Jul 24, 2007 2 min read

Being a fan of professional wrestling since I was about 5 years old and have idolized some of the wrestlers over the years, like “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino, who’s always been my favorite. When I was younger, I used to hang pictures of wrestlers on my bedroom wall and dreamed of one day becoming a wrestler myself, but now at the age of 40, I now realize that was just a childhood dream, just like wanting to be a fireman or a police officer and such. Wrestling today isn’t quite what it used to be. Gone are the days of just lacing up your boots and getting into the ring. Now, it’s like a three-ring circus and Vincent K. McMahon is the ringleader and every match is scripted.

In the past decade, over 100 wrestlers died at the age of 40 or even younger. Most of these wrestlers abused steroids as well as other recreational drugs. Wrestlers don’t have health insurance, life insurance, a union or even a retirement plan. When they reach the age where they’re no longer able to compete with the younger, more muscular wrestlers, Vincent K. McMahon just sort of kicks them to the curb, like a bag of garbage.

Most of these wrestlers don’t have any other work skills because they trained all their lives just to be wrestlers. When they’re out of work they become depressed, and the wear and tear on their bodies caused by years of abusing steroids, as well as other recreational drugs, just to stay in the game, is a real sad situation.

This situation must be addressed before another tragic death occurs. I applaud people like Bruno Sammartino, “Superstar” Billy Graham and Marc Mero for having the guts to stand up and demand that there be better testing for steroids or any other drugs in this sport. They’re human beings, just like the rest of us, so come on, Vincent K. McMahon, let’s do something about it before another wrestler tragically dies.

Michael Allen Greer

Uniontown