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Professional wresttler Ken Anderson, better known as “Mr. Kennedy”, recently revisited the anabolic steroid scandal surrounding the Chris Benoit murder-suicide during an interview given before The Legends of Wrestling Meet & Greet at Misccosukee Resort and Gaming on January 23, 2016. Anderson once again criticized the media for blaming steroids for the tragedy.
Anderson attributed the tragedy to numerous factors and criticized the media's attempt to blame it all on steroids.
“People always want to point fingers,” Anderson said, “and I hate to bring it up, but when Benoit did what he did everyone wanted to point to one thing. Point at the steroids. Well it wasn't the steroids. It was the steroids and the other drugs and the booze and the lifestyle of being on the road and running it hard and going through injuries and losing people.”
Anderson was one of several current and former professional wrestlers who attended the event. Other notable guests included Bill Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
It wasn't the first time that Anderson spoke out against the hysteria surrounding steroids and Chris Benoit. In July 2007, Anderson was highly critical of media attempts to stereotype professional wrestlers as steroid addicts prone to the so-called “roid rage”.
“It's ridiculous, insane, and it really makes me sick that these so-called reporters ... call upon these silly bastards who are bitter and frustrated that their careers have ended to represent the WWE which of course all makes us look like a bunch of babbling idiots who are all addicted to steroids, drugs, alcohol, etc.”
At the time, Anderson had publicly denied using steroids. He told British tabloid “The Sun” that he had used small quantities of steroids earlier in his career but stopped once the WWE implemented its “Wellness Policy” that prohibited the use of steroids by its employees.
Yet in August 2007, Anderrson's credibility took a hit when WWE suspended Anderson for 30 days for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. Anderson's name had been leaked as one of the celebrity athletes and entertainers who received shipments of steroids from the Signature Compounding Pharmacy in Orlando, Florida.
Anderson received shipments of anastrozole (Arimidex), somatropin (human growth hormone) and testosterone (steroids) from the compounding pharmacy between October 2006 and February 2007.
Anderson accepted and served the suspension. In subsequent years, Anderson criticized the WWE for suspending him. Anderson insisted he did nothing wrong.
"I had a legitimate medical reason to have it," Kennedy said. "How was I supposed to know my doctor's a quack? I was injured and had a legitimate reason. I tore my lat in 2005. I had surgery, went home and had a staph infection that I almost died from. I lost about 45 pounds in about three days. I had a legitimate medical reason for having it, however my name turned up on that list. Vince and the company's hands were tied. They had to suspend me."
Anderson attributed the tragedy to numerous factors and criticized the media's attempt to blame it all on steroids.
“People always want to point fingers,” Anderson said, “and I hate to bring it up, but when Benoit did what he did everyone wanted to point to one thing. Point at the steroids. Well it wasn't the steroids. It was the steroids and the other drugs and the booze and the lifestyle of being on the road and running it hard and going through injuries and losing people.”
Anderson was one of several current and former professional wrestlers who attended the event. Other notable guests included Bill Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
It wasn't the first time that Anderson spoke out against the hysteria surrounding steroids and Chris Benoit. In July 2007, Anderson was highly critical of media attempts to stereotype professional wrestlers as steroid addicts prone to the so-called “roid rage”.
“It's ridiculous, insane, and it really makes me sick that these so-called reporters ... call upon these silly bastards who are bitter and frustrated that their careers have ended to represent the WWE which of course all makes us look like a bunch of babbling idiots who are all addicted to steroids, drugs, alcohol, etc.”
At the time, Anderson had publicly denied using steroids. He told British tabloid “The Sun” that he had used small quantities of steroids earlier in his career but stopped once the WWE implemented its “Wellness Policy” that prohibited the use of steroids by its employees.
Yet in August 2007, Anderrson's credibility took a hit when WWE suspended Anderson for 30 days for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. Anderson's name had been leaked as one of the celebrity athletes and entertainers who received shipments of steroids from the Signature Compounding Pharmacy in Orlando, Florida.
Anderson received shipments of anastrozole (Arimidex), somatropin (human growth hormone) and testosterone (steroids) from the compounding pharmacy between October 2006 and February 2007.
Anderson accepted and served the suspension. In subsequent years, Anderson criticized the WWE for suspending him. Anderson insisted he did nothing wrong.
"I had a legitimate medical reason to have it," Kennedy said. "How was I supposed to know my doctor's a quack? I was injured and had a legitimate reason. I tore my lat in 2005. I had surgery, went home and had a staph infection that I almost died from. I lost about 45 pounds in about three days. I had a legitimate medical reason for having it, however my name turned up on that list. Vince and the company's hands were tied. They had to suspend me."
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