Deaths in Linda McMahon’s Pro Wrestling Industry Do Not = Steroids. The Death Pandemic Is ‘Steroids-Plus’

Daniela Altimari has a good story in today’s Hartford Courant on the drug problem in pro wrestling. See “Substance Abuse In WWE Dogs Linda McMahon’s Senate Run,” http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctsen-wwe-wrestlers-20101012,0,2547989.story.

The best quote in the article is from James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch: “”Steroids were kind of an ’80s and early ’90s thing, and they became an issue again in the late ’90s when WWE had no testing. But it’s just a buzz word now. It’s how a lot of people describe all of the health issues within the WWE.”

Every time I think I’m being too hard on World Wrestling Entertainment’s medical director, Joseph Maroon, the good doctor makes an ass of himself again with his public statements. Maroon actually tries to get reporter Altimari  to put across the idea that the company has all but eliminated steroids with its PR-oriented “wellness policy.”

Maroon also touts the policy’s recent addition of somas, a muscle relaxer, to the banned substance list. What a joke. Many wrestlers have been hooked on somas for years … decades. It’s one of those prescription drugs that are also party drugs. The death of at least one WWE performer, known as “Louie Spiccoli,” is attributable to a soma overdose. The reason somas just got banned involves the recent wacko behavior (including wacko video blogs) of wrestler Matt Hardy.

Irv Muchnick