In case you don’t know, there is a controversial new book out called Ring of Hell detailing the rise and destructive fall of Chris Benoit, not to mention the bizarre world of professional wrestling. The book brings to light several untold stories concerning sexual misconduct, drug abuse, racism and organized crime hidden beneath the seedy underbelly of professional wrestling. The author of the book, Matthew Randazzo V, also puts together his theories on what drove Chris Benoit to kill his son Daniel and wife Nancy. His journey through life and wrestling, as well as his destruction, is heavily detailed.
The book features a slew of scandalous backstage stories on World Wrestling Entertainment, World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, not to mention Japan. While a number of the stories in the book revolve around Chris Benoit, it features several backstage stories not related to him, including one on a former WWE writer that was fired after being told on to management for soliciting sexual favors from a present-day WWE wrestler in an arena bathroom stall a few months ago.
A number of stories told in the book are so shocking that they’re almost too hard to believe, but the book is meticulously sourced. In several instances the author of the book went to more than one source for confirmation on certain stories. Additionally, a handful of former WWE writers no longer involved with the industry back up many of the outrageous claims in the book concerning World Wrestling Entertainment from the past few years.
In today’s story, one former WWE writer alleges that steroid use was so prevalent during his stay in the company that even two of announcers were on steroids. The former WWE writer recounts a day in which he overheard an announcer talking to another announcer about working out, “cycles” and “taking the juice.” He then gives two clues on the perpetrators. Here is the passage from the book concerning this story:
“The culture of steroids is so persuasive in the WWE that even a few of their wrestling announcers are doing steroids,” one WWE writer told me. “In fact, one of them was talking about it openly. At first, I had no clue what he was talking about. He was talking to another announcer about working out, and something called ‘cycles,’ and taking ‘the juice.’ When I came to discover what it was, I was shocked. At least two of them are on steroids, and neither of them are former wrestlers. They come from the world of broadcast journalism.”
