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Kurt Angle’s arrest with HGH is another example of PEDs run amok in wrestling
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Professional wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle was arrested Saturday morning for possessing a human growth hormone and violating an order of protection.
The human growth hormone, Hygetropin, was found in his car along with a syringe. Angle told the police he had a prescription for the human growth hormone. Even if that’s accurate, does he really need to be driving around with a syringe and the drug in the car?
This is not Angle’s first link to PEDs. He was in violation of the WWE’s wellness policy for steroids (Deca-Durabolin) according to TNA Wrestling News.com. Angle was also linked with several other wrestlers obtaining PEDs through David Wilbirt, an Arizona doctor, who wrote 3,879 prescriptions between November 2004 and April 2005 for “patients” requesting drugs through the internet. Angle allegedly received two prescriptions for trenbolone (aka Fina) and one for nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin) between October 2004 and February '05. Wilbirt also provided HCG, the drug that Manny Ramirez tested positive for, and the steroid stanozolol (Winstrol) to the late wrestler Eddie Guerrero. Guerrero passed away from heart disease, complicated by an enlarged heart resulting from a history of anabolic steroid use. Wilbirt also allegedly issued prescriptions for the steroids nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin) and stanozolol (Winstrol) to Oscar Gutierrez, whose stage name is Rey Mysterio.
While the WWE has a Wellness Program that tests its performers four times a year, Total Nonstop Action, TNA, the company that Angle currently works for does not have a transparent program in place. It is understood that all of TNA’s performers are tested once a year and it has been speculated that the performers know when that test will be.
The WWE has also had more than 30 performers fail drug tests and recently started the practice of publicly identifying violators of their program. Excellent moves from a testing program that could financially hurt the company if several key performers are suspended.
Former wrestler, Andrew “Test” Martin passed away in March at the age of 33. When authorities searched his apartment, they found prescription drugs, including painkillers and steroids. His death was later ruled an accidental overdose of the pain killer Oxycodone.
In June 2007, wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and 7-year old son before killing himself. Investigators found prescription anabolic steroids in the house and at first thought the murder-suicide could have been explained by “roid-rage.” Unfortunately, the Benoit situation was not that simple. When his brain was examined, it had the make-up of an 85-year old man suffering from severe Alzheimer’s.
Pro wrestling has not only a PED problem, but a drug problem. Most of these recent deaths in addition to finding PEDs in the homes also found pain killers. Ideally the working conditions need to change where they are not getting hurt and the performers are allowed an adequate amount of time to heal from their injuries. Unlike other sports, pro wrestling has an unusual number of their former stars passing away at early ages. This could be explained by the fast lives they lead, the injuries or the drugs or a combination of the three.
Hopefully, Kurt Angle will learn from his latest transgression. If he still uses PEDs, don’t keep them in the car.
Rick Rockwell and Mark Satrang are Pro Wrestling Examiners and can be found here and here.
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