5 Drug scandals that WWE want you to forget
Drug use and abuse in pro wrestling goes back to at least to the 70’s. Like other promotions, WWE’s locker room wasn’t averse from the use of illegal substances.
WWE is a PG product now, a far cry from their heyday in 80’s and 90’s, and geared towards family audiences more than adults. A section of WWE’s audience will be shocked to read the history of steroid and recreational drug abuse backstage in the current era of the Wellness Policy.
With WWE being an all-out family friendly product now, there are some shocking stories of drug abuse in the WWE, that Vince doesn’t fans to know about or remember. In this article, we take a look at 5 such drug scandals that left a lasting effect on the WWE.
Also Read: 6 PR disasters WWE wants you to forget
5: The 1994 steroid trials
Let’s get to the most famous one out of the way first – the 1994 steroid trials. In 1993 Vincent Kennedy McMahon was accused by the US government of distributing steroids amongst his wrestlers. The litigation was filed following the arrest of George Zahorian earlier that year.
The case went to trial in 1994 with Vince wearing a neck brace in order to get sympathy. Vince was eventually acquitted of all charges after the prosecution’s star witness Hulk Hogan said that Vince had never asked him to take or sold him steroids.
Even though WWE promised to clean up its act after the trials, they once again turned a blind eye during the Monday Night Wars.