Benoit-Steroid Distribution Link
Posted on June 26, 2007 by John Philapavage
John Philapavage, Pro Wrestling, RAW, Smackdown, Vince McMahon, WWE, Wrestling Media
There has been a link discovered between a Sports Illustrated article months back on a steroid bust, and Chris Benoit. Benoit was indeed one of the people listed as buying prescription drugs (along with Adam Copeland and Shane Helms). The new article with in-depth analysis can be found here.
NOTE: Months ago I wrote a special column on the Sports Illustrated article naming wrestlers involved with doctors and a steroid ring. You can read it here. I was outraged then, and I’m outraged now. Will those who told me I was over reacting or that this was a dead issue finally get their heads out of the sand?! I am DISGUSTED with WWE and anyone who supports or holds stock in this company today, and I hope someone has the sense to demand they stop destroying the art I love and the national image of it. Oh yeah, and people’s lives. You as a fan should demand the same.
June 27th, 2007 at 6:32 am
John,
Just so you know I still fully support the slight rebuttal I wrote all those months ago to your article- you can blame fans, or the WWE but the one person you aren’t blaming is the wrestlers. No one forces them to take steroids. They could get out of the profession and find a different career path.
No one said it is a dead issue- just that the WWE has a policy they can point to that says they are doing there best to clean up their company- you can debate the validity of the policy but it is there if nothing else as a PR thing.
The article also clearly states Benoit tested negative for steroids during his last test on April 10th.
More importantly I think it needs to be pointed out that news outlets making the immediate connection to steroids is irresonsible reporting. They heard the story- made the usual conclusion based off the people involved and worked from that angle. If this was another guy off the street they would operate from knowing nothing and look for the story from there. In this instance they created the story and then are looking for facts to color it in that direction. In any other case they’d be calling it what happened- a man who most likely had some form of mental problem performed a sick act.
Also- you are killing the WWE in all this- how many guys in ROH or over in Japan do you think juice?
June 27th, 2007 at 9:34 am
I’d like to take a moment to first give context to this letter. Several months ago when I wrote that piece referenced above there were discussions and divergent opinions not just on the site from different contributors, but in everyday conversations and e-mails. The note was not directed at Brian Hansley personally, but at the time we did discuss and disagree on the topic. For the record, this site might not show it, but in life Brian and I are actually friends. I enjoy the guy and had a lot of fun going down to Philly just a week or so ago. Also, Benoit is one of my favorite all time wrestlers, and while this tragedy will erase him from the books, I can seperate his wrestling from his horrible acts. To that end, I think we might find mental failure by way of post-concussion sydrome as a contributing factor, though anything I state is speculation and at best, a guess.
In fairness, I went back and found his column, which you can read http://www.pwchronicle.com/2007/03/26/the-view-from-the-cheap-seats/ Some of the things addressed in Hansley’s comment were not relevant at the time of my first column, nor was it written to the terms of the last few days, so I’d assume that he would want the same disclaimer. I do not know if he feels exactly as he did on the day he wrote this.
Hansley is write that people are jumping to conclusions in this case. That said, after seeing the connection to steroids in the article and at his home, thisshould be the catlyst for greater reform.
On the issue of corporate responsibility of the WWE to not only it’s employees but the entire industry, here are my thoughts. The WWE controls the entire industry, regardless of argument that can be to the contrary. They paid the most, give the most exposure, are seen as the most viable, and financially are the most viable promotion in the world. You referenced ROH and Japan. I’d also put TNA and any other indy into the discussion. While I do not follow the Japanese business as closely as some, I do know that culturally the idea of drug testing and a change in promotion styles is a lost cause in terms of what must happen in America. I’d love to see Pro Wrestling and MMA reform in Japan, but with there industries slowly dying, I doubt that will happen. As we have no power within America to financially support the Japanese of influence there governing bodies, I’ll exclude them because of it.
I’d estimate 99.9% of wrestlers in TNA, ROH, PWG, or any other indy grew up wanting to wrestle for the WWE, are trying to wrestle for the WWE, or would take a contract from the WWE if offered. Anyone under 30 grew up brainwashed by a national promotion that taught them that wrestling was not about skill, but muscle size, height, and spectacle. Therefore anyone taking steroids except in rare occasions is taking them in the hopes of looking like a WWE performer, and being signed to that promotion. The responsibility of TNA, and now w/ contracts for PPV, ROH, is to the health of their employees. They should drug test as well, at least once a month, and adhere to strict penalties. The problem remains that these promotions have less resources, are sadly desperate at times, and know the truth: Every performer is bending to the wink-wink standards of the WWE.
Casual fans or people on the street don’t know what ROH and TNA are? They don’t know Japan even has wrestling, or they know what was going on 10 years ago by way of 13th-party information. The industry, for better or worse, begins and ends the the general public with the WWE. That responsibility, whether I agree or not, lies in there hands.
You know as well as I do that the Wellness Policy enacted after the death of Eddie G. was a Public Relations move overall. It may have not started out that way, but obviously testing and penalties have decreased. Look at Benoit before his death for Christ sake! Why did he have all those pharmaceuticals in his home. His negative test, given the way he’s looked at forty years old, proves only that one that day they didn’t find anything in his system. I find that hard enough to belive, let alone that he would be tested regularly. There were plenty of wrestlers on that list in SI. To think that these athletes do not feel pressure to take pain meds or HGH or any type of steroid is naive.
On wrestlers personal responsibility. I did not have time as of yet, nor will it be this week, to write on the industry as a whole. That’s why ROH, TNA, Japan, or personal responsibility have not been addressed. I haven’t done an op-ed piece. I know that Hansley, as well as those followers of this site, were not privy to conversations between myself and staff member Paul Siegfried yesterday. We’ve been of the opinion for quite some time that it would be best for the industry to “blow itself upâ€, which is to say for Rome to fall, the WWE to go out of business, TNA to regionalize, and a start over to occur. I think all workers would benefit from a localized, regionalized, and shared territory system. I know it would not be that easy, but I’m of the opinion health would outweigh any money earned now, as you can still live off of a strong indy schedule.
It comes down to this. I feel like I believe you do. I don’t think any of these guys NEED to be taking steroids, and although I love certain performers (I’ll use Brian Danielson as an example), but if they were to walk away from the business, I’d still have my memories or DVDs of them. In many cases, it might be best to find a more viable career path to match their intellect or health concerns. And while no one is shoving drugs down their throats, and they share in the responsibility, it is the WWE (The industry standard) that influences there decisions. I think a true revocation of the “unspoken rules†would benefit these fragile and insecure people.
On the issue of the media’s responsibility to the story and steroids. I agree. I think they should also be looking into the effects of multiple concussions and depression cause by that and the wrestlers lifestyle. I think that in combination with Steroids and pain medications are the issues that need to be addressed. I think they are jumping the gun, but then, Benoit’s house was apparently flooded with steroids and other pills. That’s a problem in ANY situation, but especially with what we know about this industry.
Finally, there is a direct link. the article shows the direct link. I fear this is a situation where anyone can argue out of it even if they know more information and have followed the industry for years. We can all argue out of it. But the truth is there is a major problem here. I fear I here in the answer to my pleas fans who do not want to give up their Monday night cable TV watching, or Smackdown live events. And we have to be prepared for that possibility. If there is no reform, I’m in favor of complete shut down. We’ll all go on with life, I promise.