This article was posted on WU Online - http://www.wrestlingupdateonline.com. If you have a question you would like answered by Mr. Jarrett regarding steroid and drug use in wrestling, send it to WU Online.)
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Mr. Jarrett,
I have the utmost respect for you,
however, I believe there is no comparison between wrestling and the
theater. The only actors who require the same physical skills as professional
wrestlers would be stunt actors. Whereas
an actor might have to worry about his physique in order to get a particular
part, it is not something he need worry about 24/7 as does every wrestler who
steps into a ring. Wrestlers work
every week sometimes more than once a week.
Actors have breaks between movies or theater performances. Wrestlers risk
more damage to their bodies constantly in order to provide
entertainment to an audience than any actor.
An actor who has been around for years will tell you
that his life is nothing like that of a professional wrestler.
There is no age limit for actors. Many
actors in their 70's and 80's are still very much active in the movie business.
If they were professional wrestlers chances are they would start to
falter during the mid 40's if not before. If
an actor hops off the wagon he can check himself into rehab and wait for the
next job offer. If a wrestler hops
off the wagon, it is much tougher for him to find work the next time around
simply because he lost time in the ring. A wrestler takes more hard hits to the
head than any actor and they do so much more often than any actor would have to
worry about.
And yes there is no doubt that Hollywood has now and has always had drug and alcohol problems. And yes I think they should be appropriately punished. The same goes for musicians. And politicians. I would like to see follow the same mandatory testing as any wrestling organization.
The Benoit tragedy touched where none of the other early
deaths of professional wrestlers have touched.
Is World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) the only organization at fault?
They are not. They happened
to have Chris Benoit on their roster working in their shows when he killed his
family and himself. Do I think WWE
should be held to a higher standard? On
many levels I do. To the best of my
knowledge they are the largest wrestling organization in the world.
They have the money and the ability to have the best possible
drug-testing program. If Chris
Benoit was popping pills and getting away with it while employed by WWE
there is obviously a problem with their drug-testing program that needs
to be addressed. WWE wrestlers
travel most of the year. WWE
wrestlers have schedules that are physically and mentally demanding.
Wrestling fans watching-- or
not watching weekly as the ratings seem to show – are
wondering who will be next.
Again I don’t believe drugs alone caused Chris Benoit
to do what he did. I do believe
they may have played a large part in his actions or reactions. It is something that should not have happened.
Tragedies of this magnitude have happened before but this was not the guy
in the next town who no one really knows…this was someone wrestling fans
watched every week for years. It makes what happened personal on many levels. And that
personal feeling has people clambering for reform.
Making drug-testing mandatory for any and all promotions
may seem impossible but I, for one, would gladly vote to put an end to the
premature deaths of wrestlers.
Reference Links ................
WATCHING TNA RISE TO THE TOP / A COMMENTARY BY SASSY
TNA Wrestling . Com
Wrestling Bodyslam . Com