Steroids

[brutusbarber]

At the end of the day, pro wrestling isn't a sport.

 

What? Do you have any evidence to back this up?

[Kenny McBride]

Unusually intelligent of steroid usage in here today, I'd have thought by now kenny and the usual suspects would have been jumping up and down about dead wrestlers being proof everyone who does steroids dies of an exploded heart. With sensible examples like earthquake and owen hart.

 

This is funny. I think the number of wrestlers who have died young is a very serious concern for anyone with an interest in the sport. The thought that someone associates me with the sort of nonsense that you're suggesting makes me think my intellectual stock has plummeted without me even noticing or, more likely, that you're a complete twat. I've never suggested steroids are the ONLY problem. I just think people who ignore the overwhelming evidence that the term "wrestler heart attack" has a very specific meaning that everyone knows is related to steroid abuse is really, really unbelievably, spectacularly, incredibly stupid. I always think of the Art Barr coroner saying that looking at the guy's body, he was convinced steroids had played a role except Sandy Barr had insisted to him that his boy would never touch the gear and so he had to try and look for other explanations. Most people looking at skinny little Love Machine would have assumed he wasn't taking anything, but he was, to the point where it contributed significantly to his death. In his case as in so many, the fact is that pills pulled the trigger, but steroids loaded and aimed the gun.

 

And "he looks/doesn't look like he's on something" is the most ignorant piece of bullshit ever. No doubt there are freaks out there (Rob Terry, John Cena etc.) who can achieve spectacular bodies without the aid of anything other than a good diet and hell of a lot of hard work. But as a general rule, EVERYONE in wrestling is on something. No, he's not an exception. Nope, not that guy either. EVERYONE USES. Yes, EVERYONE.

[A.P.]

Unusually intelligent of steroid usage in here today, I'd have thought by now kenny and the usual suspects would have been jumping up and down about dead wrestlers being proof everyone who does steroids dies of an exploded heart. With sensible examples like earthquake and owen hart.

 

And "he looks/doesn't look like he's on something" is the most ignorant piece of bullshit ever. No doubt there are freaks out there (Rob Terry, John Cena etc.) who can achieve spectacular bodies without the aid of anything other than a good diet and hell of a lot of hard work. But as a general rule, EVERYONE in wrestling is on something. No, he's not an exception. Nope, not that guy either. EVERYONE USES. Yes, EVERYONE.

 

Before you go posting this self-aggrandising tripe, actually take a second to look at the original theme of this thread - "So and so is looking bigger/leaner, does this mean steroids and performance enhancing drugs are the reason?", with balanced answers saying, "No, not necessarily. Genetics, hard and intelligent training and dieting could be the reason".

[Chest Rockwell]

Wow that pic of Rob Terry @ age 15 is fuckin ridiculous! Damn!

[HappyWanderer]

But a lot of other sporting competitors have died with allegedly steroid related instances. Marc vivien foe being one?

 

Whoa, Marc-Viven Foe NOT being one actually! That was a genetic condition called "Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy" or "HCM" so it's a bit shit to sully his name as a steroid user don't you think?

[Kiffy]

Unusually intelligent of steroid usage in here today, I'd have thought by now kenny and the usual suspects would have been jumping up and down about dead wrestlers being proof everyone who does steroids dies of an exploded heart. With sensible examples like earthquake and owen hart.

 

This is funny. I think the number of wrestlers who have died young is a very serious concern for anyone with an interest in the sport. The thought that someone associates me with the sort of nonsense that you're suggesting makes me think my intellectual stock has plummeted without me even noticing or, more likely, that you're a complete twat. I've never suggested steroids are the ONLY problem. I just think people who ignore the overwhelming evidence that the term "wrestler heart attack" has a very specific meaning that everyone knows is related to steroid abuse is really, really unbelievably, spectacularly, incredibly stupid.

 

See that's kinda what I mean, there isn't a term "Wrestlers heart attack," it doesn't exist in any doctors office, any hospital, anywhere really. It's just something people have been saying on the net so long it seems to be a real term. And it's not, it's complete shit. For fucks sake at most, say, 200 wrestlers have died this way (and it's a long, long way below that number, maybe 50 at most?) now compare that to the amount of people on steroids (which outside of wrestling show no evidence of leading to such an end, as shown by every mr Olympia winner still being alive) and it's such a statistical anomaly as to be utterly irrelevant. The mere idea such a term is in common usage amongst anyone other than internet wrestling fans and dirt sheet writers is so retarded as to suggest your intellectual stock never really had much worth to begin with, as it's the same shite you've been spouting on here for years with no real understanding other than repeated second or third hand information.

I am a twat though, that's been fully confirmed by life the universe and everythiing x

[TheBigBoot]

Steroids wasn't ever the problem, it was the guys on pain killers, muscle relaxers & sedatives etc that were the ones dying early. Athletes in most sports, especially in the US were bigger = better, all have a steroid culture.

Completely agree with this, it's the cocktail of drugs that is the problem, not just steroids.

 

I personally have no problem with wrestlers taking steroids, as a matter of fact, I endorse it

 

That's not exactly what he said though. It's the "wasn't ever the problem" bit I disagree with since I don't think anyone thinks it is the entire problem but I think its hard to discount anything that goes into the wrestling lifestyle (and that includes steroids) are part of it and you don't even need to go to the Bob Backlund/Bruno Sammartino level of extreme anti-steroid hate stuff to recognise that, IMO.

 

Granted steroids are one of the ones complained about most by wrestling fans (and pretty much the only one the mainstream media chooses to talk about) along with the insane travel schedule of the Eighties. Or at least they used to be: in recent years I've seen more people 'credit' painkillers and chair shots to the head as evils of the wrestling business.

 

Is it safe to spend that much time in the air, take that many bumps on a regular basis, etc. if you are just on the (endorsed) gas and don't do any of the painkillers/muscle relaxants/sedatives? I honestly don't know. Since we don't know who is/was abusing painkillers then I'm not even sure if anyone has actually tried it.

 

Some of the other posts here are interesting. I'd agree it certainly isn't as simplistic a case where steroids = death or travel = death.

 

Is that really the case though? I remember a caller into the old Observer radio show calling in because WCW would rather push roiders like Goldberg over people who are "obviously not on steriods" like Benoit. People usually pick and choose between favourites anyway.

 

Got to love blind favouritism.

 

The funniest thing about that is Benoit is literally one of the first wrestlers Joe Bloggs would point to.

 

Like if I happened to be watching Nitro or NJPW on a Friday night and a non-wrestling caught any of it before I went to the pub they'd always look at Benoit (or Pegasus for you Ring Warriors fans) and crack a steroid 'joke'/reference.

 

(Not saying that showing pictures of wrestlers to non-wrestling/bodybuilding fans who can then replace the Wellness Policy simply by looking at pictures and giving 'expert' opinions on who looks/doesn't look like they are on something which is ridiculous as has been pointed out by Lister and McBride just that it makes me chuckle a bit that someone would suggest Benoit didn't look like he was on anything - obviously you would need to test him to confirm that).

[MoChatra]

Given the high threshold for a WWE wellness failure in respect of PEDs (10:1 T/E ratio compared to the usual 6:1 used for most sports), it's very easy to use a good amount of steroids yet still come through as 'clean' when tested.

 

Even the 6:1 ratio is considered generous by some pro athletes but the 10:1 means guys can still have a great physique and a good amount of mass without having the overly muscular look that was quite commonplace in the WWE prior to Eddie G.'s death.

[David]

Given the high threshold for a WWE wellness failure in respect of PEDs (10:1 T/E ratio compared to the usual 6:1 used for most sports), it's very easy to use a good amount of steroids yet still come through as 'clean' when tested.

 

Even the 6:1 ratio is considered generous by some pro athletes but the 10:1 means guys can still have a great physique and a good amount of mass without having the overly muscular look that was quite commonplace in the WWE prior to Eddie G.'s death.

Maybe that's because wrestling isn't an actual sport?

 

How we can expect these guys to maintain anything resembling an athletic physique and stay injury-free with the work & travel schedule they maintain is beyond me.

 

If they are to be held to the same standard as real sportsmen, then surely they should be given the benefits of being a professional sportman? Such as a close season, and not being expected to wrestle more than twice a week or so?

 

We, and promotions such as WWE, can't have it both ways.

[MoChatra]

Given the high threshold for a WWE wellness failure in respect of PEDs (10:1 T/E ratio compared to the usual 6:1 used for most sports), it's very easy to use a good amount of steroids yet still come through as 'clean' when tested.

 

Even the 6:1 ratio is considered generous by some pro athletes but the 10:1 means guys can still have a great physique and a good amount of mass without having the overly muscular look that was quite commonplace in the WWE prior to Eddie G.'s death.

Maybe that's because wrestling isn't an actual sport?

 

How we can expect these guys to maintain anything resembling an athletic physique and stay injury-free with the work & travel schedule they maintain is beyond me.

 

If they are to be held to the same standard as real sportsmen, then surely they should be given the benefits of being a professional sportman? Such as a close season, and not being expected to wrestle more than twice a week or so?

 

We, and promotions such as WWE, can't have it both ways.

 

I'm not quite sure what point you're trying to make. All I'm pointing out is that the WWE wellness policy allows someone to use steroids.

 

Yeah, it isn't a sport, but that's not the point. The WWE present themselves as a drug-free company using the argument 'we have a comprehensive Wellness programme'. If you know the full details of the policy, however, it's clear that it's very easy to use a range of drugs and still be considered 'clean'.

 

Also, why should it be so difficult to have an athletic physique without relying on steroids? Millions of people manage to achieve great physical appearances without ever resorting to sticking needles in their arses.

[David]

Also, why should it be so difficult to have an athletic physique without relying on steroids? Millions of people manage to achieve great physical appearances without ever resorting to sticking needles in their arses.

Plenty of people who manage to maintain an athletic physique don't have the travel & work schedule that the guys in WWE do.

[MoChatra]

Also, why should it be so difficult to have an athletic physique without relying on steroids? Millions of people manage to achieve great physical appearances without ever resorting to sticking needles in their arses.

Plenty of people who manage to maintain an athletic physique don't have the travel & work schedule that the guys in WWE do.

 

All those guys who have that schedule and who do use steroids still need to have six meals a day, have workouts at the gym most days and get decent rest. It's not like those steroids are the difference between them having great physiques and looking like a stick or carrying loads of flab. Without those steroids, they'd be slightly smaller and in some cases less defined but it's not like they'd all start looking like Matt Hardy circa last summer.

[David]

All those guys who have that schedule and who do use steroids still need to have six meals a day, have workouts at the gym most days and get decent rest.

Of course they do, but they don't have to watch their diet quite as much as they would if they weren't on PED's, do they? When you're living in hotels and eating & working out on the move it's easier to keep yourself looking good enough for national television when you have access to something that gives you a bit of help, that's all I'm saying.

 

It's not like those steroids are the difference between them having great physiques and looking like a stick or carrying loads of flab. Without those steroids, they'd be slightly smaller and in some cases less defined but it's not like they'd all start looking like Matt Hardy circa last summer.

Of course it isn't. I don't think anyone actually thinks that.

 

What they do help with is recovering from workouts and wrestling every night, which must come in handy when your working that schedule.

[MoChatra]

All those guys who have that schedule and who do use steroids still need to have six meals a day, have workouts at the gym most days and get decent rest.

Of course they do, but they don't have to watch their diet quite as much as they would if they weren't on PED's, do they? When you're living in hotels and eating & working out on the move it's easier to keep yourself looking good enough for national television when you have access to something that gives you a bit of help, that's all I'm saying.

 

It's not like those steroids are the difference between them having great physiques and looking like a stick or carrying loads of flab. Without those steroids, they'd be slightly smaller and in some cases less defined but it's not like they'd all start looking like Matt Hardy circa last summer.

Of course it isn't. I don't think anyone actually thinks that.

 

What they do help with is recovering from workouts and wrestling every night, which must come in handy when your working that schedule.

 

I wouldn't disagree (i.e. as you say, gear gives a helping hand, and if most guys were completely clean, then as I mentioned earlier, they'd be smaller and less defined).

 

That said, your comments above aren't quite so consistent with your earlier line:

 

How we can expect these guys to maintain anything resembling an athletic physique and stay injury-free with the work & travel schedule they maintain is beyond me.

[David]

Okay Mo, I'll leave it at that as you obviously know what I mean