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WWE and steroids - a brewing scandal?

So much has been said in the media since June 25th of last year, when professional wrestler Christopher Michael Benoit committed a heinous act of murder-suicide in the home, due to having ten times the normal level of synthetically produced testosterone in his system at the time of the toxicology reports. For over two decades, professional wrestlers have been prescribed Human Growth Hormone in large quantities to help them acquire the perceived "look" which is necessary to be a professional wrestler.

According to Wikipedia - In the Controlled Substances Act, anabolic steroids are defined to be any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone that promote muscle growth. This definition shows that the sole reason that professional wrestlers are prescribed anabolic steroids are with the intention of promoting muscle growth. The increasing rate of steroid use within the business since the 80's closely mirrors another change in the industry over the same period, the Vincent Kennedy McMahon led transitioning of professional wrestling into sports entertainment.

Professional wrestling, as promoted by Vincent James McMahon and others regionally between 1950 and 1984, was a very different world to the modern-day television product such as RAW is WAR that we seen emerge in the cable television era. The wrestling business had a strong focus around athletic, in-ring competition, and the sole intention of the promoter was to book good wrestling matches. Cards would consist, for the most part, solely of bell-to-bell wrestling, and there would be very little other content. The main revenue streams for the business then was based on gate receipts at the arena shows, and a percentage of advertising revenue from syndicated regional networks running taped television shows. The focus on a performer's ability in the ring, and the moves and holds they could execute and sell, meant that these performers did not need to have a large muscle mass or bodybuilder-like physique to get over with the fans and have good wrestling matches. These were the days when professional wrestling was about the wrestling. And then, in May 1984, Vincent James McMahon sadly passed away; leaving his son Vincent Kennedy McMahon to assume full control of the Worldwide Wrestling Federation without any guidance or advice. The wrestling world was about to be changed forever by ruthless business tactics and a grandiose vision.
Even though control of the company had


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