Congress requests WWE drug testing records

[kjh]

Yeah, I don't think that answer is much worse than this one by Vince McMahon, which no-one has complained about online to my knowledge:

 

Q  Whether they ‐‐ let me specify it.  Adolescent males, as 

a particular demographic, adolescent males, do you believe they 

look up to the WWE wrestlers?  Do they desire to be like them in 

any way?  Do they see them as role models?   

 

A  I would suggest not.  I would suggest ‐‐ you're smiling 

again.  Better than a frown.   

I would suggest to you that adolescents are pretty smart, 

even though that is a very small segment of the viewing audience 

that we have.  But nonetheless, I think that they're pretty smart.  

They know that what we do is a performance.  So they know that 

everything we have are characters.  They are not real‐life 

individuals.   

So I would suggest that no one believes any of these human 

beings are role models any more so than Batman.

[tomk]

Yeah I thought the "toys are aimed at an adult collector market" was actually shockingly smart handling of that whole thing.

[Marty]

I should note: I'm not find Dixie's answer to be funny as in "what was she thinking" funny. More along the lines of "truth is funnier than fiction" funny.

[Bix]

Not online at the original location anymore, so: http://www.mediafire.com/file/zjfnyiozkq5/

[sek69]

Meltz pointed out that Rey gave an interview where he discussed his pain pill problem that led to him having to go to rehab in 2008, the elephant in the room being how did that not show up on WWE wellness tests? I mean, we *know* how, but I guess it's another item on the pile of things no one in the press ever looks up when accepting Vince at face value that WWE testing is even somewhat legit.

[kjh]

Actually it was Bryan that pointed that out, but it begs the question what took him so long to make that observation. That pink elephant has always been in the room. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, two wrestlers whose pain pill addictions were probably worse than Rey's, never failed tests for abusing prescription medication either.

[jdw]

I could swear that Dave has from Day 1 reported that the WWE testing policy is written so the people *don't* have to be 100% clean:

 

Those that are truly tested (i.e. not including The Performer Known As Mr. McMahon) just need a Valid Reason (i.e. Note From Doctor a/k/a A Plausible Excuse) for What They're Taking while Maintaining The Condition To Perform.

 

So you don't want to test for Coke because it's kind of hard to get a Valid Reason for taking some toots or hitting the crack pipe.

 

But loads of painkillers?

 

Just need that Dr's Note, maintaining the ability to perform at the levels the WWE wants, and not taking so much that the test results go off the charts.

 

Same this with all the exuse people like Benoit had for taking steroids: their body wasn't producing enough testosterone or other similar excuses their Dr could come up with.

 

Of course there's also likely the Unwritten Rules of testing:

 

Thou Shall Not Test Triple H & Shawn Without Lots Of Advanced Warnings So They Can Clean Their Systems Out

 

Or even:

 

Fink Can Piss In The Jar For Trip

 

I mean... no one actually thinks Trip has been tested over the years in the same way that Rey has been, right?

 

Or that Vince ever has been consistently tested?

 

Point:

 

Pretty much everything I've said above has been written explicitly and/or alluded to by Dave over the years. He's usually been pretty onto the WWF/WWE testing over the years going back to the 80s, and pointing out the shortcomings.

 

Then again, perhaps Sek's "press" is aimed at the MSM rather than the Wrestling Press.

 

My response is that I don't think the MSM cares about Vince's testing. For the most part, they don't care about Vince or the WWE. They don't cover it all that much, so it just doesn't rate. I don't think any of us expect anything out of it, other than those who lament over the lack of coverage and respect that wrestling gets from the MSM.

 

I don't think that would include any of is here.

 

John

[Bix]

In fairness, in this specific case, Rey was probably at home injured/recovering from surgery when he checked himself into rehab if it went unnoticed. He wouldn't have been tested if he was at home.

[jdw]

And you're thinking that in his time with the WWE that Rey's test have show that he's taken 0 stuff?

 

Rey's riods have gotten a pass because he had a prescription for the old testosterone excuse.

 

His weed smoking is ignored.

 

His painkillers have a scrip and likely fall within whatever silly limits the WWE sets.

 

That's setting aside the times that he probably had had something stronger show up on the tests and had a Good Talking To.

 

In fact, I seem to recall he got suspened at least once for exceeding the allowable use levels in the WWE's testing program. Though I maybe thinking of someone else since it's hard to keep track of them in the company.

 

 

John

[Bix]

No, of course I don't think that he was clean the other times. I'm just saying that this specific case isn't the greatest example in the context that was given. He's obviously doctor shopped based on being one of the listed clients in the Astin case in spite of living thousands of miles away.

 

His suspension was a few months ago. Nobody's reported what it was for.

 

By the way, does anyone remember when the policy change to painkillers only being allowable when prescribed by company doctors was enacted?

[kjh]

In fairness, in this specific case, Rey was probably at home injured/recovering from surgery when he checked himself into rehab if it went unnoticed. He wouldn't have been tested if he was at home.

In fairness, that's a loophole in WWE's drug testing policy.

 

No, of course I don't think that he was clean the other times. I'm just saying that this specific case isn't the greatest example in the context that was given. He's obviously doctor shopped based on being one of the listed clients in the Astin case in spite of living thousands of miles away.

The fact that he was doctor shopping with Astin suggests that he's had a serious pain pill problem for several years and that he probably required rehab a lot sooner than he got it. Still passed all of WWE's tests. Which is problematic.

 

His suspension was a few months ago. Nobody's reported what it was for.

If Rey was telling the truth, it was a prescription issue, not a drug test failure.

[Ronnie]

Those that are truly tested (i.e. not including The Performer Known As Mr. McMahon) just need a Valid Reason (i.e. Note From Doctor a/k/a A Plausible Excuse) for What They're Taking while Maintaining The Condition To Perform.

Vince was discontinued as a performer (which was paying him a downside of $1m a year) about, oh, five minutes after the institution of the Wellness Policy.

 

I recall Vince stating in those congressional hearings that it's only performers that are tested (chosen by Dr Black). That's obviously his get-out, but who's to say that it doesn't apply to others too? It's not as though we've ever seen Hunter's contract to know that it's specifically a performer's one. I know if I were Vince I'd have Hunter signed to an employee's contract. Shawn too. And Dave. And Cena. And so on. I'd say that those guys are loyal enough to him that he'd never need to worry about them one day doing an interview where they reveal how they passed those tests, and he knows it too. Rey, and others like him, don't have that depth of relationship with him, so they get the occasional suspension when they fail the tests that they're occasionally subjected to.

[Wahoos Leg]

The double standard of the Internet "journalists" should be included in the conversation about drug problems in wrestling. They make fun of guys like Chris Masters for their obviously enhanced physiques, but guys like Benoit and Eddy got a pass even with their veins-a-poppin look because they were good wrestlers.

[Eduardo]

The Internet "journalists" also deserve a share of the blame. They make fun of guys like Chris Masters for their obviously enhanced physiques, but guys like Benoit and Eddy got a pass even with their veins-a-poppin look because they were good wrestlers.

I don't know about blaming people, but there are a lot of contradictions out there, like the one you alluded to.

 

I love hearing Bryan Alvarez use the talking point about how current WWE would never hire guys that don't look like cookie cutter bodybuilders but he can't help but talk shit about Trevor Murdoch, Mark Henry and Big Show for not looking like what he thinks pro wrestlers should look like. It seems very strange to hear him get so worked up over how Mark Henry looks.

[Bix]

According to Dr. Black's interview, he's given a roster by WWE, so it's theoretically possible that talent under the standard contract could be left off the list they provide to him so they're not tested. Since Black comes off as incredibly naive as opposed to a charlatan, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they do this and he has no idea.

 

On the other hand, Dr. Tracy Ray, the MD who oversees the request for therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs), is clearly doing whatever WWE wants him to do. Him being pretty much called out on it by the doctor interviewing him is my favorite non-Vince part of those interviews.

[Wahoos Leg]

The Internet "journalists" also deserve a share of the blame. They make fun of guys like Chris Masters for their obviously enhanced physiques, but guys like Benoit and Eddy got a pass even with their veins-a-poppin look because they were good wrestlers.

I don't know about blaming people, but there are a lot of contradictions out there, like the one you alluded to.

 

I love hearing Bryan Alvarez use the talking point about how current WWE would never hire guys that don't look like cookie cutter bodybuilders but he can't help but talk shit about Trevor Murdoch, Mark Henry and Big Show for not looking like what he thinks pro wrestlers should look like. It seems very strange to hear him get so worked up over how Mark Henry looks.

 

By that logic, Stan Hansen, Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch shouldn't have wrestled. What a foof.

[sek69]

Excusing wrestlers' obvious drug use based on their workrate has always been one of my main peeves with wrestling journalism. When guys like Eddy/Rey/Benoit went from WCW to WWF and suddenly got twice as muscular, no one batted an eye. I'm not naive enough to think they weren't on stuff in WCW either, but watching them on Nitros from 1998 on WWE 24/7 and then seeing them in the WWF about a year or two later really drives the point home what Vince's expectations are.

 

At least Dave just has a kind of resignation where he doesn't approve of it but just reports it as "well that's what they want their guys to look like". Guys like Bryan just rag on anyone who isn't built like a bodybuilder.

[Resident Evil]

Excusing wrestlers' obvious drug use based on their workrate has always been one of my main peeves with wrestling journalism. When guys like Eddy/Rey/Benoit went from WCW to WWF and suddenly got twice as muscular, no one batted an eye. I'm not naive enough to think they weren't on stuff in WCW either, but watching them on Nitros from 1998 on WWE 24/7 and then seeing them in the WWF about a year or two later really drives the point home what Vince's expectations are.

 

At least Dave just has a kind of resignation where he doesn't approve of it but just reports it as "well that's what they want their guys to look like". Guys like Bryan just rag on anyone who isn't built like a bodybuilder.

I batted an eye especially with those 3 (Rey less so because he didn't need to bulk up from his WCW days) because I knew what was going to happen and I knew it was going to be dangerous since they'd be taking the juice in excess. They have the steroid mindset. Back in 2000, it was one of main conerns for their health. After that as a fan, it was the WWF style and environment which I wasn't looking forward to. It's just not those three guys who have the mindset though. Others do and it will always be that way. Even people who are off the juice tend to have that mindset because of what is needed to be a professional wrestler.

[jdw]

 

Those that are truly tested (i.e. not including The Performer Known As Mr. McMahon) just need a Valid Reason (i.e. Note From Doctor a/k/a A Plausible Excuse) for What They're Taking while Maintaining The Condition To Perform.

Vince was discontinued as a performer (which was paying him a downside of $1m a year) about, oh, five minutes after the institution of the Wellness Policy.

Incorrect:

 

"Certain of our named executive officers have employment agreements that affect the compensation reported for them. We currently have employment agreements with each of Vincent McMahon and Linda McMahon having terms ending on October 14, 2010. Mr. and Mrs. McMahon also have booking contracts that are coterminous with their employment agreements."

- WWE DEF 14A filed 3/18/2009

 

He still has a booking agreement that covers him for his ongoing performances on TV and PPV.

 

What you're thinking about is this:

 

"From November 2004 through January 1, 2007, Mr. and Mrs. McMahon waived all compensation, consisting of salary, bonuses and booking fees, under the agreements. Since the beginning of 2007, they began receiving salary in the amount of $850,000, in the case of Mr. McMahon, and $500,000, in the case of Mrs. McMahon. They continue to waive all other compensation."

- WWE DEF 14A filed 3/18/2009

 

Reality Check: Vince's booking contract, which he continues to perform under:

 

Booking Contract with Vincent K. McMahon, dated February 15, 2000 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2000).

 

1. BOOKING

 

1.1 TALENT hereby grants exclusively to COMPANY, and COMPANY hereby accepts, the following worldwide rights:

 

(a) During the term of this Agreement as defined below, the right to engage TALENT's performance in wrestling matches at professional wrestling exhibitions, as well as appearances of any type at other events, engagements or entertainment programs in which TALENT performs services as a professional wrestler, entertainer or otherwise directed by COMPANY in its sole discretion (collectively the "Events"), whether such Events are staged before a live audience, in a television broadcast studio, on location (for later viewing or broadcast) or otherwise.

That covers both the "wrestling match" side, and the Entertainer side.

 

The contract specifically covers taking dope, the WWE's dope testing program, and Vince's obligations under it. The standard moral turpitude language:

 

9. TALENT'S OBLIGATIONS

 

[...]

 

9.14 TALENT shall act at all times with due regard to public morals and conventions during the term of this Agreement. If TALENT shall have committed or shall commit any act or do anything that is or shall be an offense or violation involving moral turpitude under Federal, state or local laws, or which brings TALENT into public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule, or which insults or offends the community or any employee, agent or affiliate of COMPANY or which injures TALENT's reputation in COMPANY's sole judgment, or diminishes the value of TALENT's professional wrestling services to the public or COMPANY, then at the time of any such act, or any time after COMPANY learns of any such act, COMPANY shall have the right to fine TALENT in an amount to be determined by COMPANY; and COMPANY shall have the right to suspend and/or terminate this Agreement forthwith.

 

But even more explicit, the Dope Testing language:

 

10. WARRANTY

 

[...]

 

10.2 TALENT represents, warrants and agrees that TALENT is in sound mental and physical condition; that TALENT is suffering from no disabilities that would impair or adversely affect TALENT's ability to perform professional wrestling services; and that TALENT is free from the influence of illegal drugs or controlled substances, which can threaten TALENT's well being and pose a risk of injury to TALENT or others. To insure compliance with this warranty, TALENT shall abide by COMPANY's Drug Policy for TALENT, as well as any and all amendments, additions, or modifications to the COMPANY's Drug Policy implemented during the Term of this Agreement and consents to the sampling and testing of his urine in accordance with such Policy. In addition, TALENT agrees to submit annually to a complete physical examination by a physician either selected or approved by COMPANY. COMPANY's current Drug Policy, which TALENT acknowledges herewith receiving, is annexed hereto and incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.

Even if we ignore Vince's regular 2009 appearances as "performing" (though the WWE contractually doesn't), the timeline is also an obvious problem:

 

February 2006 - Wellness Policy implemented

April 29, 2007 - Vince McMahon & Shane McMahon & Umaga defeated Bobby Lashley ©

June 3, 2007 - Bobby Lashley defeated Vince McMahon ©

 

A full year after the policy was rolled out, Vince was in the ring as the ECW Champ.

 

It's *possible* that Vince has been tested per the requirements of his contract. Possible. If he was, it hasn't been random, nor regular. Almost certainly it's been limited, he's been told well in advance, and he's either had plenty of time to get stuff out of his system... or he's had someone like Fink piss in the bottle for him.

 

I think we all know that the WWE Drug Policy all through the years has always been applied in different ways to different people.

 

John

[Bix]

At least as of the Congressional interviews, Vince had never been tested.

[jdw]

The double standard of the Internet "journalists" should be included in the conversation about drug problems in wrestling. They make fun of guys like Chris Masters for their obviously enhanced physiques, but guys like Benoit and Eddy got a pass even with their veins-a-poppin look because they were good wrestlers.

I'd carve out Dave from "internet journalists" on this one. Dave wrote about Eddy's issues for a long time. He also didn't shy away from Chris being large long before Chris went double homicide.

 

If there's a criticism of Dave on this issue is would be his comments with "look" can at times be at odds with his long standing writing about steroids being a problem in the business. I haven't talked to him about it for years, and don't listen to the WO Show, so I don't know how he currently reconciles and/or califies that two points. I suspect that he would put it that he wants wrestlers to stay in great shape and look athletic, but just without the juice and HGH.

 

That can be a minor criticism of Dave because his writing and position on roids in the business has been out there for so long (no later than Gino's death) and been so strong. It's just a little jarring when you run across the "look" comment in the middle of a piece.

 

John

[rovert]

In related news Umaga has died from ODing on painkillers

[Wahoos Leg]

In related news Umaga has died from ODing on painkillers

Died? I thought he was just hospitalized.

[jdw]

In related news Umaga has died from ODing on painkillers

Died? I thought he was just hospitalized.

 

Reports are conflicting.

 

John

[Sean Liska]

Dave keeps adding sentences to his original story. Newest one is that they believe it was a heart attack.