The steroid trial that rocked WWE in the early 90s left Vince McMahon shellshocked and the company on the verge of implosion, but almost 30 years on, has the lesson really been learned?
Of course, the advent of the Wellness Policy has seen many Superstars clean up their act since and with all the social outreach programs that are fuelled by the WWE, the company has no other choice but to produce a clean bill when it comes to taboo subjects such as steroids.
But beneath all the political correctness on show, we do have a feeling that not every WWE Superstar is entirely natural. And while we, obviously, can’t tell for sure and are unwilling to point an incriminating finger with certainty, here are 5 of them who we have an inkling, could be on the ‘juice;.
Jinder Mahal
Let’s start off with the most obvious one.
Being catapulted from a jobber to number one contender for the WWE Championship is not the only transformation that Jinder Mahal has undergone of late *wink wink* All jokes aside, it is refreshing to see the WWE change up their modus operandi and push someone like him into the main event picture.
He’s a classic heel in the way that he plays off nationalistic sentiments pretty well, and with his newly acquired spectacular physique, he could be booked as a legitimate threat to the top babyfaces of SmackDown Live.
Don’t hinder Jinder! With that kind of flex though, I honestly don’t see many people trying.
Triple H
Okay now. I agree wholeheartedly that Triple H is awesome.
He is the mastermind behind NXT, he engineered the massive push that Indie darlings have received in the company of late, he could wrestle a great match even with a broomstick and he looks like million bucks every year at WrestleMania although he only wrestles...well...once a year!
Yes, the midnight workout sessions with Stephanie McMahon are the stuff of legend and we understand that he busts his bottom to stay in shape. But still. Maintaining that kind of physique year after year – for just one day – without dropping off?
Fishy much?
Titus O’Neil
We now turn our attentions to the most marketable brand in the WWE today – The Titus brand.
Seriously, the man should start marketing “body care” products, because whatever he uses has him looking like a beast.
Unfortunately for Titus, while his rippling physique probably endeared him to Vince McMahon, catching the boss in a bear hug-ish embrace didn’t, and whatever semblance of a push he was receiving was cut short after that.
Nowadays he panders his brand to another Superstar treading water in the main roster, and our next entrant on this list, Apollo Crews!
Apollo Crews
Apollo Crews ticks most boxes in Vince McMahon’s checklist for being a star in the WWE. He’s got the look, he’s athletic, he’s got the look, he’s incredibly agile and able in the ring and most importantly, he’s got the look.
See what I did there?
So it is a little surprising that Apollo Crews hasn’t set the world on fire after being called up from NXT. The think tank seems to have soured on him and he really isn’t helping himself with the largely forgettable segments that he seems to enact on TV anyway.
But you never know. Someday, Apollo Crews may get a mega push and find himself standing on the cusp of a title shot like Jinder Mahal.
After all, he’s got the look.
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar himself said – when quizzed by a reporter on possible steroid usage in the lead up to UFC 200 – that ‘I’m a jacked up white boy, deal with it’. Like really. He said it himself, without any provocation.
People nervously chuckled it off then, thinking it was a joke, but when the USADA tests results came back after the event, it was confirmed that Lesnar had popped for PEDs (performance enhancing drugs).
Not really that surprisingly, really. CM Punk’s debacle against Mickey Gall should have informed you just how hard it is to flirt around with MMA...but Brock Lesnar just waltzed back into the Octagon after 4 years away, and manhandled a top 10 heavyweight.
Go figure.
Vince McMahon
He’s 71 years old, and if multiple reports are true, he outworks people half his age in the gym. Vince McMahon’s drive, passion and intensity have been unparalleled, and he is the single most important reason why the WWE is a global pro-wrestling powerhouse today.
Sure, a group of fans would never be satisfied with what he does, but overall, it’s very hard to underplay McMahon’s hand in making pro-wrestling such a widespread phenomenon.
But despite his work ethic and dedication, it’s not that easy to explain away how a 63-year-old man wrestled a WrestleMania match or how, even at that age, he still looked more ripped and chiselled than most of his employees.
Since then, he’s toned down his in-ring involvement, but make of it what you will that he still looks buff as ever when most others his age would be struggling to get out of bed, much less wrestle a match.
