There is startling news just emerging that eleven pro wrestlers, many of whom work, or have worked for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, a publicly traded company) are involved in the rapidly widening steroid probe that has emerged from the 2006 raid on Applied, the Mobile, Al compounding pharmacy, one that has resulted in 20 criminal charges being filed. Some of the previous customers of this pharmacy alleged to have received steroids from them include boxer Evander Holyfield and baseball star Gary Matthews Jr.

Sports Illustrated has just placed a story on their web site that claims that a medical doctor from Arizona, David Wilbirt (whose right to practice is currently suspended in that state) prescribed steroids and human growth hormone (HgH) for the following current WWE performers: Adam Copeland (ring name: Edge), Shane Helms (The Hurricane, Gregory Helms), Oscar Gutierrez (Rey Mysterio), and Randy Orton, who was alleged to have received six different types of steroidal substances.

Former WWE wrestler Kurt Angle, who now works for TNA Wrestling, and most troubling of all, the deceased Eddie Guerrero, whose death two years ago was attributed by a coroner's report to have been the product of heart disease cause by steroid use, were other patients of Wilbert that received prescriptions for steroids.

The issue of steroids is nothing new in professional wrestling. One of the most famous stars of the modern era of this form of entertainment, Hulk Hogan (real name: Terry Bollea) in the early '90's admitted to a grand jury that he had used the drugs for many years. His admission was one of the few, but it was a poorly-guarded secret that most in the business were using them on a more-or-less regular basis.

Since then, with federal laws tightening on the illegal use, or even the inappropriately prescribed use of the muscle-building agents, WWE has instituted a wellness policy that involves testing for steroids, but the results of that are kept confidential, and as a result no one can say for sure if any action is taken. To compound that dilemma, there is no testing available for HgH so of course there could be no punitive action for its use.

This story is still developing, and its tentacles could reach to very high places and wrap many other pro wrestlers into the judicial arena where their body slams and bear hugs will have no effect.

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