Steroid Scandal linked to WWE superstars, By: Roger Ealey
It's one week before the biggest show of the year for the WWE, and the headlines this week are on the other end of the spectrum from Wrestlemania 23.
The talk this week is about the Sports Illustrated article about 11 pro wrestlers and several other big-name athletes being linked to a steroid scandal. That story was picked up by the mainstream media this week, and the Associated Press ran it throughout the country.
The story itself has been there for sometime; however, the timing could not have been worse for Titan to have it hit the newsstands 10 days before your Super Bowl event. Randy Orton, Edge, Shane Helms, Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle and the late Eddie Guerrero were all named in the story.
The WWE released a statement saying that these allegations, which date back several years, all came before the WWE instituted its wellness policy last year. While it appears that Titan is treating it as a non-story, it will be interesting to see how the story is accepted among fans.
Something to watch from this is the fact that Mysterio, who is currently injured, is moving toward the end of his current contract, and it is widely believed that he will resign with Titan. It will bear watching to see if anything changes through this report.
The site of next year's Wrestlemania was announced this week. It will be held on March 28, 2008 in Orlando, Fla., at the Citrus Bowl stadium. The event is expected to pump more than 25 million dollars into the central Florida economy. Ticket sales will be announced in a few weeks, and if you need directions just ask any Tennessee Football fan. Sorry about that; Steve Spurrier made me do it.
Monday night RAW will return to Nashville on April 30, which is the night after Backlash. The show will be at the Nashville Arena at Tickets went on sale for that show yesterday. Prices range from $20-70.
Lillian Garcia was injured again last weekend. This time she injured her knee in a skiing accident in Vermont. She missed RAW last week and was to have an MRI at the end of last week.
Finally, on the entertainment section, Mick Foley debuted at No. 7 on the New York Times best-seller list for his book Hardcore Diaries. That is on the non-fiction list. Also, the WWE is producing its next movie, which will star Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Dave Batista and Bobby Lashley. The project will take awhile, as release is not expected until 2009.
