July 30, 2007 Observer Newsletter: Steroids in MMA, WWE Great American Bash review

A war of words, where personalities may obfuscate the very serious underlying issue, has taken center stage in MMA this past week. And it has eerie similarities to what is also going on at the same time in pro wrestling.

The steroid test failures of Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca, and subsequent one-year suspensions, from tests taken on 7/7, the day of their lightweight title fight in Sacramento, have put the microscope on the hot button issue of steroids in MMA and what can be done about them. This comes just a month after Royce Gracie and former NFL star Johnnie Morton tested positive and a few weeks after Phil Baroni tested positive. In all, there have been 11 steroid test positives over the past 14-week period in California alone, the state with the most vigilant testing in the country.

The steroid issues in pro wrestling and MMA is very different, even though the tragedies in pro wrestling caused by pain killers and steroids may very well be a harbinger of the future of MMA if not left unchecked.

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