McNaught died of heart failure — at the age of 29. Another HWA wrestler Russ Haas also died of heart issues before his 30th birthday. They are among dozens of WWE wrestlers who have passed away in recent years, many of heart issues.
McMahon’s shady company rarely comes clean on anything but did in the early 1980s, admitting to the staged nature of its “sports entertainment.” It did so not out of honesty, but to skirt the regulations of state athletic boards.
Due to McMahon’s demands for appearances, and the rigid schedule, wrestlers often rely on pharmaceutical means to keep their jobs. It took the Chris Benoit murder-suicide before the company began a serious drug-testing policy, even after decades of industry-related deaths. Benoit himself suffered severe brain damage from continued blows to the head.
While WWE continues to skirt public scrutiny and sensible regulations, McMahon is set on becoming one of the biggest regulators of all in the U.S. Senate.
Some things are so bad, you can only wish they were fake.
Contact this reporter at bjbethel@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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