Wrestling Journalist Meltzer: WWE Medical Director’s Quote Is ‘Mind-Boggling’

Here’s Dave Meltzer (at his daily update at wrestlingobserver.com) on today’s Hartford  Courant story:

In a quote that I felt to be mind boggling, Dr. Joseph Maroon, the WWE Medical Director, said  “We have no talent now on steroids.”  There is absolutely no way anyone can say that given someone with money with access to designer steroids can take stuff that will get through testing.  That would be as preposterous as someone saying that in any sport, well, actually more, because steroids are still more of a part of the wrestling culture than most sports.  And that doesn’t address other PEDs that aren’t and in some cases can’t be tested for.  It was interesting because Carlos Colon, a WWE business partner, whose son wrestles for the company, said, “Painkillers are somewhat of a necessary evil for pro wrestlers because of the pain and constant travel.”  I can guarantee they were not happy about that quote today.

Linda McMahon (Or, At Least, Her Husband Vince) Loses It

Even while acknowledging that World Wrestling Entertainment makes half of a valid point about partisan hypocrisy — I’ve made the point myself — this new one on the WWE website shows a company (and the campaign it is not so subtly backing) whose wheels are coming off:

“Politicians embrace WWE”

http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/politiciansembracewwe

 

Irv Muchnick

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s Linda McMahon Attack Ad

And then there are days when you can just sit back in your rocking chair because the message has finally gotten through….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBv3mUXM8aM

Linda McMahon at the Precipice

Ted Mann of the New London Day gets it right across the board in his  blog post “A rough morning for McMahon,” http://www.theday.com/article/20101014/INTERACT010403/101019836.

Deaths in Linda McMahon’s Pro Wrestling Industry Do Not = Steroids. The Death Pandemic Is ‘Steroids-Plus’

Daniela Altimari has a good story in today’s Hartford Courant on the drug problem in pro wrestling. See “Substance Abuse In WWE Dogs Linda McMahon’s Senate Run,” http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctsen-wwe-wrestlers-20101012,0,2547989.story.

The best quote in the article is from James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch: “”Steroids were kind of an ’80s and early ’90s thing, and they became an issue again in the late ’90s when WWE had no testing. But it’s just a buzz word now. It’s how a lot of people describe all of the health issues within the WWE.”

Every time I think I’m being too hard on World Wrestling Entertainment’s medical director, Joseph Maroon, the good doctor makes an ass of himself again with his public statements. Maroon actually tries to get reporter Altimari  to put across the idea that the company has all but eliminated steroids with its PR-oriented “wellness policy.”

Maroon also touts the policy’s recent addition of somas, a muscle relaxer, to the banned substance list. What a joke. Many wrestlers have been hooked on somas for years … decades. It’s one of those prescription drugs that are also party drugs. The death of at least one WWE performer, known as “Louie Spiccoli,” is attributable to a soma overdose. The reason somas just got banned involves the recent wacko behavior (including wacko video blogs) of wrestler Matt Hardy.

Irv Muchnick

Muchnick YouTube Channel’s Greatest Hits

Irvin Muchnick Confronts Wrestling Legend Bret Hart (CNN’s Nancy Grace, 6/29/07 – 13,727 views): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXmw7Fmhwgg

Irvin Muchnick Discusses Linda McMahon and Death in Wrestling on WTNH (news report by Mark Davis, 3/23/10 – 536 views): http://www.youtube.com/wrestlingbabylon#p/u/0/GHWU1eBJgyk

Irvin Muchnick Discusses Benoit on KRON 4 Evening News 10-4-09 (interview by Gary Radnich – 1,134 views): http://www.youtube.com/wrestlingbabylon#p/a/u/1/hGuVVszpep4

Irvin Muchnick on French TV’s “L’Effet Papillon” (France’s Canal+ network, 5/25/08; script text translation at http://muchnick.net/FrenchScript.pdf — 779 views): http://www.youtube.com/wrestlingbabylon#p/u/18/0KDqolTYGY8

Irvin Muchnick on “The O’Reilly Factor” (6/27/07 – 1,376 views): http://www.youtube.com/wrestlingbabylon#p/u/25/asTdiVWf4gM