sek69 Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 There is considerable unhappiness regarding drug testing, particularly in the wake of what happened with Umaga. There’s always going to be the problem with the heat and fines on smoking pot, because the guys see it as benign in the big picture. Until recently, the belief was that the testing was legit and that favorites weren’t played. The belief was some guys are able to stay looking enhanced because they were able to beat the testing and that performance enhancing drugs were still part of it, but not that the testing was unfairly administered. We have no evidence to contradict this, but many of the wrestlers no longer believe it and several are very unhappy. The basic story is that one top guy is rumored to have failed a steroid test (and keep in mind there are a few guys on the roster with exemptions where they can use testosterone, like Chris Benoit, for medical reasons that have been approved), that it was never reported, and was part of a cover up and the guy told someone about it in detail and word got around. Before, given that Jeff Hardy was suspended before a WrestleMania, the belief was that if you really got caught, you were going to be suspended, and Hardy, one of the company’s biggest stars coming at the time he was suspended, was proof of it. Now, the Harry Smith situation raised some eyebrows but Smith was suspended, maybe well after he failed the test and the whole way it happened was weird, but Smith did fail a test, it wasn’t covered up, he was suspended, and it was publicly announced. Part of the problem has come because of people believed nobody was above the system except obviously Vince, who isn’t tested. It’s questionable whether the person in question even is a bigger star than Hardy (honestly, it’s questionable anyone on the roster right now with the exception of Cena, and right now Cena very well may not be as popular but he is a bigger star). Again, I’ve got no proof of anything to the story other than there are very detailed accounts and it’s widely believed by the wrestlers. It wasn’t that big of a deal except that was combined with Umaga being gone. Umaga was generally very popular although once he turned down going to rehab, the company at that point in theory had no choice (although several have pointed out Kurt Angle turned down going to rehab in 2006 and not only wasn’t suspended but continued to wrestle). The whole issue is always dicey including the question regarding Jeff Hardy, if he does leave for a few months and then comes back, and Chris Masters, who is coming back after two strikes, as to how a new violation would be handled. I wonder if the top guy rumored to have failed a test was Kane. It seems like his recent vacation was just long enough to be a cover for a Wellness violation. I'd have to think one of the "top guys with exemptions" would have to be Batista. No way a guy his age can keep the physique he has in a post-Wellness world without some kind of get out of jail free card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 I don't think Kane is a guy they would protect, even though he's got long tenure with the company. The chosen few are obviously Cena, Batista, Hunter, Orton, Taker, Shawn and maybe Edge. Meltzer was probably talking about Batista, given that there were rumors going round when he went down with his bicep injury that he had failed a drug test. I think the double standards stem from the company viewing violations for recreational drugs and pain pills a lot more seriously than steroid violations. They still want their top stars to have larger than life physiques, but obviously don't want their wrestlers in no state to perform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 I agree, it sounds like Batista to me as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it is true, so it's plausible even if it's just a rumor. Batista telling someone about it and it leaking would also be pretty consistent with what we have read about him in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Morris Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 I agree with those who have said it sounds like Batista. Part of me suspects Batista is going to end up like Billy Graham and Lex Luger in his older years, where he'll need to walk with the aid of a cane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 Probably Batista, but I suspect that Kane's absence was a wellness suspension for reasons that aren't entirely restricted to his tv disappearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Meltz said a couple of weeks ago that Kane was taking a break to mend his body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Lots of that going around lately. In a possibly related note, Undertaker sure does take tons of time off. I don't think he's wrestled more than three months without being sidelined in years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cox Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Even though Taker can still have good matches and all, his body is pretty clearly telling him he's gotta retire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boondocks Kernoodle Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Dave has said that there were guys telling him in '98 that it was Taker's last year as a wrestler. I hope all that money he has buys him a nice wheelchair. Also, does anyone else find themselves now asking what was up with Edge's three-month break last fall? They don't just give main eventers a whole quarter of a year off with a fake injury unless it's Michaels or Undertaker, especially not when the top heel in his absence is the, shall we say, unpolished Vlad Kozlov. I can't imagine they would just give him that time off to rest, not when he was out four months with an injury in '07. One thing Dave doesn't point out with regards to Jeff Hardy's suspension in '08 is that Hardy apparently tested positive for a recreational drug. I have no doubt that WWE sees recreational drug use as a negative and something they don't want their wrestlers doing. Therefore, especially considering Jeff's past, they thought it was necessary to force him to clean up, because if they didn't, it would send the message to the other guys that getting high is OK. WWE doesn't want to send an anti-steroid message to their wrestlers, they just want them to use better masking agents. So if a main eventer tests positive for the juice, sweep it under the rug and hope nobody notices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrestlingPower Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 I'm guessing Kane is the one here as I don't think Meltzer would argue that Jeff is a bigger star or more protected than Batista. Even if Jeff is currently more popular than Big Dave, I'm sure the company still sees Dave in the pecking order with the other protected few. Given Kane's been a company man for so long I could see him being protected more than a flighty Jeff Hardy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boondocks Kernoodle Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 But it's not questionable whether Kane is a bigger star than Jeff Hardy. He's not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 Taker was mentioned earlier in the thread, and that made me remember how it went fairly unmentioned that he suddenly got cut as hell when he was in line to get a big title run. Suddenly every week he was taking the straps down like Jerry Lawler circa 1977 and looking like the most questionably buff 40-something since Barry Bonds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 End result: his planned lengthy title run lasted just one month due to suffering a serious muscle tear. Hmm, funny that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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