PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH

Select List of Articles by Category Type



UGO AFFILIATE

A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999


PWTorch is customized for your mobile phone such as your Blackberry. Just enter www.pwtorch.com on your phone's browser and choose the "Mobile" option. Samsung Omnia II users, download our free Widget. Apple iPhone users, download our free PWTorch App (search "pwtorch")




 

KELLER'S TAKE

KELLER: Another wrestler dies, but truth is there are no easy solutions to drug problems (Jan. 29, 2000)

Mar 18, 2009 - 9:34:07 AM


By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

End Notes by Wade Keller
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
Original Headline: No Easy Solutions to Drug Problems
Originally Published: January 29, 2000
Torch Newsletter #586


Bobby Duncum Jr. is dead, and preliminary indications are it was a result of abusing drugs. Bobby Duncum Jr. didn't die because he had a grueling road schedule and needed pills to bring himself up in the morning and down at night. Duncum didn't die because he took pain pills to blunt the pain he suffered from the outlandish bumps he took to try to keep up with the modern hardcore wrestling style. Duncum Jr. didn't die because he felt he had to take pills to keep up with other wrestlers who were ahead of him on the roster.

The frustrating part of pill-related deaths is that there is no easy solution. There is nothing that can be objectively pointed to as being the cause. There is no solution that could clear up the problem if someone were smart enough or cared enough to enact changes. The problem is one of individuals not realizing they are pushing their bodies too hard, or individuals who aren't able to deal with the withdrawl and depression that goes along with getting off the pills.

Pillman died while he was on the road for the WWF. Spicolli died at home partying with friends when he was between WCW dates. Rude wasn't an active wrestler when he died. Art Barr died while at home between tours of Mexico. Duncum died while on an extended leave from WCW due to a shoulder injury. There is no common set of circumstances that links their deaths.

Today there are wrestlers in the WWF, WCW, ECW, and the indy circuit who are taking their drug of choice in pill form, injectibles, or through snorting. Be it Nubain, cocaine, GHB, or prescription pills, there are wrestlers abusing them.

Most of the problem drugs cannot be tested for. There always seems to be a doctor who is willing to prescribe pills to a wrestler who has a supposedly valid reason for taking the drugs. When his tolerance gets built up, he either gets prescribed more or finds several doctors to keep him stocked.

Some argue that promoters should send wrestlers home - get them away from the atmosphere that encourages drug use. Get them to stop taking bumps, get them away from their drug-using friends (and suppliers), get them away from the party atmosphere. Sending them home doesn't help. Sending them to treatment can help.

Wrestlers from the Big Three are checking into treatment regularly. It doesn't always get publicity, nor should it. Wrestlers should be able to deal with their problems privately. There are several recent examples in the WWF of wrestlers policing themselves. When a wrestler gets in really bad shape, his colleagues will "turn him in" to Vince McMahon. McMahon gives the wrestler an ultimatum - check into treatment and get help, or you will be sent home and your contract will expire. One such situation happened just last week with a top name.

The system works pretty well, but it's not perfect. Some wrestlers reject treatment. One high profile wrestler from WCW last month didn't agree with his diagnosis as a manic-depressive, so he completely discarded the treatment and is back to his old ways.

Some wrestlers are more susceptible to drug abuse due to being depressed, or manic-depressive, or obsessive-compulsive, or some combination.

The only suggestion I have is for the promoters to bring in doctors once every three or six months to give a presentation to wrestlers. Educate them to warning signs in themselves and their friends. The promoters should establish a system that allows for anonymous tips of when somebody is in need of help. Perhaps hire ex-athletes who give professional speeches to talk to wrestlers about their experiences with drug problems.

There is a problem with drugs in wrestling today. Most wrestlers will end up controlling their use and won't end up needing treatment. Most won't die. But one death is one too many. One broken marriage or ruined career is one too many. WCW has a lot of problems right now, but they shouldn't let politics and bad ratings and booking changes get in the way of making sure they have a system in place that does everything possible to prevent more deaths.

No matter what is done to prevent or deal with drug problems, some wrestlers will still end up in trouble. Some will lose their spouses, some will lose their jobs, and probably some will lose their lives as a result of drug use. The goal of promoters and fellow wrestlers should be to do everything possible to deal with the situation honestly and aggressively.

It's not popular to say, but there are some drug problems that are the fault of the individual and nobody else. They make a bad decision to abuse drugs, they don't listen to their friends who tell them to get help, and they isolate themselves and indulge in the abuse. Those people might end up dead. The most frustrating part is there might not be anything more that can be done to stop it.


Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA...
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET


For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTorch VIP:

DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO (rates now as low as $2.99/month)

More Recent KELLER'S TAKE Articles
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 2/8: Bret Hart appears again after John Cena reveals to McMahon that Bret wants him one-on-one at WrestleMania
KELLER'S VIP BLOG: A ratings experiment for TNA to try with the Knockouts
KELLER: Vince Russo owes wrestlers another apology, plus one to the fans
KELLER: Russo wants to be a better friend, not explain his booking decisions
KELLER: TNA Genesis Preview - A look at the line-up, potential surprises, major change made
KELLER: I've been edited! Here's what Russo said, and here's what I wrote that was deleted from his fan page
KELLER: Russo's right, he's pushing young wrestlers in top positions, but there's a big catch that negates that mattering
KELLER BLOG: Our TNA polls this week should frighten TNA headed into Jan. 4
KELLER FLASHBACK: "Infidelity" turned into fake-shoot angle with Dallas Page-Buff Bagwell
KELLER'S BLOG: Ooops... I forgot perhaps the biggest problem with last week's "Worst Impact Ever"
KELLER BLOG: One of the biggest surprises TNA could deliver on Jan. 4 isn't a pro wrestler (w/Addendum)
KELLER: In defense of the Sheamus push - why this gamble by WWE is a smart move for the short-run and long-run
KELLER: Dixie's last speech on Impact was off-target; will tonight's heavily-hyped segment with her miss the mark again?
KELLER'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 11/26: Full quotes from Hulk Hogan on joining TNA, Dixie press conference hype, one-night title tournament
KELLER'S TAKE: Tito Ortiz took UFC into pro wrestling territory with his third round performance and post-fight interview (redirect)
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
KELLER BLOG: Is a new Monday Night War imminent? Signs point that direction
KELLER: How TNA should utilize Hulk Hogan and how Hogan should utilize TNA

(c) 1999-2010 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

STAFF PICKS - TOP TEN RECENT ARTICLES
TNA News: Hulk Hogan responds to criticism that TNA looks like "WCW 2000," addresses hardcore fans critical of TNA's direction
WWE/TNA News: RVD in-depth interview - what could convince him to consider TNA offer, talks WWE subjects, current projects
WWE News: Vince McMahon's ECW announcement - ECW going off the air
WWE News: Raw TV ratings are in for Monday night's show - How did WWE fare with Bret Hart's return?
Other News: Former NWA World Hvt. champion Jack Brisco dies at age 68
TNA News: Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff say they haven't confirmed permanent Monday night slot
TNA News: Vince Russo apologizes for blog on "fake wrestling in a fake sport," sheds more light on why he writes what he writes for TNA TV
WWE News: Chris Jericho and Gregory Helms arrested early Wednesday morning (1/27); Details on their arrest
WWE News: "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson must-read interview on "ripping up" the TV product if he returns to WWE; has no interest in wrestling John Cena
WWE News: Big News: The Rock says on ESPN SportsCenter he will not rule out wrestling again, snaps into character with The Coach (w/VIDEO)



PWTORCH FREE AUDIO SHOWS
Monday PWTorch Livecast (2/8) now available featuring Wade Keller & Greg Parks
Friday PWTorch Livecast (2/5) now available featuring Wade Keller & Bruce Mitchell
Thursday PWTorch Livecast (2/4) now available featuring Wade Keller & James Caldwell
Wednesday PWTorch Livecast (2/3) now available featuring Wade Keller & Pat McNeill
Tuesday PWTorch Livecast (2/2) now available featuring Wade Keller & Greg Parks
Monday PWTorch Livecast (2/1) now available featuring Wade Keller & Jason Powell



PWTORCH INSTANT POLL

RAW POLL: Who was the MVP of the 2/8 Raw if you saw the show?
John Cena
Vince McMahon
Bret Hart
Shawn Michaels
Triple H
Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes
Carl Edwards
The Miz
Big Show
C.M. Punk
Luke Gallows & Serena
Christian
Sheamus
Ted DiBiase
Santino
Maryse
Gail Kim
Subway Jared
Carlito
  
Free polls from Pollhost.com

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

UPCOMING MAJOR EVENTS

SELECT LIST OF ARTICLES BY CATEGORY

ARTICLES GROUPED BY CATEGORY
WWE RAW 2/8: Place Your Bets on tonight's Raw - Week 6 guest-hosted by Carl Edwards
WWE RAW 2/1: "Place your Bets" Scoreboard after Week 5 - Review last week's scores before tonight's PYB contest
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Results for Best/Worst in pro wrestling from January 2010
WWE News: "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson sheds more light on working with WWE beyond a one-week guest-hosting role
WWE News: WWE holds press conference inducting Antonio Inoki into 2010 Hall of Fame
WWE News: WWE teases Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon for WM26, Hart makes surprise appearance on Raw
TNA News: Scott Steiner now taking independent bookings after TNA departure
TNA News: Inside the Impact quarter-hour ratings - 33 percent Q1 drop from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4
TNA News: Latest TNA Impact ratings down 15 percent, Analysis of the drop-off
ROH News: Preview for tonight's ROH TV - TNA tag team vs. former ROH tag champs, 8th Anniversary hype (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Roderick Strong re-signs contract agreement with ROH
ROH News: ROH's 8th Anniv. show preview - ROH Title & ROH Tag Title matches, First-Time-Ever ROH match
Other News: Samoa Joe, Hernandez, former WWE wrestlers booked for independent show in March
Other News: Independent wrestler Human Tornado retiring from pro wrestling (w/classic Tornado VIDEO)
DGUSA/EVOLVE News: Sapolsky blogs on hectic week, TNA allowing Young Bucks to work WM weekend
WWE Royal Rumble Results: KELLER'S in-depth report including Rumble results, Taker vs. Rey, Orton vs. Sheamus
CALDWELL'S WWE ROYAL RUMBLE PPV REPORT 1/31: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage Rumble match, Sheamus vs. Orton, Undertaker vs. Mysterio
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Freedom Fight" PPV review - Yamato-Richards, Doi & Yoshino vs. Dragon Kid & Shingo
CALDWELL'S WWE RAW REPORT 2/8: Complete coverage of Unified tag title match, WWE champ vs. ECW champ, Hart-McMahon
KELLER'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 2/4: Nash vs. Foley (really) headlines, plus Angelina Love vs. Tara, Magnus vs. Mr. Anderson, Styles vs. Pope
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 2/5: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Undertaker on the Cutting Edge
2/6 WWE in Alexandria, La.: Sheamus vs. John Cena, The Miz vs. MVP, Jack Swagger's first win of 2010
2/6 TNA in Joplin, Mo.: Jeff Jarrett vs. Mr. Anderson IV, Tara vs. ODB with Shark Boy, Sabin vs. Lethal
2/6 WWE in Waco, Tex.: Rey Mysterio vs. C.M. Punk, McIntyre vs. Morrison vs. R-Truth, Christian vs. Zeke
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: Bischoff praises UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" TV series
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: Bischoff on whether he regrets not buying UFC in the late '90s
PENICK'S UFC 109 PPV REPORT: Play-by-play on tonight's UFC PPV event (redirect)
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 2/8: Bret Hart appears again after John Cena reveals to McMahon that Bret wants him one-on-one at WrestleMania
KELLER'S VIP BLOG: A ratings experiment for TNA to try with the Knockouts
KELLER: Vince Russo owes wrestlers another apology, plus one to the fans
MITCHELL: Jack Brisco, NWA Champion - A look at his life and his career
MITCHELL: Mojo Mitchell's 2/1 Raw Stream of The Return of Captain Kirk, The Green Goblin, and The Lonesome Dove
MITCHELL: Mojo Mitchell's Raw Stream of Lining His Pockets and Serving his Ego with All of Us Commodities
There Can Be Only One: McNEILL Previews the 2010 WWE Royal Rumble!
Calling All Stations: McNEILL previews TNA Genesis 2010!
It's On, Brother: McNEILL previews TNA Final Resolution 2009!
CALDWELL: Instant analysis on WWE Raw - HBK's performance, Hart-McMahon build-up, John Cena locked in
CALDWELL: After listening to Hulk Hogan on RVD's radio show, it's apparent TNA will take off or self-destruct
CALDWELL'S WEEKLY CHAT w/GREG PARKS - Raw & Rumble reviews, WM26 direction, EC PPV qualifiers, Bret Hart performance, R-Truth push, Pants on the Ground
RADICAN'S VIP BLOG: What's going on with Davey Richards?
RADICAN'S VIP BLOG: An overhaul to the ECW brand could benefit young talent
RADICAN'S BLOG: Thoughts on ROH's GBH VIII, TNA's big budget blunders, more
2/5 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Jericho - Edge, Match Quality, The Cutting Edge
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: 2010 Royal Rumble - A look at what worked, what didn't work, what could be improved
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: Nash and Foley Fight Over a Painting, Farewell Big Poppa Pump, TNA Bringing in Evil Dave Hebner?
GUEST EDITORIAL: The End of an Error for the ECW brand, What to do with ECW's current stars
GUEST EDITORIAL: Proposal on how to use the ECW timeslot to create innovative TV feeding Raw & Smackdown
GUEST EDITORIAL - CD REVIEW: WWE's new album features work-out quality jams, awful tracks, screeching guitar solos
TNA Impact Reax #3: Reader feedback on Mick Foley, Mr. Anderson on the mic, Taz referencing WWE, Pope as the "best WWE cast-off"
Thursday Night TV Reax #2: Reader feedback on Impact storylines, missing X Division, Carlito-Bourne match
TNA Impact Reax #1: First batch of reader feedback on Nash-Foley main event, Pope pinning the champ, Eric Bischoff's performance
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
GUEST EDITORIAL - CD REVIEW: WWE's new album features work-out quality jams, awful tracks, screeching guitar solos
CALDWELL'S DVD REVIEW - "The Marine 2" strong on DiBiase's performance, weak on plot and storyline
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 10/9 "Clash of the Contenders" - Omega-Richards, Delirious-Aries
TORCH FLASHBACK (1999): Mankind wins the WWF Title at Halftime Heat during Super Bowl
WWE ROYAL RUMBLE COUNTDOWN - 2009 PPV Report: Randy Orton wins the Rumble, Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy
WWE ROYAL RUMBLE COUNTDOWN - 2008 PPV Report: John Cena surprise Rumble win at MSG, Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy, MVP vs. Flair
2/8 PWTorch Livecast & VIP Aftershow: Wade Keller & Greg Parks take caller and email questions, analyze Impact ratings drop, Bret Hart's main event run, more (75 min.)
2/7 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show (pt. 3 of 3): Even more on Jack Brisco, evolution of 1970s-to-'80s industry, his stint in the WWF, cable expansion (49 min.)
2/6 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show (pt. 2 of 3): Remembering Jack Brisco, a fascinating look at the 1970s through early-'80s industry (48 min.)
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
RAW POLL: Who was the MVP of the 2/8 Raw if you saw the show?
ECW POLL: What do you consider the end of "ECW?"
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 2/5 Smackdown if you saw the show?
Monday PWTorch Livecast (2/8) now available featuring Wade Keller & Greg Parks
Friday PWTorch Livecast (2/5) now available featuring Wade Keller & Bruce Mitchell
Thursday PWTorch Livecast (2/4) now available featuring Wade Keller & James Caldwell
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart