I really hate witch hunts. Whether they are originated by Congress in an effort to improve their ever declining approval ratings, or by the press also attempting to improve their ratings, they are just as pointless and frustrating.

Steroids in sports have being a staple of this subculture since they were proven to enhance performance.

Several bodybuilders have being found guilty of murder because of "roid rage" or the hyper enhancement of violent behavior or reactions caused by an artificial spike in testosterone in the body of the athlete.

Wrestling is an interesting phenomenon. I've been an avid fan since I was a teenager in Puerto Rico, even before Ric Flair started his everlasting career and when Jose Lotario, Shawn Michael's coach, mentor, and trainer was a wrestling star. I remember Dean Malenko's dad, the great Malenko, winning championships.

The real scandal in the wrestling industry is not the rampant use of steroids, but the extremes that the athletes are subjected in order to impress an ever blood thirsty public. Barb wire matches, cage fights, street fights, have being around since I can remember. But you have to ask yourself, why are human beings hit in the head with a baseball bat wrapped in barb wire?

We all know that it is called sports entertainment for a reason. Wrestling has been labeled as fake since I was a kid; suffice to say that is a long time ago. But the athleticism that is required of these human beings is beyond comprehension. No other athlete has to be a brawler and a gymnast at the same time. And some of the stunts pulled by these men and women do defy common sense and their safety. Broken bones, fracture necks, paralyzed so called superstars are common.

Many of these athletes do not reach advance age. They die because of enlarged hearts, or many other maladies associated with the abuse to their bodies and yes, also steroid use.

In order to continue performing at the same level of intensity, these actors usually become addicted to painkillers. Steroid prescriptions are a need for their bodies to mend. Unfortunately, they are needed so often that it becomes another addiction, just as alcohol, painkillers, or other so called social drugs.

I am not trying to justify the culture. Personally, I admire the athleticism. But I do not enjoy the so called hard core matches. You can only be hit in the head so many times before you suffer brain damage. Trust me, it is not pleasant. As a martial artist, I have been hit in the head before; but not as often as these wrestlers.

If there is some scandal brewing, it should be about the morality of having people cut each other for the entertainment of other human beings. A fight is a fight, but some these matches are so over the top, that it becomes repugnant even to an old warhorse like me.

Learn more about this author, Jose A. Colon Rivera.
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