Gordon Ryan has ignited a firestorm of controversy with his recent social media post seemingly aimed at John Cena and other BJJ athletes who claim to be natural and PED-free. In a provocative series of social media posts, BJJ superstar Gordon Ryan has taken aim at wrestling icons The Rock and John Cena over their claims of being PED-free, while doubling down on his own stance regarding performance enhancement in combat sports.
Ryan, who recently admitted to starting PED use in 2016, shared posts featuring both WWE legends, including one where The Rock admitted to experimenting with ster*ids at age 19, and another featuring John Cena’s claims of being “absolutely dr*g-free for life.” Ryan’s response was characteristically unfiltered, suggesting these claims were reminiscent of similar statements made within the jiu-jitsu community.
The BJJ champion’s critique comes amid his own candid admissions about PED use in professional grappling. Ryan recently revealed that he began using performance enhancers in 2016 when transitioning to higher weight classes, stating that his decision was influenced by the legal status of PEDs in jiu-jitsu at the time and his desire to move up from the 77kg weight class.
Ryan’s perspective on legacy versus longevity was particularly stark.
“I would rather die with a legacy at 50 years old than just be a normal guy dying at 70 or 80 years old,”
he declared, referencing Arnold Schwarzenegger as an example of someone who used performance enhancers yet maintains good health in his later years.
Rather than backtrack, Ryan has chosen to lean into the controversy, challenging what he sees as hypocrisy in combat sports regarding PED use.
Ryan’s criticism extends beyond individual athletes to the broader landscape of PED testing in combat sports. He has been particularly vocal about the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s (IBJJF) testing policies, arguing that isolated testing by single organizations creates an uneven playing field and diminishes the quality of major events.
The grappling champion’s outspoken position has sparked renewed debate within the combat sports community about transparency regarding PED use. While some athletes like Nick Rodriguez maintain their stance against performance enhancement, proving their natural status through random testing, Ryan argues that history will remember winners and losers, not the circumstances of their victories.
One BJJ Black belt recently came in defense of John Cena – Mike Israetel. Israetel shared the same clip of Cena Ryan previously shared and commented:
“So I’m going to cut you guys the real deal on that whole juicing thing. When people ask you to admit to a federal offense on live television, the moral thing to do becomes to lie about it. This is something that I would call an unbecoming question from someone who just doesn’t know the legal and ethical landscape involved. I mean, or a totally innocent mistake, but you generally just don’t ask people that sort of thing because they’d be admitting to a crime.”
“Yes, John Cena’s on ster*ids. Everybody in the WWE is on ster*ids, but for maybe one person ever or something. When you get that big and that strong and that jacked and that lean at the same time, almost certainly anabolics are involved. And John’s going to lie about it, as well he should.”
