Steroids are probably the primary argument that a non-wrestling fan brings in when he or she is debating about “How fake wrestling is”. It is a valid argument indeed but not all the wrestlers are running on drugs. There is a fine line between the superstars who used steroids and the ones who didn’t, making it necessary to set the two categories apart.This, however, is easier said than done. Most of the fans out there wouldn’t be aware about who used and who didn’t so let’s make the process easier shall we? So, here is a look at some of the WWE superstars who positively did steroids during their career. Brace yourselves because there are some surprising names in there.
#10 Edge
We are going to start with probably the most surprising superstar on the list which is Adam Copeland aka Edge. Edge never had the big body or impressive physique that most of the other superstars in the list had but he did take steroids. Edge admitted the usage back in 2005 on TSN’s Off The Record with Michael Landsberg.
It came across as a big shock to all the WWE fans and Edge defended his side by saying that it was just experimental. He claimed that he wanted to check whether he would recover faster with the steroid use. That claim, however, proved to be a lie in 2007 when he was reported to have received growth hormones and steroids.
#9 Umaga
Eddie Fatu is known around the wrestling business for two things. Firstly for being part of the legendary Anoa’I family and secondly for the run he had in WWE as Umaga. Both of these reasons are something that anyone would be proud of but Eddie had his bad days as well.
He was one of those wrestlers who came under the scanner for steroid use in 2007 when Sports Illustrated claimed that he had received drugs from a pharmacy. He was found guilty once again in 2009 and WWE decided to release him soon after. Eddie died due to acute toxicity soon after and it was one of the after effects of the intensive drug usage.
#8 William Regal
William Regal is not a name that will not come out every time we take about steroid usage in wrestling. He is one of the most respected and underrated superstars in the company on any day and despite all these, Regal is known for using steroids.
Regal revealed the same in his autobiography and also mentioned that he overcame the addiction with a great deal of effort. His drug usage came in the 2004 - 2006 period and somatropin, stanozolol, Genotropin, and anastrozole were some of the drugs that he used.
Regal still remains as an inspirational figure in the business and impart his knowledge to the NXT superstars these days.
#7 John Morrison
WWE will look back at John Morrison as a missed chance. He had every resource to make it big in the wrestling business but since he didn’t get the right booking decisions, Morrison soon faded off in the crowd. He is still in the wrestling business with Lucha Underground and looking back, Morrison was also subjected to some steroid usage.
There were reports that he received drugs from 2006 to 2007 and it might be one of the reasons for his well-toned physique. Testosterone and stanozolol were the prominent drugs he received during the period and though he has never been reported again, we never know.
#6 Randy Orton
Randy Orton, being a third generation superstar was expected to understand all the traps in the wrestling business. Orton, however, failed to meet those expectations and was tested positive for steroids on various occasions.
The first blow for Orton came in 2007 when Sports Illustrated released a list of WWE superstars who received steroids from a pharmacy. Orton was one of the prominent names in the list and according to the article; he used drugs for three whole years. The Viper didn’t face many problems for the next five years but he was once again in the headlines in 2012.
WWE suspended him for steroid usage in the year and though any other superstars would have been fired on spot, since it was Orton, he got a toned down punishment.
#5 The Ultimate Warrior
Ever wondered what the reason for WWE’s strained relationship with Ultimate Warrior in the past? It is believed that Warriors steroid use was the reason for this and it was also the same usage which got him fired from the company. Vince McMahon claimed that Warrior experiments with growth hormones were the reason but the steroid use was another big factor.
Warrior later admitted about his steroid usage in the court and many interviews. Since he had one of the most iconic bodies in the business, almost everyone assumed about his steroid usages so it wasn’t a big surprise when the cat finally came out of the hat (or was it the rabbit that came out of that hat?).
#4 Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero’s inclusion in the list is no big surprise. The WWE fans are well aware about his struggles with the daemons. He had an addiction to alcohol and drugs at one point of his career but soon found the right path thanks to his family and friends.
The past however came back to haunt Guerrero and he died in his hotel room in 2005 due to acute heart failure. The reason for the failure was pointed out as the enlargement of his heart which was caused due to steroid usage. It was Guerrero’s death that forced WWE to come up with drug testing for the superstars and the system still serves its purpose well in the company.
#3 Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon still has one of the most ripped bodies in the company right now and even though we don’t know whether it’s the effects of steroids or not, he did use the drugs back in the 80s. He admitted the same in a federal court trial in 1993 but never came in the news again.
WWE has a strict no drug policy at the moment and since Vince made the system, we cannot be completely sure about whether skips the tests or not. It is a question that is worth scratching your head for and the truth might remain hidden forever unless some big mess up happens in the wrestling business.
#2 Chris Benoit
There are no introductions needed here as Chris Benoit is quite arguably the most tragic story to come out of the wrestler- steroid combination. He started off his career by travelling around the world and soon became a respected name in the wrestling business.
However, all that came crashing down when he was involved in the double murder suicide of his family back in 2007. Benoit had high levels of testosterone in his toxicology report which is an indication of the steroid use. He was also a regular user of painkillers, which soon morphed into an addiction and made his brain resemble that of an 80-year-old Alzheimer’s patient.
#1 Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan was the childhood hero of many WWE fans out there and surprisingly or not so surprisingly, he is one of those superstars who used steroids. Hogan was the face of WWE when it was swept away by the steroid scandals initially. He testified in the 1994 federal trial that he took steroids and he didn’t just take it randomly, he took it for 14 long years.
The main purpose of Hogan’s steroid use was to maintain his body but at the same time he took them to recover from the injuries he had. And the funny part about all these is, Hogan assumed that all these were legal since it was the physician who prescribed him the drugs.