Marvez: WWE's latest 'shock' story line is especially tacky

In 1997, Brian Pillman was found dead in his hotel room on the eve of a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view show.

Four years ago this month, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room while on a WWE tour.

See a pattern?

Both of these premature deaths on WWE's watch and the circumstances behind them make its latest "shock" story line especially tasteless.

On the morning of last Sunday's "Survivor Series" pay-per-view event, WWE posted a story on its Web site claiming that Jeff Hardy was rushed to a Boston-area emergency room after being "found unconscious in a hotel stairwell." WWE tried adding realism to the report by claiming the name of the hospital wouldn't be released "due to privacy issues."

While the story was ultimately revealed as bogus, WWE suckered many fans (and even one prominent mainstream media outlet) into thinking the worst had happened to one of its most popular performers.

Like Pillman and Guerrero before their deaths, Hardy has an extensive history of drug abuse. He was fired from WWE earlier this decade after refusing rehabilitative help. He was suspended from two major pay-per-view shows ("Summer Slam" and "Wrestlemania") within the past 14 months after failing drug tests. In September, Hardy wasn't allowed to board a flight because he was deemed too intoxicated. WWE has even made reference to Hardy's out-of-the ring problems on its telecasts, just like it did with Guerrero before his premature death.

Sadly, nobody would be shocked if Hardy were legitimately found unconscious because of an overdose.

WWE created a scenario to exploit Hardy's real-life issues in hopes that concerned fans wanting more information would purchase the show. The report also served as an angle to insert Adam "Edge" Copeland into Hardy's scheduled three-way match against Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Oleg "Vladimir Kozlov" Prudius.

Further adding to the sleaze factor: Vicki Guerrero -- Eddie's widow -- was the one who announced Copeland's substitution in her stage role as "Smackdown" commissioner.

Yes, this is pro wrestling (or sports entertainment or whatever else WWE owner Vince McMahon feels like calling it this week). The ability to make fans "suspend disbelief" and become emotionally drawn into scripted action has always been a fundamental part of the industry.

Not everyone will find the Hardy angle offensive, especially those with a jaded view of the grappling game. Reading between the lines, some "insiders" could smell this was an angle because of how WWE worded its Hardy story and subsequent follow-ups. Others may even credit WWE for finding a creative way to pull heartstrings in an era when few story lines elicit real feeling.

But such a tactic comes at a heavy price.

The history of drug abuse by WWE performers is once again in the spotlight.

WWE's attempt to become a more "family-friendly" product and attract new advertisers is undermined. In recent months, the use of blood was tempered and scantily clad Divas were given more conservative outfits. Using a performer's drug history to promote a match doesn't exactly fly with the Disney set.

WWE's Web site has long featured a confusing hodgepodge of fake and real news stories. Now, nothing posted should carry any credibility with the mainstream media.

This situation also shows how little McMahon learned from one of his last forays into "reality television." In June 2007, McMahon staged his own death in an exploding car on "Monday Night Raw" (9 p.m. EST, USA Network). Some fans and even media believed McMahon was deceased from the post-explosion hype that included flags being flown at half-staff in front of WWE's Connecticut headquarters.

Such tastelessness backfired weeks later when WWE had to deal with a real death -- star WWE performer Chris Benoit committed suicide after killing his wife and 7-year-old son. McMahon was forced to drop his charade so he could come on television and eulogize Benoit.

Here's hoping that history doesn't repeat itself and Hardy stays on the straight and narrow. That would be the only good thing to emerge from a plot twist best forgotten.

(Alex Marvez writes a syndicated pro-wrestling column for Scripps Howard News Service. E-mail him at alex1marv(at)aol.com.)