< Continued from page 2
Extreme physical wear and tear such as the type professional wrestlers endure can cause a myriad of health problems, not the least of which are an addiction to painkillers and serious head trauma. Painkiller addiction is as prominent in professional wrestling as steroid abuse and its side effects are equally as harmful. Many of the wrestlers in the aforementioned scrolling list were found to have painkilling medication in their systems at the time of their deaths.

Head trauma is commonplace among wrestlers for obvious reasons. Boots, fists, and turnbuckles regularly come in contact with wrestler’s noggins during a match. On some occasions harder objects bang into the cranium such as a ring post, the above mentioned folding chair, and even the timekeepers bell! While these collisions to the head are supposed to be staged, many head shots hit there mark due to mistakes in timing or in the name of making the action seem real. There has been some speculation that repeated concussions contributed to Chris Benoit’s state of mind prior to the double murder/suicide at his Atlanta area home.
Competitive Stress

It goes without saying that all professional sports and money making entertainment endeavors are extremely competitive. However, I would argue that no profession holds a candle to wrestling in terms of competition. Since the territory system dissolved some years back, wrestlers have had very limited opportunities to work for substantial pay. The WWE dominates the business in monopoly like fashion, with the only other semi-major promotion being TNA.

This is a far cry from 25 years ago when numerous successful major and minor promotions spanned North America and the Far East, giving wrestling performers ample opportunities to work regularly. If a wrestler was released by a promotion or just felt it was time to leave a territory there were many places he could land and make a solid living. Obviously this is not the case anymore. Think of it as if the NFL suddenly cut 85% of its franchises, forcing the released players to vie for spots on the remaining 15% of the teams-who, by the way, already had full and talented rosters.

A certain amount of competitive stress is good. It can encourage hard work and keep one on his toes. Too much, such as occurs in today’s wrestling business, causes, in my opinion, nothing but problems. First and foremost, it influences wrestlers to do everything humanly possible to increase their chances of success. This, of course, can lead to steroid and other “performance enhancement” drug abuse. It also tempts performers to take unnecessary chances in the ring to get the attention of promoters and fans. The bottom line is that without options most wrestlers feel the need to go the extra mile at all times in all ways. This, as we’ve seen, can lead to tragedy.

The Realities and Temptations of the Road

Remaining healthy and sane while engaging in the professional wrestling lifestyle is challenging proposition to say the least. Even the most level headed and disciplined of performers often succumbs to the pressures, demands, and temptations of the wrestling circuit. Living out of a suitcase, as most wrestlers do on a year-round basis, creates numerous pitfalls and potential problems. The late nights can (and often do) lead to alcohol and recreational drug abuse. The hotel bar is often the only place other than the locker room for wrestlers to socialize on tour. As such, on most nights drinks (and stronger potions) tend to flow freely well after midnight. Uneven sleep patterns encourage the use of sedatives to wind down and uppers to get the tired body going. Other event intensive sports, most notably baseball, have had their share of problems with stimulant abuse. However, because of the exclusive late night nature of the wrestling (even baseball has its fair share of day and early evening games), the mat competitors are most susceptible. The road has a way of breaking up marriages and families, which, of course, begets loneliness and depression. The list of professional wrestler divorces would fill the length of this article and then some. In fact, on a per capita basis the wrestling business competes favorably with Hollywood on divorce front. Celebrity status, which many wrestlers certainly possess today, present numerous other temptations, not to mention an element of undesirable hangers on. Throw in the fact that even if some wrestlers don’t qualify as “celebrities” their size and physical presence can make them targets for attention, both positive and negative. There is also peer pressure among wrestlers to “hang out” and enjoy the fruits of their success on the road. And who can blame them? As mentioned, these performers endure tremendous physical punishment night after night and most have had to work extremely hard to get were they are in the ultra-competitive profession. It is no surprise then that many wrestlers choose to live the high life once the matches conclude for the evening.