4 reasons why PEDs could be allowed in the WWE

Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit – The unintentional poster-boys among many, for steroid related deaths in WWESteroids or PEDs (performance -enhancing drugs) have long been a contentious topic in sports and with the discovery of the far-spread penetration of the drug-culture within most sports, ranging from cycling to weight-lifting to athletics, it has also become a subject of a lot of research and study. But one thing that all studies have been able to conclude on is that.....it works! Yes, the term PED is called so for a reason and for the most part, lives up to its moniker.Professional wrestling and steroids have long been associated with each other and whil the veil had been lowered for the longest time, the steroid bust-up of the WWE in the early 90s’ and the increased scrutiny following the Chris Benoit murder/homicide case means that the dark shadow has been cast and it refuses to go away any time soon.However, as is the case with the usage of any drug, when in controlled circumstances, PEDs too can continue to have its place within the blurred confines of sports-entertainment. We take a look at 4 compelling reasons why:

#1 It\'s showbiz and not a competitive sport

The Rock bulked up for a movie

The most obvious and logical argument in favour of PEDs being banned in competitive sport is the need for the athletes to test their mettle on an ‘even playing field’. If not banned, the PED usage can create a skewed base which will mean not every athlete/competitor starts off at the same point.

However, the workings within professional wrestling isn’t the same as any sport. As action-packed as a WWE show can be, the action isn’t real and neither are the performers competing against each other for real. The results are predetermined and the concept of an ‘even playing field’ doesn’t apply.

Would Hollywood ever be tested for steroid usage? The answer is NO and so should be the case with Sports-Entertainment’.

#2 Helps the performers

Hall has confessed to his dependency on painkillers and muscle relaxants

It is a well-known fact that the life of a pro-wrestler is tough and demanding and with the gruelling travel schedule and the lack of proper training and nutrition for the most part on the road, the average shelf-life of a wrestler can be way shorter than it needs to be. And to top that, the wrestling industry doesn’t have an off-season wherein the knackered performers can rest up before getting on the road again.

PEDs are known to aid athletes with their recovery wherein the time required to come back from an injury can get much shorter if the injured athlete is on PEDs. With an industry that has been as long around as pro-wrestling, the performers are still not unionised and in a profession that requires your body to be your currency, the wrestlers could do with all the help they can get

#3 Will give the fans a better show

The cartoon era of WWE featured larger-than-life characters

Let’s face it....If we let go off the misconceptions about performers on steroids that cloud our judgement, we just want to be entertained by the most action-packed and chaotic show like was the norm in the most profitable period of the WWE – The Attitude Era.

It was during this era that the product was the most testosterone-filled, and the performers were all big, looked like characters and the show was unflinchingly entertaining. However, all records indicate that it was also the time the ‘drug-testing program’, implemented after the early 90s scandal, was the most lax.

So, if you could put 2 plus 2 together, you know why the so-called PG era hasn’t been able to replicate the kind of success seen during the ‘Attitude Era’.

#4 Makes the process transparent and safe

Randy Orton has violated the WWE Wellness policy twice

While all the previous reasons addressed the benefits of PED usage in a performance sport such as pro-wrestling, let’s not forget the most prime issue at hand here that stands in the way of legalising the use of steroids – health of the performers.

In no way, shape or form can one ignore the overwhelming number of deaths related, directly or indirectly, to steroid usage among wrestlers. However, deeper research into the same would show that the ones who had their battles with PEDs were the ones whose usage was rampant and uncontrolled for the most part.

The current wellness policy implemented by the WWE in 2007 has been stringent and nowhere has the effects of the policy been more clear than the sudden shrinkage of size of the wrestlers., However, there have been many a bust-up of many big names, such as Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy and others which indicates that the possibility of these PEDs completely vanishing from the sport to be next to nil.

However, with the expert team of medical care available in the WWE at all times, given the positives of controlled usage of the PEDs, an argument can be made about the transparency of the drug usage being a more realistic option for the wrestling industry as a whole.