By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor

TNA authority figure Jim Cornette says the wrestling business has changed for the worst in the last 25 years since the start of WrestleMania due to fewer jobs in the industry, wrestlers becoming addicted to drugs, and Vince McMahon promoting larger-than-life stars in WWE.

Cornette says many wrestlers 20-30 years ago were drug users because they had nothing better to do. He says many of today's wrestlers feel the need to use substances to simply keep a high-profile job in the wrestling business.

Cornette views Andrew "Test" Martin as an example of a wrestler being re-hired because he has a certain look and not for any additional talent he could bring to the table. Cornette says Martin probably felt the need to look a certain way, which required use of steroids.

"As far as Test goes, it's a tragedy that a guy is 33 years old and is gone because he got involved in professional wrestling," Cornette said recently on the Who's Slamming Who podcast. "In the old days, everybody was a cowboy and if they did drugs, they did it for recreation because they were making too much money. That's almost easier to take, to me, than guys feeling like they have to do drugs to keep a job or they have to do drugs because their bodies are so broken down from the style that they get addicted to them."

Cornette says the combination of hardcore wrestling and fewer jobs in wrestling have made it difficult for wrestlers to stay away from an addictive lifestyle. Moves don't mean as much, so wrestlers have to use weapons that lead to pain pill addiction. Fewer jobs are available with only one major player, so wrestlers have to look a certain way to get major-league work.

"This business has turned into something that eats its young," Cornette said. "When he (Martin) got fired from WWE, I understand John Laurinaitis saw a picture of him when he was really jacked up and bigger than ever and that's when they hired him. The hiring practice falls right in line with what Vince McMahon likes. They looked at a picture of a guy who's jacked up and muscular and said, 'Oh, we have to hire him back.' The only difference from when they didn't want the guy to when they wanted him was the steroids."

Cornette says the blame shouldn't fall with the wrestlers, although they have the personal choice to make a decision to handle pain, travel schedule, and building up their physique in a healthy manner.

"It's not the guy's fault. The wrestlers want to do what they feel they have to do - what is demonstrated they have to do - to get a job in their chosen profession," Cornette said. "They (WWE) always seem to go back to hiring guys when they look great, then they tell them, 'oh, by the way we do drug testing, so get off the stuff,' but half the time the reason the got the job is because they were on the stuff."

Earlier this week, Mr. Kennedy said he used steroids early in his career because he was willing to sacrifice his future health to get the right look for WWE.

"So, that's something Vince has created and we can all thank him for it," Cornette said sarcastically in reference to the mentality, which Kennedy referenced.

Cornette says wrestling has lost its way after gaining prominence in the territory era as an art form that drew money across the country for several different promoters. Now, the distribution of money in wrestling is WWE and the upstart TNA.

"The huge crowds that wrestling used to draw on a regular basis where a bunch of guys were employed and making a living in this business has been constricted down to the big circus show of Vince McMahon," Cornette said. "TNA is struggling to try to compete as the only national competition. There are fewer people making a living in professional wrestling now than ever before."

Cornette says he doesn't see the business recovering, especially when wrestlers have shorter life-spans in the business and in life.

"You've made guys either steroid freaks or they're addicted to pain pills because you have to hit each other five times as hard to get the same response," Cornette said. "Instead of having a 30-year career, they have a five-year career, maybe if they make it. Just as they get a taste of stardom, they lose their jobs because the writers don't have anything for them."

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