SI.com on Wrestling Issues

Sports Illustrated's Frank Deford has a recent commentary on professional wrestling. In his article he discusses the fact that professional wrestling most likely has the highest mortality rate of almost any profession.

From SI.com:

"If there is a profession in America with a higher mortality rate, I'd like to know. A professional wrestler probably has a greater chance of dying than a soldier posted to Iraq. But who cares? Who does anything about it?

Oh occasionally, as earlier this summer when the wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and son and then committed suicide, the death is so horrific that there is a momentary flurry of interest. But then it is quickly onto the next week's example of American ghoulishness. Who knows that in the seven weeks since the Benoit family massacre, three more wrestlers have died -- two aged 44, one 38. Drugs seem to have played a part in all three deaths.

The main reason for such indifference is that professional wrestling isn't considered a sport and is barely legislated. But, of course, unlike such other popular cable entertainments as poker and hot-dog eating, wrestling is a sport. No, not legitimate in the competitive sense, but it is certainly legitimate athletic exercise. It's grueling, all the moreso that the wrestlers are subjected to an arduous travel schedule."

Read the full SI.com story here.

Another point of note, while many say wrestling isn't a true sport, it is definitely a form of entertainment. Recently, drug problems have been all over the news, including the problems of stars such as Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton. Not that these female celebs are using steroids, but one could make a case that the celebrity life brings them a tremendous amount of pressure, through which drugs are an escape. When you combine that escape with steroids though, its a dangerous thing. Let's hope for a better future for the WWE after Congress has finished its investigations.