WWE Wrestlers Suspended Over Doping Scandal

[ZariusTwo]

WWE Suspends 10 Wrestlers For Policy Violations

NEW HAVEN, Conn. World Wrestling Entertainment has suspended 10 performers for violations of a policy that requires drug tests, the company said Thursday.

Stamford-based WWE says it issued suspension notices based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County New York District Attorney’s Office.

WWE spokeswoman Jennifer McIntosh would not identify the performers or specify how they violated the policy. She referred other questions to the district attorney’s office, where a message seeking comment was left.

Under the wellness policy, which requires tests for steroids and other drugs, a wrestler faces a 30-day suspension for a first violation, a 60-day suspension for a second violation and firing for a third violation.

In June, pro wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and young son and hanged himself. Investigators say Benoit had a steroid and other drugs in his system at the time.

Earlier this month, WWE officials met with New York prosecutors investigating illegal steroid sales.

At the time, McIntosh confirmed the meeting but declined to comment on what was discussed.

[OA]

Wow...for some reason though, I can't say I'm terribly surprised...

[The Stryker]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that nobody on the upper-midcard/Main event is suspended.

[jeff the cheff]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that nobody on the upper-midcard/Main event is suspended.

Yea they're probably rich enough to get the steroids that can't be detected.

[The Stryker]

Well, not that. Just saying that they wouldn't suspend a major player in fear of messing up the product, Although RVD was stripped of both his titles on a marijuana bust.

Not all Wrestlers are Steroid monsters ya know.

[The Terror of Death]

The juice is on the loose.

"The 11 wrestlers named in the New York Daily News article are:

- Randy Orton
- Adam Copeland (Edge)
- Charlie Haas
- Robert Huffman (King Booker)
- Shane Helms
- Mike Bucci (Simon Dean)
- Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella)
- John Hennigan (John Morrison)
- Darren Matthews (William Regal)
- Ken Anderson (Kennedy)
- Chavo Guerrero"
Heres the link. http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/59120 Check out 411 for more names.

[The Stryker]

Mike Bucci (Simon Dean)

So thats what the Simon System was.

[ZariusTwo]

Wonder what Cena has to say about this (http://notalentedwrestlersyay.ytmnd.com/)

[ZariusTwo]

Sports Illustrated has received information on the drugs and dates received by various WWE wrestlers, all of whom fall after the institution of the Wellness policy.

Based on these dates, the entire policy's credibility is shot in the sense there were detectable drugs purchased by talent through Internet doctors, a practice banned by the company's Wellness policy.

In addition, Ken Anderson (Mr. Kennedy) comes across like a complete fool because his last package was sent in February, one full year after he claimed to have gotten clean due to the Policy. Between October 2006 and February 2007, Anderson received Anastrozole (which is not a steroid, but used to counter affects of steroids such as development of female breast tissue), Somatropin (a Growth Hormone) and testosterone (an anabolic steroid).

Others listed in the article were:

Chris Benoit receiving Nandrolone and Anastrozole in February 2006.

Eddy Guerrero receiving Nandrolone, Testosterone and Anastrozole two weeks before his death.

Chavo Guerrero receiving many drugs, including Somatropin, Nandrolone and Anastrozole as late as May 2006.

Shane Helms receiveing testosterone, Genotropin (Growth Hormone) and Nandralone as late as February 2007.

Randy Orton receiving Somatropin, Nandrolone and Stanazolol as late as February 2007.

John Hennigan aka John Morrison getting Somatropin, Anastrozole, Testosterone, Stanazolol and HCG as late as February 2007.

Shoichi Funaki receiving Somatropin in March 2006.

Brian Adams received Nandrolone, Testosterone and Somatropin in December.

Charlie Haas received Anstrozole, Somatropin, Stanazolol, Nandrolone and HCG as late as January

Edward Fatu (Umaga) received Somatropin as late as December.

Darren Matthews (William Regal) recieved Stanozolol, Somatropin, Genotropin and Anastrozole as late as November.

Adam Copeland received Somatropin, Genotropin and Stanazolol as late as February. This must have included new evidence because government evidence on Copeland received by the Observer in May listed Copeland as not having received anything doctors were under investigation for in several years.

Sylvan Grenier received Somatropin, Nandrolone, Genotropin and Stanazolol as late as July 2006. Grenier has was fired by the company two weeks ago for unrelated reasons.

The company by the wording of its policy would be forced to suspend these wrestlers, aside from Benoit and Guerrero, because this would indicate flagrant violations of the policy after implementation.

The company suspended ten wrestlers, the same number as this list, two of whom, Helms and Copeland, are out indefinitely due to injuries.

Orton, Morrison, Matthews and Fatu were all key characters on television. Given the nature of the television as late as Tuesday, WWE could not have made the decision to suspend until Wednesday at the earliest, and most likely the decision was made this morning.

[Raph's Girl]

WWE has fired Mike Bucci (aka Simon Dean), the company's Talent Development Manager. The New York Daily News mentioned Bucci's name as a client of the Signature Pharmacy.

http://gerweck.net/

[shuriken]

Damn...That's pretty crazy.

[BubblyShell22]

Wow! I read on another forum that Orton was cleared. Is this confirmed?

[GK Punk]

So far it seems to be true. He's still being used on TV. The rest aren't.

[BubblyShell22]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. I'm gonna write down the names of those that are suspended so my mom can see who's suspended. We heard on the news that the WWE wasn't going to release the names until November, which seems weird to me.

[KROW]

Wow! I read on another forum that Orton was cleared. Is this confirmed?

Pretty much. He's still being billed in the Unforgiven main event. The same goes for Santino Marella. He was one of the targeted yet he's still hanging around.

[BubblyShell22]

Okay, thanks for telling me that. I think that they shouldn't be cleared for that. They should suffer the same punishment as the others.

[The Stryker]

I would think that Orton is the one that confessed to it and already served a suspension.

No explain for Santino though, That sunamagun!

[BubblyShell22]

Oh, okay. So, Orton did serve a suspension already. Then, that explains a lot. It also explains why Cena attacked Regal last week on RAW, so that Regal could serve his suspension.

[ZariusTwo]

Orton wasnt cleared, he confessed what he was doing and got off.

[GK Punk]

Oh so that's what happened there. I was wondering.

[BubblyShell22]

Well, okay. Thanks for telling me that. I hope he stays clean.

[shuriken]

They should all stay clean. I mean there have been more drug related deaths recently in the WWE. I mean, Mr Perfect, Benoit and Eddie Guerrero all in the past 4 or five years. They (the wrestlers) should just make sure to take abreak once in a while. Like what HHH does. he does that like every year now.

[GK Punk]

I didn't realize having brain damage from multiple concussions and killing yourself counted as a drug related death. And yeah, of course they should stay clean. But I have to take issue with the phrase "Drug related deaths in the WWE" and here is why:

Most of these deaths are by people who haven't worked for the WWE in a long time. There's been a very small number of deaths of people who were under WWE Contract. Curt Hennig (Perfect) was fired long before his overdose.

Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Owen Hart, and Brian Pillman are the only WWE contracted workers that had died. Eddie was really the only one you can credit to drugs, however it wasn't an over dose. After his past of drug use, he devoloped heart disease that was un-diagnosed. Similar story with Pillman, but I haven't heard it was related to drugs. I know Eddie's was though. (just because Eddie was a hero of mine, I know a lot about him.)

Owen died from falling from the rafters in a freak accident, Benoit was suffering a form of dimentia, and we know what happened there.

I only bring this up because I don't feel it's fair to blame Vince or the WWE personally for this. These people live their own lives, and the WWE/Vince can't police what they do 24 hours a day, especially if they have no connection to the company. This recently happened when Crush died. The news was reporting him as WWE wrestler Crush. He hadn't been working for the WWE since probably 2001. And even then, it was only for about a month.
He was retired at the time of his death.

Well. That was a novel.

[ZariusTwo]

Like what HHH does. he does that like every year now.

Triple H didnt take a break in 2006, and tore his quadrocep earlier this year and was forced on the shelf. You don't know what the hell you're talking about.

[GK Punk]

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the confirmed 30-day suspensions include Charlie Haas, Edge, Gregory Helms, John Morrison, William Regal, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, Funaki, Chavo Guerrero.

Chris Masters was also suspended, but it is unclear at the moment whether his suspension was for 30 days or 60 days. In May 2006, he went to rehab for a painkiller problem. It is unknown if he actually failed a Wellness test, or if it was based on a company decision that he needed rehab for painkillers and they didn't count it as a strike against him.

Robert Huffman aka King Booker was also suspended. He is currently serving a 60-day suspension. The reason for the 60-day suspension is because it is believed that he recently failed a test in addition to receiving packages of steroids according to federal prosecutors, so that's two strikes against him. Booker quit the company upon being informed of his suspension. The company was hoping that he'd reconsider, but they were going under the impression that he was finished with the company.

Edge and Helms, both out of action due to injuries, will lose 30 days of their downside guarantee pay.

[Matt]

They should all stay clean. I mean there have been more drug related deaths recently in the WWE. I mean, Mr Perfect, Benoit and Eddie Guerrero all in the past 4 or five years. They (the wrestlers) should just make sure to take abreak once in a while. Like what HHH does. he does that like every year now.

The Undertaker takes breaks, though he ripped his bicep muscle a few months ago. He only wrestles on a part-time basis.

It is pretty frightening. Why would they do it? To put on an extra 10-15lbs? Maybe it's lazyness, they should train more if they want to become as big as they are. It doesn't set a good example to kids, or even other wrestlers coming through the ranks.

There's a good Simpsons' episode showing the effects of "Roid rage."

The Rock admitted he used steroids, but couldn't see the effects straight away, so he stopped using them. Although he only ever tried them once.

[BubblyShell22]

Shawn Michaels also used to use steroids but got clean, which is good. Yes, 'Taker takes breaks so his body won't be worn down so much. I applaud Vince for putting in the Wellness Program, even though he should've done it a long time ago. At least now he can keep tabs on what happens with his Superstars. It's because of the Wellness Program that they discovered MVP had a heart condition that could've been fatal.