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WWE Wrestles With Drugs, Lifestyle

Untimely deaths, widespread abuse appear to be linked

By Will McCahill, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 16, 2007 11:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – Chris Benoit's murder-suicide last June spotlighted the disproportionate number of early deaths among professional wrestlers; one activist has counted more than 60 dead before reaching 50 over the past 10 years. And a taxing, drug-addled lifestyle plays a big role.

The tough wrestling circuit is a breeding ground for hard drugs, the Washington Post reports. And despite denials from the WWE, steroids play a role in building the cartoon physiques now typical for wrestlers—and are linked to the heart issues that hasten the attraction's sleeper hold. Were this the NFL, one observer says, "someone would be asking some serious questions. Something would be done."

[Images (6)]

[Videos (2)]

World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon is interviewed on the NBC "Today" television program in New York, Thursday June 28, 2007. McMahon urged people not to assume that steroids played a role... (Associated Press)

This photo provided by World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., shows wrestler Brian "Crush" Adams posed on April 17, 2000. (AP Photo/WWE) (Associated Press)

Eddie Guerrero (right) calls out his opponent in this fan-taken photo. ((c) RJL20)

Chris Benoit appears at a Wrestlemania Press Conference In New York (Getty Images)

Longtime Benoit friend, Eddie Guerrero, died in 2005 from what may have been steroid-related heart complications. (Flick; Creative Commons)

This March 29, 2004 file photo provided by World Wrestling Entertainment shows Chris Benoit. (AP Photo/WWE, HO) (Associated Press)

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Brian Adams, seen with associates (including "Hulk" Hogan) in 1998. (Clique17 (YouTube))

A fan-tribute video satirically entitled "Who Gives a Damn About a Bunch of Dead Wrestlers?" brings the sheer volume of premature wrestling deaths to light. (slamtasm (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

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WWE Wrestles With Drugs, Lifestyle