After hearing from Hulk Hogan and 10 other wrestlers, a federal jury began deliberations Thursday on whether ring impresario Vince McMahon operated a steroid conspiracy to pump up his wrestlers and attendance.
The panel received the case at 11:45 a.m. EDT after two hours of instructions from U.S. District Judge Jacob Mishler. At about 9 p.m., the jurors adjourned for the day.McMahon, who made a fortune through mass marketing of the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s, is accused of conspiring to provide steroids for wrestling stars such as Hogan and Ravishing Rick Rude.
McMahon, 48, of Stamford, Conn., could get up to three years in prison if convicted.
Mishler earlier dismissed two counts that actually accused the owner of Titan Sports and the WWF with distributing the drugs. The dropped charges carried an eight-year jail term.
Prosecutors charged McMahon felt bigger wrestlers meant bigger crowds, and the wrestling mastermind encouraged his charges to "go on the gas" - wrestler jargon for taking steroids.
But only one of the 11 wrestlers called to the stand - Kevin "Nailz" Wacholz, who acknowledged he hated McMahon - testified the WWF boss told him directly to use steroids.
The others followed Hogan's lead, saying their use of steroids was a personal decision.
Regardless of the verdict, McMahon will emerge from the trial with his reputation sullied. Hogan, his greatest star, acknowledged using steroids for 13 years, and said he often picked the drugs up with his paycheck and fan mail at WWF headquarters.
About 80 percent of the WWF's wrestlers were on steroids during the 1980s, as was McMahon, Hogan testified.