Your News, My Views Special Edition 8.31.07: The WWE Wellness Scandal

Today was a day like any other I thought. I sent Hana off to school; I worked out the MMA news column and 4R’s column and posted a bit of news on the site. As I prepared to head to job number three I posted this news bite: Your News:As of today WWE has suspended 10 of their performers based on information received from investigators in the Albany, NY district attorneys office. The names have not been made public, but these are full suspensions and over the next week, judging from who is and who isn’t on TV it may become clear as to who has been suspended.

These suspensions look to be based on proof that performers were using the Signature Pharmacy and or another Internet prescription firms after the implementation of the Wellness policy.

WWE has also announced to their employees that as of November 1st, the company will publicly release the names of anyone who is suspended under drug policy violations.

My Views: Damning news to be sure. Over the past year there have been major investigations centered on online drug prescription sites. Mainly due to them putting out illegal prescriptions, but also due to the abuse by athletes of these services to obtain various forms of testosterone, anabolic steroids and or HGH (Human Growth Hormone.) Places like Signature Pharmacy and or another Internet prescription firms have been named, and in the past wrestlers like Edge, Randy Orton and Shane Helms have been named. The key to these guys being named is that the instances happened before February of 2006 when the WWE Wellness Policy was put into practice. But with investigators from the Albany DA’s office looking into Signature Pharmacy and or other Internet prescription firms, things have heated up. suspensions look to be based on proof that performers were using the Signature Pharmacy and or another Internet prescription firms after the implementation of the Wellness policy, a policy that now appears to be a joke. While WWE has stated that as of November 1st, the company will publicly release the names of anyone who is suspended under drug policy violations, it all appears to be too little and too late.

When I was at work, the shit hit the fan for lack of a better word: Your News: Following WWE’s announcement today that they have suspended 10 Wrestlers for violating their Wellness Policy, The New York Daily News has put up an article revealing 11 WWE wrestlers who have been identified as customers of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. Signature Pharmacy was raided by authorities in February for distributing steroids and other drugs to people who had not been examined by doctors.

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

My Views: The number had jumped one to 11, and included some big WWE names. Randy Orton had been linked to steroids in the past ands at the time it was thought that he was wrongly on the list, more on that later. The same goes for Edge and Helms. Charlie Haas has been featured on Raw as of late as one half of the World’s greatest Tag Team. King Booker was just in the main event on Raw and in a marquee match at Summerslam. Mike Bucci is currently the head of WWE Developmental OVW and no longer under a performers contract. Santino Marella is currently featured on Raw. John Morrison is the current ECW champion, which causes a major blow to the brand. John Morrison has been the butt of many jokes of mine as I have referred to his abs failing wellness several times. William Regal drew a lot of doubt from people because, “he didn’t look like a steroid user.” There is NOT a specific look for steroid users. Ken Kennedy has been stating for weeks that he only did steroids and other similar drugs while on the independent scene, but “thanks to the strict WWE Wellness Policy” he was clean. He now looks like a complete fool. Chavo Guerrero was recently featured in a marquee match up at WWE Summerslam and heavily promoted on the Smackdown brand. While Edge and helms are suspended and Bucci is not a talent anymore, these are all names used on TV and PPV heavily.

But wait, there’s more: Your News: Following the New York Daily News reporting 11 WWE wrestlers as customers of Signature Pharmacy earlier today, ESPN has followed with their own article that names three new names in addition to three names mentioned in the NY Daily News article. ESPN is naming Shoichi Funaki, Dave Bautista (Batista), Adam Copeland (Edge), Chris Mordetsky (Masters), John Hennigan (Morrison), and Shane Helms as customers of Signature Pharmacy. Funaki, Batista, and Masters are new names while the other three were also named in the NY Daily News article.

My Views: Much like Regal, people said that Funaki “didn’t look like a user.” Once again, there is no look for a steroid user. Batista should come to no surprise to anyone as being named, with his body builder’s physique and repeated muscle tears, a tell tale sign of steroid usage. The other new name was that of Chris Masters, who has had “wellness” violations in the past, and shows a constantly growing, shrinking and then growing again physique, due to cycling on and off. The plot had thickened.

The AP picked up the story, and then SI got in on things and published this: Your News: Sports Illustrated has a new article online listing the names of drugs purchased by many of the WWE wrestlers named today as being linked to Signature Pharmacy, an online pharmacy that was raided in February for selling steroids and other drugs to people without being examined by doctors. The big new twist, however, is that the article also has dates of when these wrestlers purchased drugs, most of which fall after the start of the WWE Wellness Policy in February of 2006. My thoughts in bold:

-Chris Benoit is listed as having received nandrolone and anastrozole in February 2006. Anastrozole is a drug that is used by athletes to counter side effects of steroid use, such as water retention and breast enlargement.

First of all Benoit is deceased, but was in the company during the time of wellness. Second of all it is proven that he was taking copious amounts of testosterone and steroids that whole time. Strike one against the wellness policy.

-Eddie Guerrero is listed as having received nandrolone, testosterone, and anastrozole two weeks prior to his death on November 13th, 2005.

Eddie’s death was the reason the wellness policy was created, which is the main reason listed and that he did receive from the same place.

-Chavo Guerrero is listed as having received somatropin (HGH), nandrolone and anastrozole (among other drugs) from April 2005 and May 2006.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. HGH is also undetectable in testing. While he didn’t receive for long after implementation of the policy, he did receive after it was created. Strike two against the wellness policy.

-Shane Helms is listed as having received testosterone, genotropin (HGH) and nandrolone (among other drugs) from November 2003 to February 2007.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Also Shane was getting these drugs ONE YEAR after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Strike three against the wellness policy.

-Randy Orton is listed as having received somatropin, nandrolone, stanozolol from September 2004 through February 2007.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Much like Shane Helms Orton was getting these drugs ONE YEAR after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Strike four against the wellness policy.

-John Hennigan (John Morrison) is listed as having received somatropin, anastrozole, testosterone, stanozolol and human chorionic gonadotropin from June 2006 to February 2007. Human chorionic gonadotropin is taken by anabolic steroid users to stimulate the production of testosterone, which is suppressed as a result of steroid use.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Secondly, like Orton and Helms; Morrison was getting these drugs ONE YEAR after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Strike five against the wellness policy.

-Ken Andersom (Mr. Kennedy) is listed as having received anastrozole, somatropin and testosterone from October 2006 to February 2007. Kennedy made national TV appearances a few weeks ago denying any drug abuse since the start of WWE’s Wellness Policy and defending the policy, saying it was strict and legit.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Secondly, like Orton, Morrison and Helms; Kennedy was getting these drugs ONE YEAR after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Strike six against the wellness policy. Add into the fact that Kennedy was praising the wellness policy and stating that steroids and related drugs were a problem in the old days and NOT a problem now and not only does he and the policy come off as lacking completely in credibility, but he is now just a liar.

-Shoichi Funaki is listed as receiving somatropin in March 2006.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Much like Chavo he didn’t do it long into the policy, be he did break the rules and apparently never failed a test. Strike seven against the wellness policy.

-Brian Adams (Crush) is listed as having received nandrolone, testosterone and Somatropin or HGH in December of 2006. Adams was found dead of unknown causes on August 13th, 2007.

Adams is being named because he is a former WWE employee. I think it is unfair to lump him in with the WWE stars abusing the drug because it has nothing to do with WWE. But I also think it is important to mention him to prove that it is an industry wide issue and that even after people get out of the business, people are still using these drugs.

-Charlie Haas is listed as having received anastrozole, somatropin, stanozolol, nandrolone and chorionic gonadotropin from August 2006 to January 2007.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Secondly, like Orton, Morrison, Kennedy and Helms; Haas was getting these drugs ONE YEAR after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Strike eight against the wellness policy.

-Edward Fatu (Umaga) is listed as receiving somatropin from July 2006 to December 2006.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Secondly, like Haas, Orton, Morrison, Kennedy and Helms; Umaga was getting these drugs way after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Strike nine against the wellness policy. Come on man, your job is to be a big and fat Samoan, you don’t need the gas.

-Darren Matthews (William Regal) is listed as having received stanozolol, somatropin, genotropin, and anastrozole from November 2004 to November 2006.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Mr. Regal came close to using these drugs for 10-months after the policy was set in place. Strike ten against the wellness policy.

-Adam Copeland (Edge) is listed as having received somatropin, genotropin (both HGH), and stanozolol from September 2004 to February 2007.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Secondly, like Haas, Orton, Morrison, Kennedy and Helms; Edge was getting these drugs way after the policy was put into place and conveniently never failed a test. Sure he had injury issues, but he broke the policy and that is strike eleven against the wellness policy.

-Sylvain Grenier is listed as having received somatropin, nandrolone, genotropin and stanozolol from February 2005 to July 2006.

First of all we should notice that he received these drugs AFTER the policy was in place. Secondly, while he is no longer a current WWE employee, he was when receiving these drugs. Like Chavo and Funaki he didn’t receive them as long as other, but this evidence would be strike twelve against the policy.

WWE did respond to all of this via WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt, who appeared on “On The Record” on FOX News today. My thoughts in bold: Your News:

-McDevitt said that WWE met with investigators today who said that WWE performers were clients of Signature Pharmacy. He said that WWE officials told the investigators that once the information was confirmed, they would act on it, and once it was confirmed, Vince McMahon did act on it by suspending 10 wrestlers.

This is all true and logical. That doesn’t change that no one was busted before this and that the evidence is damning, but that is how it happened.

-McDevitt said that two more suspensions may come down tomorrow once they confirm the information with the talent.

I will be interested to see the official suspensions. Also, what does “suspension” mean? Will it be a classic WWE, “You work and just don’t get paid” or will they actually be suspended for 30-days like the policy said they would and sent home?

-McDevitt said that wrestlers have been told that they will be publicly identified in the future in hopes of bringing more transparency to the program and serve as a deterrent to wrestlers.

Well that is all fine and dandy, but it comes off as too little and too late. It should have been that way since day one.

-McDevitt said that this is not just a WWE problem. He said that Signature Pharmacy was sending drugs to policemen, firemen, and pro athletes. He said he heard that the NFL will be making an announcement soon. He said that human growth hormone is now the drug of choice and there is no way to test for that.

He is totally right that this is not just a “WWE” problem, but the statement does come off as passing the buck a bit. LOOK OVER THERE, THEY ARE DOING BAD STUFF TOO! DON’T BE MAD AT US!

The final word:
For now the above news is what we know. What I know is that there have been NUMEROUS infractions of the WWE Wellness policy that were allowed by the company. They have taken a policy that at one time looked good and perverted it along the way, made changes and made exceptions to the rules and went along like everything would have been fine.

Until today they were fine. Congress sent them a letter, they replied and agreed to send everything asked. WWE was fine because they had a policy that on the surface appeared to work. If Congress disagreed, then WWE was safe “because they tried” and then could have agreed to rework it when Congress asked them too. They did suspend people for violations and they had fired people for violations; until today they were fine.

But now that all of this damning evidence has come out, and it is damning, hell they’re screwed because now their much-praised Wellness Policy is nothing more than toilet paper, it is a joke and it is worthless. WWE as a company has a lot to answer for in regards to all of this. Dr. Black has a lot to answer for, because that man has no credibility. Ken Kennedy is a liar as I stated many weeks ago, a joke, a company shill; in the end he is full of shit.

I want to go back and look at something I said when the whole Benoit thing went down and that is this:

Your News: FOX 5 in Atlanta reports that DEA agents have once again raided the office of Dr. Phil Astin, Chris Benoit’s personal physician. Agents have also raided the home of Astin’s mother. Astin had been staying with his mother and agents did not want him destroying documents there.

It appears the agents are looking to find out if Astin was prescribing steroids to others and what the circumstances were.

My Views: As of yesterday Astin had turned himself in to face a single federal drug charge involving improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs. He had been suspended back in 96 or 97 for a short time due to a similar incident. Depending on what they find from the raid, this could be even bigger than it sounds and if the government gets froggy, expect other doctors of wrestlers to meet with investigation. It also came out that his doctor prescribed him a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids every three-four weeks, between May 2006-May 2007, that is according to an affidavit made public Monday. Holy shit that is a lot of gas. I mean, damn, was he walking around with a needle hanging from his ass? We all knew he was on the gas, but man, that is an insane amount of it. Also, when he was down for his neck injury, you would assume he would drop off for a bit and cycle down, no, he stayed gassed up because he was afraid of getting small and losing his spot. To put this into perspective, he was given roughly 10-years of steroids in ONE YEAR! Now, this is also bad because no public perception will be that the Wellness Policy is bullshit, which it is because they have it set so that you can get around it and still be on the gas, just not too much gas. Also, if he wasn’t doing all of those steroids, and I don’t think it is humanly possible to take that much for that long in that short a time and live, then what we have is a mark doctor that became friends with a wrestler and would give him a prescription so that he could “pass the gas” to his friends as they say. This opens up another whole can of worms, and further more could cripple WWE. Astin was prescribing Benoit regular steroids, nothing fancy or stealthy like BALCO was designing. So now what? Did Benoit know a way to beat the test, or is it that the testing, as I have said due to where they set the levels and let you have the baseline, a bunch of horseshit? This will not go away, the roid rage stories will increase, as well as a cry for some form of regulation.

WWE had a chance, 18-months ago they had a chance to set up a real policy, and at first they did that.
-Guys got smaller.
-Guys were taken off the road.
-Guys were pulled from PPV.
-This was serious business.

And then Vince got scared, scared of the bottom line, scared of losing viewers, losing money, scared that his fans, who he had conditioned over the years to think bigger is better wouldn’t accept the “new look” WWE.

-The policy changed.
-Suspensions severely downgraded.
-Pay cut instead.
-Guys staying on the road, living the life and not getting clean.

They say that they are testing and they are. But the fact is that they have the tests set so that you can get around it, if you are smart. Don’t go above that initial baseline. Don’t go above the set standard of steroids that is 6 xs’s what it should be. The WWE has told Newsday yesterday that it will make any improvements necessary in its Wellness policy, but they didn’t give any details. They say that they are aggressive, especially for an entertainment company. But when you look at the WWE and see Dave Batista, John Cena and Bobby Lashley; hell even Vince himself, four larger than life physiques, to the normal person that is sending a very mixed message. Now is the time to change things. Not because I think so or you think so, and not only for the health of the performers; but also for the health of the business. Look, we all know that Vince doesn’t walk around with a backpack and say “TAKE YOUR SHARE AND GET JACKED!” But the perception in the business is bigger is better and biggest is best. It is in WWE,TNA, ROH and the Indies, even small ass ones I worked. It needs to change before it is made to change or before something horrible happens again. The stigma of wrestling before this was not great and is even worse now. If things don’t change the business as we know and love it will change, and in possibly a bad way, bad to the point that it may not be around. That’s not drama, that’s fact.

Sometimes I hate when I am right. This is the horrible thing, this is a scandal and right before the Congressional hearings. There is never a good time for a scandal but after the Benoit tragedy, the mainstream jumping on the steroid bandwagon and the hearings on the way, things look very bad. I take no happiness in this, I love wrestling, the business and the people in it; but this is bad folks, worse than anyone could have imagined.

Also TNA, you have been warned and served. You’re probably next.

Stay tuned to 411 as we follow this story.

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