The Real World of Vince McMahon and the WWE

Some thoughts about the state of professional wrestling:

I was a professional wrestler for 22 years. I worked extensively in the Canadian Circuit, and was originally trained by the late Dave "Wildman" McKigney (who was my neighbor on Mulock Sideroad in Newmarket, Ontario).

I was there when the Dynamite Kid first came to Canada, and was shocked at his meager size... he sure didn't look as though he fit in with the big boys of Stampede Wrestling.

Boy how things changed.

It wasn't long before the Kid was a behemoth with veins popping everywhere. And you couldn't blame him. I've watched plenty of small men over the years bulk up to be on par with their counterparts and heroes.

If you want a shot at the big time, you've got to be big.

You've also got to give yourself to your work. If you're full-timer, you're on the road most of the year. You have very little time for your family, much less your training program. 

That's how steroids enter the picture. 

You're only on salary when you're working, so you also turn to painkillers and uppers to stay active. It's a deadly cocktail. Steroids increase muscle mass, and your heart is a muscle...now add drugs like cocaine that increase heart rate and poof: gone. 

Pro wrestling officials love to downplay the number of premature deaths due to steroid use, but the truth is that even ten, even one, would be far too many.  

No performer's life should be at risk in what was and still is a wonderful entertainment sport. I for one would support a stiff inquiry into premature deaths dating back to 1985. 

The solution, by the way, isn't a complicated one: If the time demands in pro wrestling were less stringent, competitors would have more opportunity to pursue natural training programs and less need for steroids. If wrestlers were compensated for injuries and rehab work, there'd be a reduced incidence of painkiller abuse.

God knows the business is tough on the body... I have a bad back and two bad knees as souvenirs. I was fortunate in that my large frame made steroids unnecessary, but painkillers (and lots of them) were a way of life starting in my tenth year. 

I can remember times after matches when it was all I could do to get out of the ring area, away from the fans...and then literally drop to my knees and crawl on all fours to the dressing room, because it just plain hurt too much to stand.

Painkillers were what got me through: what helped me sleep at night and got me ready to get in the ring the next day.

It wasn't a pretty picture.

Don't get me wrong, I loved making the fans happy. It was satisfying work. And the satisfaction is what clouded my understanding of what I was actually doing to myself.

I see these little guys killing themselves on the smaller traveling circuits and I just shake my head. They too will fall prey to the pressure and it saddens me.

Anyone who contradicts this line of thinking is undoubtedly still in the business, still drawing that guaranteed salary, still behind that dark wall. Given the monopoly nature of pro wrestling, performers can't be honest for fear of losing their jobs.  I give kudos to those former stars who've had the courage to speak up about the truth.

The Sport Entertainment Business is a long way from where it used to be, and I've lost respect for the WWE during Vince McMahon's tenure. In fact, I stopped watching the day Vince scripted his son Shane to hit his mother in the ring. When 70 percent of your audience consists of kids and adolescents...where's your sense of responsibility? Where are the family values?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg with McMahon.

My advice to aspiring WWE Superstars: Take up acting, you'll live longer and hurt less. Plus, it'll make your job easier. In the squared circle, you've got to wear three occupational hats: actor, athlete, and stuntman.

Oh, and don't let them fool you. Size really does matter.