wrestlemania III crowd listed in the Guiness Book of Records. What section is it in?
It has since transpired that the 93,173 number was a work on Vince's part but has become such a folklore figure in wrestling that people keep on repeating it. The real crowd was supposedly just under 80,000.
Amazingly, the WM3 crowd isn't even the biggest crowd drawn by the WWF/WWE. Summerslam '92 drew a legit 81,000 to Wembley Stadium, London, for a main event of Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith for the Intercontinental Title.
Also in your article, you quote some 100,000 plus crowds in Japan. I think you might be referring to the 2 New Japan shows held in Pyongyang North Korea in 1995, which drew 150,000 and 100,000 on consecutive days in a deal negotiated by Antonio Inoki, who naturally put himself over Ric Flair in the main event of the first show. The fact most of the crowd were possibly forced to attend shouldn't detract from the attendance figures…?
And finally, just to be a pedant, there was no ref bump in the Roddy Piper-Adrian Adonis match at WM3. Adonis simply let go of his sleeper hold, thinking he'd done enough to win. While he was trying to get the ref to declare him the winner, Brutus Beefcake came down to the ring and revived Piper in the corner and the rest is… well, you know.
Can't recall which Guiness edition that was but I swear it was in there. Maybe they did double-check, find out it was lower and dropped it. Good list of major crowds. I had mentioned in the column some other big crowds and the myth of the WMIII monster audience but as you pointed out, people have just come to accept it as fact, despite the truth. Guess it's hard to let go of such an amazing memory.
Finally, Michael A. Lewkowicz has another wrestling movie to mention:
I caught your column, and the last batch of reader letters reminded me of a film from the 1970's. I had to double-check to make certain that I wasn't
cracy, but I wa able to confirm an interesting film called "The One and Only"
This stars Henry Winkler (who was in the midst of his Fonz prime), as a down & out actor in the 1950's who joins professional wrestling as a way to get
attention. He adopts several characters, the most notable being a nazi who uses his metal helmet to get the pinfall. If I remember correctly, he
concludes the film as a Ric Flair type of wrestler, which is the closest thing he has to his own personality.
Now that's one I've never heard of before. Thanks for the good mention.
Also on 411 this week:
Stuart looks back at the Randy Savage snakebite moment.
Ripple Effect does a special on guys affected by Mania.
Welcome to the Navigation Log.
The Shimmy examines Mania main events we could have gotten.
The Timewarp imagines the future of Lance Hoyt.
Julian expands to do the Top 23 Mania matches.
O'Dog wonders if the move to Fridays hasn't hurt SmackDown's power.
Check out Column of Honor, Triple Threat, Ask411, Fact or Fiction and all the rest.
