How do you feel about steroid use?

Crocker

First off, let's start by saying it's pretty clear that the large, LARGE majority of WWE superstars use steroids or other "enhancements" like the Human Growth Hormone or other thinks like that. It's pretty clear when Bob Holly in his 40's, with the work and travel schedule he has, looks HUGE compared to a young, great athlete with time to train like Daniel Puder, that the huge majority of the roster juices.

How do you feel about that?

HHH recently did an interview in which he defended steroid use while at the same time denying he did it. Wrestlers have to deny it. They all do. So that's no surprise. But HHH's defense of steroids was interesting.

"Fans don't come to the arena to watch their next door neighbour," he said. "You can watch your neighbour out your window." HHH went on to argue that the fans PAY to see big, monstrous, larger than life men, whether it's in baseball or football or wrestling, and that the fans don't care what happens to the wrestlers and their bodies as long as they get their entertainment. He said that people can say all they want how they want guys to stop juicing in baseball, but at the same time they still want to go to the ball park and see a guy smack a 600 foot home run. It's a double standard.

So how do you feel about steroid use in wrestling? Is it something that never even crosses your mind? Is it something in the back of your mind you just never really think about? I feel we, as wrestling fans, fall into the same trap. "Oh, he needs to bulk up a bit," we'll say, seeing a wrestler in good shape next to somebody jacked out of his mind. "He'll never make it to the next level if he doesn't get into better shape."

So are we, the fans, to blame? How do you feel about steroids in wrestling and in sports?

Miakal

Good topic. Total rep points.

It does cross my mind because a lot of these dudes are complete freaks of nature. Have you ever watched wrestling with someone who doesn't? They always comment on their roid usage, that's usually the first things they say, and it's hard to really respond to. They are right, they are freaks of nature.

While steriod testing is a good thing, in my opinion, I also know that it's very difficult to catch people on. For every test there's a few ways to go around it.

To further complicate things, wrestling isn't really a sport. It's not like baseball where having one athlete juice up is unfair to the others. I'm sure a lot of actors, which I'd argue wrestlers are more closely related to, juice up as well.

And I don't think Vince, even now, has a real substancial policy. Maybe I misread it. Does he actually do anything if someone is caught? It's my understanding that it's case by case thing, meaning greater talent will get to keep on with what they are doing and the lesser guys will have to pay for it.

Overall, I guess I would say that wrestlers should be allowed to roid up to a certain extent. Wrestlers who are just "freaks" shouldn't be given the same consideration and guys with past drug problems should be given special attention, since they are really the guys at risk with death...not so much the average joe roid user.

ICEMAN

I'm against steroid use personally, but I have no problem if others choose to use it. They (should) know the risks involved but every man is entitled to live his life how he chooses.

That being said, I think Vince has created the perception that wrestlers need to be larger than life to be over. He keeps pushing guys with size but limited ring skill over guys who can work but who aren't as big.

It will take a lot of effort on Vince's part and effort on our part as well, to accept smaller "natural" wrestlers as opposed to the genetic freaks that we see out there today.

Rudki

Totally Agreed.

Give me guys like Tajiri over talentless bums like Snitsky and Tomko anyday..

Steve W

I really hope that WWE is serious about this new drug testing policy. I'd hate to see it become nothing more than a public relations move, something that dies down once the heat is off.

I think a lot about what these guys are doing to themselves on a daily basis for the sake of our entertainment. It's sad, it truly is. I often wonder what goes through the mind of a wrestler, I can't figure them out. They see their friends and fellow workers dying young, mostly for the same reasons, but nothing changes. They know what juicing can do to them, yet they're still more than willing to take part in it.

But it's not just the juice, it's the schedule too and what it demands from a person, and a lot of times it demands more drugs. Uppers to wake you up, downers to put you out, pain pills because your body never truly gets a chance to heal itself and process all of the things you're putting into it. It's ridiculous and I truly believe that there needs to be a fundamental change in the culture of wrestling or things are only going to get worse. The problems are systemic, they aren't problems with a few individuals. If they were, hardly as many people would be dropping dead of heart failure before they hit 40.

HellKat

Gotta agree with most of you, if Vince would quit putting emphasis on "big" or "getting big" and back to the guys with talent, there wouldn't be so many problems or guys dropping dead before 40. I rather watch guys like Tajiri than talentless roided morons like Zitsky. If you saw on wwe.com they have a video of their "new drug testing" policy, but let's be honest about its enforcement. Vince has let it go before and more likely will happen again.

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AudioSavior

It is funny how people wants Vince to stop liking what he likes so they can get what they want. I find that to be selfish! It is his company and who is to say that people who like smaller guys are of the majority? Look at big Hogan became and he was as big as they come.

Danny Diamond

Founder/Admin

Ida. Its about saving lives.

Bouchie

I think they should be illegal in WWE. Not to mention everywhere else.

AudioSavior

Do you see people dropped dead in other sports such as bodybuilding where they are 5 times bigger and workout far more and use a lot more roids? Nope., because it is not the riods that is killing guys in WWE. It is recreational and medicated drug abuse.