World Wrestling Entertainment Unhappy with John Cena’s Anti-Steroid Rants

Apr 2

World Wrestling Entertainment Unhappy with John Cena’s Anti-Steroid Rants

Cena Thinks Athletes Who Use Anabolic Steroids Should Go to Jail

John Cena, the WWE superstar and actor, has repeatedly denied using anabolic steroids while performing in an industry plagued by steroid use and prescription painkiller abuse. Cena is employed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) which has endured its share of steroid-related controversy including a recent Congressional investigation into steroid use in professional wrestling. Rep. Henry Waxman concluded that the use of steroids in pro wrestling was widespread. Cena has been very vocal in his opposition to steroid use much to the chagrin of management and colleagues at the steroid-tainted WWE. Cena has only become increasingly outspoken in his anti-steroid rants for interviews promoting his new action movie “12 Round”.

“I’m not only a guy who will say I’m clean, but I’ll beat my chest to the world that I’m clean,” Cena responded to allegations of steroid use. Cena attributes his muscular physique to superior genetics and hard work. "Train with me for just a week, and you'll see that I'm the guy who drives 250 miles between shows but will be at the gym tomorrow at 10 a.m. when most people are still sleeping in," proclaimed Cena in an interview with Men’s Fitness magazine. "I'm the guy who'll fly to Australia, find a gym, fly back, and the first thing I do off the plane is work out, before I even shower or eat. I've made a living out of working hard."

John Cena has expressed support for the criminalization of the non-medical use of anabolic steroid by athletes. Cena has advocated the incarceration of athletes found to be using anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. “[T]hey should send the guys to jail,” said Cena in response to a question about MLB player Alex Rodriguez and baseball’s anti-doping efforts. Cena elaborated on this belief in an interview with the New York Daily News.

“[Steroids] are the personal choice of the athlete,” says the WWE wrestler, currently starring in the film “12 Rounds.” And [Rodriguez] got defensive, saying he used because he felt he needed to. If there was a set of [legal] stipulations set in place, he may never have even considered it.

“The government should take the initiative, and if you get caught using drugs, then you should go to jail. A criminal record will hurt your endorsements and long-term contracts.”

John Cena believes the decision to use anabolic steroids is a personal choice for athletes. But he also believes a paternalistic government should have a role in making that choice Athletes who make the “wrong” choice should be subjected to criminal punishment by Big Brother.

John Cena admitted in an interview with New York’s sports radio WFAN that his pro wrestling colleagues and WWE corporate were unhappy without his decidedly anti-steroid statements. This comes as no surprise after government investigators targeted WWE CEO Vince McMahon during a contentious interview regarding steroids in the WWE. “Of course there is! I get kickback from corporate. I get kickback from my co-workers,” told WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton. “But the bottom line is if America is on a campaign, to quote unquote, clean this thing up, let’s start getting the word out and let’s start doing something about it. Let’s not just let these guys pinched and go forward. Honestly if you’re not Alex Rodriguez, or if you’re not Tejada or Barry Bonds. And these guys get caught for substance abuse, it really ends up as as a scroller on the ESPN ticker. There really is no penalty.”

Just saying no to steroids is admittedly an easy choice for John Cena. Cena acknowledged that he is a genetic aberration in terms of his athletic performance and ability to build an extremely muscular physique. He nonetheless feels he represents proof that athletes can achieve success without steroids. "It's actually very easy (to say no). I've always been genetically gifted," according to Cena. "In this day in age, I pride myself as being one of those guys who's stronger in the weight room and stronger in the ring."

Of course, genetic ability is not a personal choice. John Cena’s celebrates his superior genetics while condemning individuals for making the personal choice to use anabolic steroids to overcome their genetic shortcomings; this may come across as self-righteous to many. Still, others may admire Cena’s courage to speak out against steroids while continuing to work in the pro wrestling industry where steroid use, by most accounts, remains rampant.

Sources

“Backstage Heat On John Cena For Anti-Steroid Comments,” April 1, 2009

“John Cena Interview on WFAN Boomer & Carton,” March 26, 2009

“Smack steroid user Alex Rodriguez in jail, says WWE star John Cena,” March 25, 2009

“John Cena discusses steroids and post-WWE aspirations in Men's Fitness interview,” March 16, 2009

“Government Targets Vince McMahon in Steroids and Profesional Wrestling Witch-Hunt,” January 6, 2009

By Millard Baker

http://www.millardbaker.com

www.SteroidsRx.com