Wrestling is known to be one of the most physical and dangerous forms of entertainment around. Wrestling has evolved from the classic hometown house shows to an international form of multimedia entertainment. That being said, the wrestling business has also been involved in several controversies. We’re not talking about specific controversies like the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” but more on general controversies. These controversies have revolved around the wrestling world and people who are familiar and faithful to the business are aware of these. Despite the existence of these controversies, the fans pay little to no attention to them as the entertainment factor is what they’re really after.
1. Personal Agendas
Just like any other business, the wrestling world is filled with people who have their own personal agendas and self-interests. Wrestlers for example would claw and scratch their way to the top for their own personal gain. There would even be wrestlers that would subtly injure other wrestlers just to get ahead of the pack. Personal agendas aren’t just limited to wrestlers as anyone involved in the business can have their own agendas.
The booker for one can push a specific wrestler not for the financial gain but perhaps for his own selfish gain. Personal agendas rarely have an impact on the business as the final say still boils down to the boss. It’s just worth noting that in a competitive business like wrestling, personal agendas would never be gone.
2. Backstage Politics
Backstage politics or simply politics is a term used in the wrestling business where wrestlers do behind the scenes and under-the-table negotiations. This happens when a wrestler talks or persuades the booker to push him aside from anyone else. The process involves the wrestler getting a huge portion of the limelight driving all attention towards him. The political system can also be viewed as a way to bury another wrestler. This means that the wrestler being buried would get their wrestling time or air time diminished. This could also mean that the wrestler could also be forced to lose all of his matches for a long period of time.
If push comes to shove, injuring another wrestler is one of their most extreme moves. Then again sometimes sabotaging another wrestler’s performance to make them look bad can also be a simple idea. Backstage politics is something that a lot of fans are familiar with but they’re just not sure who does these activities.
3. Drug-Related Abuse and Deaths
Drugs aren’t new to the wrestling world or as a matter of fact in the entertainment industry. Wrestlers are just like some professional athletes that are required to take interval and timely tests. Then again for some small-town or local wrestling promotions, drug testing more relies on tests rather than the booker or organizer doing the said activity. Drug abuse in the wrestling world leads to poor in-ring performance either verbally or physically.
There are some cases where wrestlers outside the ring die with drug abuse then these are usually related to their wrestling profession. Just because they died of drug abuse doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s related to the wrestling world. Then again that’s the usual analysis but sometimes never really true.
4. In-Ring Deaths
The wrestling business is a very physically competitive business that would also result in some accidents, injuries, and even deaths. Injuries are always abundant in the wrestling world resulting in some wrestlers getting shelved for months or even ending their careers. Career-ending is actually better than losing one’s life. There have been several notable in-ring wrestling deaths but these deaths are due to abnormal circumstances or extreme conditions.
There isn’t a wrestler that died due to a simple and ordinary match. They die with extreme kinds of matches or death-defying acts. One of the most infamous in ring deaths was involved with Owen Hart. The incident talked about how Owen allegedly fell off a stunt where he was supposed to descend from the arena at a high peak.
5. Steroid Use
The use of steroids is banned and illegal in the world of professional athletes and sports. In the world of wrestling, steroids are caught in the middle. The use of steroids doesn’t necessarily merit any legal consequences except for the expulsion of the said competition. The wrestling business has different views on steroid use since they pride themselves on entertainment rather than professional competition. Big-time wrestling promotions have been on the No side with steroid use. Some of them administer monthly drug tests to check if their wrestlers are using any type of steroids.
It seems that steroid use is the most popular controversy involved in the wrestling world. It’s too well known that hard-working wrestlers that have been shelved or making a debut are often criticized for their bulky physique. They are believed to be taking steroids when they’re actually just good bodybuilders.
Wrestling isn’t just about the style or the performance but also all about intrigues and controversies. Controversies and a brand of entertainment always go hand in hand. It seems that the fans tend not to focus much on these controversies but rather on the entertainment factor that they get.