8 Things Non-Wrestling People Don't Believe About Wrestling

It was always generally understood that the unholy trifecta of sex, drugs, and drink were an intrinsic part of rock 'n' roll's firmament, a natural complement to the attitude and energy of the content, and less a 'problem' than a 'lifestyle' of which it was proudly emblematic.

The parallels between wrestling and rock 'n' roll are manifold, and the two even converged throughout the '80s as part of a mutually beneficial symbiosis. Two different products, but both ones which demand performers travel from town to town soaking in the adulation of crowds, producing an intoxicating mix of egoism and exhaustion.

So it's no great leap to assume wrestlers would be prone to the same excesses as their musical equivalents. Yet because the industry strove to present itself both as a legitimate sport and a child-appropriate one, any suggestion of drugs and drink being prevalent amongst performers was ripe for scandal.

How many parents in attendance at Wembley for SummerSlam '92 would have been utterly mortified to learn that the home country hero their kids were cheering on that night went through his match under the influence? On the flipside, how many would even bat an eyelid if they'd learned the likes of Metallica or Guns 'n' Roses had engaged in some 'extracurricular activity' at the same stadium some months earlier? The answers to those questions are starkly different - and distinctly telling.