Vince McMahon Institutes New Drug Policy

[JustJoe2k5 0]

And why exactly is everyone to quick to not believe this story because it is on WWE.com? Have the announcements of superstars being released been false? Have the announcements of superstars passing away been false? WWE is even going as far as posting pre-RAW pictures which sometimes reveal returning talent before the show is on. It is obvious that they have been slowly taking the website from kayfabe to real life over the past year.

[Promoter 0]

I never believed that steroids in wrestling wasn't cheating either. As Jericho said in an interview last night on SportRadio in Toronto, pro wrestling is the strangest business in the world where it's half real and half fake. When the wrestlers start juicing it helps give them an upperhand with how they are pushed. I could be really off here, but I always felt that Triple H returned in 2002 so huge because he knew Hogan was returning as well as being home healing his injury. Dynamite Kid for all his talent used roids like crazy to remain competitive with the likes of guys who were bigger than him. Vince using that line about steroids in wrestling isn't cheating isn't true. There is no way Ric Flair would have become such a legend if he was mostly in Vince's company for his career. It's not really about believing the website, but making a spectacle about this new drug testing policy. They are notorious for turning everything into a spectacle.

[Guest drdrainoscott]

Many corporations, on their application information, have that info as well (I am applying for jobs now and have run into it).

 

You can't be serious with this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You've never seen something along the lines of "contingent on passing a drug test"?

[JustJoe2k5 0]

When you look at the WWE roster, most of the successful talent that doesn't have the "roided-up" bodies made their names in other promotions.

 

But, I really believe this is a serious effort by Vince McMahon to clean up his promotion. Had Hulk Hogan passed away in '92, it would have likely happened back then. It's sad that it took the passing of a superstar to get McMahon to do it, but atleast it is getting done.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Many corporations, on their application information, have that info as well (I am applying for jobs now and have run into it).

 

You can't be serious with this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You've never seen something along the lines of "contingent on passing a drug test"?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No no no, I know that companies have to make it known to applicants that drug testing is required. What I mean is, you can't be serious that this is proof that corporations announce their drug policies to the public and that its comparable to what the WWE is doing now. They, legally, have to do that.

[Promoter 0]

It's a lose-lose situation for Vince McMahon.  If he were to not announce the testing, people would say that it isn't happening.  If he were to announce the testing, people would say he isn't telling the truth.  I think they went public with the announcement because they knew there would be a call from wrestling fans for something like this to be implemented.  Perhaps he did this to save a trip to Washington to sit in front of a committee.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Well, if Vince was serious about this the first time when he could have gone to jail for a long time he wouldn't be put in such a tough spot. This is why I think people have a right to be cynical with this announcement. Just last year he was not taking this steroid thing seriously in public interviews. He is in a lose-lose situation, but what took so long? Remember Piper saying he didn't know how long he had to live on HBO with Vince Mcmahon? Soon, right after he was fired and they didn't address the problem.

[Guest drdrainoscott]

Many corporations, on their application information, have that info as well (I am applying for jobs now and have run into it).

 

You can't be serious with this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You've never seen something along the lines of "contingent on passing a drug test"?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No no no, I know that companies have to make it known to applicants that drug testing is required. What I mean is, you can't be serious that this is proof that corporations announce their drug policies to the public and that its comparable to what the WWE is doing now. They, legally, have to do that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

oh gotcha, I misunderstood

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

They do it for the same reasons that WWE is doing it, public pressure means a public solution.  However real sports have different legitimate concerns regarding steroids that make it more necessary to disclose this information to the public and take a stance on the matter.  Steroids in real sports are for performance, so people will feel cheated if athletes test positive for steroids.  Thats not the case in wrestling.  Steroids are there for cosmetic reasons.  It's apples and oranges.  Getting rid of steroids in sports is to make things more competitively even.  Getting rid of steroids in wrestling is to save lives. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So you're saying the steroid issue is more important in wrestling which is why it should be...LESS open? I don't follow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I am saying the WWE is doing this to protect themselves from the finger pointing they're getting and will get in the future. Think about it. If a wrestler dies in the future, which is not so much an if but a when, people will say "the WWE should have done something", like some of us did with Eddie. Well, the WWE will say "we test". So to avoid that finger pointing in the future, they have to make it public now. Their first interest isn't in protecting the wrestlers, it's protecting themselves. If they really wanted to protect their wrestlers, other measure would be implemented on top of the testing.

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

Hey - look what I found:

 

http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/494...0152/drugpolicy

[RedJed 0]

From Wrestlingobserver.com....

 

Vince McMahon announced to all the talent this afternoon in Sheffield, England, a new drug policy, which would include performance enhancing drugs, recreational drugs as well as abuse of prescription drugs.

 

In addition, the company is going to mandate more comprehensive cardiovascular examinations for its athletes. All performers under full-time contract will be subject to frequent, unannounced and random testing.

 

Unlike with the McMahon drug policy instituted between 1992-96, there will be a completely independent, and presumably autonomous figure in control of handling the testing, punishments and potential rehabilitation. The figure will report first to the talent to advise them of any positive results or alarming signs, and then report his findings to Vince McMahon afterwards. In the original policy, the doctor who headed the policy would report first to McMahon and generally, J.J. Dillon, and they would decide what action to take.

 

There are two other major differences between the old policy, dropped in 1996 for a number of reasons, basically financial (the policy cost $1 million plus annually and the company was running deeply in the red at the time) and because the WWF was involved in a promotional war with a company that wasn't nearly as strict on the steroid issue, and the fact is, bodies sell and it made a difference in the wrestling war at the time.

 

One is the emphasis on extensive cardiovascular examinations because of the deaths of so many relatively young wrestlers due to heart ailments, presumably brought on by use of both recreational drugs and abuse of performance enhancing drugs such as steroids That was a given due to the circumstances surrounding the heart damage Guerrero had, likely from years of abuse.

 

The other is more careful monitoring of prescription drugs, in particular pain killers. One of the flaws of the old testing was that wrestlers, who knew doctors in many cities, would get multiple prescriptions for the same ailment from doctors who liked being around the stars. Since the wrestlers had prescriptions for those drugs, when they showed up in their system, they were allowed to continue. While not made clear, it is believed this policy would monitor levels of pain killers, whether prescribed or not, and those with high levels would be addressed and likely taken off the road and put into rehab if necessary.

 

Shortly after the death of Brian Pillman, the WWF banned certain well-known doctors from its dressing rooms and told talent to stay away from them. There were two reasons for this, the obvious one of being concerned and reacting to Pillman's death, but the other reason that they had already been through a Zahorian trial and a McMahon trial. Indeed, one of the doctors in question at the time was feared to be "hot" (in that the feds were onto him) and his being linked with a substantial number of wrestlers if there was an arrest would have been disastrous. Even so, some major talent ignored the warnings and continued to see the doctors in question for their prescriptions. In the case of one of those doctors talent was warned to stay away from, Dr. Joel Hackett of Indianapolis, many wrestlers he was closely associated with in the 90s, are dead today. At least two, and likely more, of those who passed away, ignored the company directive and continued to see him.

 

It goes without saying, this was brought on by the death of Eddie Guerrero. We can be critical that prior warning signals were ignored, and probably should be. It would have been far worse for issues of this magnitude, particularly after a second scare this week involving Nick Dinsmore, who passed out after taking too many somas in the lobby of a hotel in Manchester, England, be ignored.

 

As far as discussions of what would come out of the death of Guerrero, it is believed they started as early as the day after, and the Dinsmore situation may not have even played a part.

 

No details were announced to talent because all the procedures will not be written up or finalized for several weeks. McMahon in a very short speech, that lasted less than five minutes, seemed to hint at suspensions for violations of non-prescription drugs, and rehab for abuse levels of prescription drugs.

 

One would suspect, and while this hasn't been said, that wrestlers will have fair opportunity to rid themselves of current issues, most notably steroids, some of which can stay in the system for lengthy periods of time. Using 1991 as an example, McMahon made a similar announcement to talent in July, after a damaging steroid trial. In November, months after everyone was told to get off steroids, 50% of the wrestlers in the company (and that percentage included both male and female talent) tested positive on the first test. The company policy became that those wrestlers had to show decreasing levels of steroids in future tests or be suspended. That policy was criticized at the time by some leading steroid doctors who stated to us that levels of steroids when it comes to being in tests fluctuate up and down, and levels themselves could increase even upon cessation of usage, but still, there were not a lot of policy violations, although numerous big stars, both in terms of bulk and stature in the industry, quit that year. The key point to look at was in late 1992, when business was falling badly, and depth of talent was not there as in years past, when Vince McMahon believed Davey Boy Smith and Jim Hellwig were using Growth Hormone to get around the company's policy, he fired both of them. Vince McMahon himself was also under fire at the time, with a governmental investigation going on, so had tremendous pressure to keep the wrestlers clean.

 

Nevertheless, no matter how it may be phrased, steroids, as an example, were tacitly approved of by the company, and while never verbally said so, in reality, encouraged based on decisions on who to push at what levels, combined with no testing or penalties involved with use. They were until recently in baseball as well. And there is no sport that has gotten the handle on controlling performance enhancing drugs. The top wrestlers, like top athletes in other sports, can find access to doctors who can teach them to beat the tests, and there is still Growth Hormone, that can't be tested for, and is known to enlarge hearts.

 

The only true cure is this. Promoters can't push people based on physique, and judge talent for jobs based on physique. The public can't be impressed by talent with better physiques in thinking that helps make them bigger stars. The talent itself has to no longer care how their physique looks. All three are impossible in the business as we know it. There is no true cure, only an attempt to do the best possible on all accounts. The fact there is no cure does not mean steps shouldn't be taken to help, and this appears to be a giant step, as compared to two weeks ago.

 

The reality is if there is a test in three weeks based on the standards that would be the goal, many would likely fail. McMahon stated they would be fair. However, it is also imperative McMahon discuss openly what that policy would be, such as how long wrestlers had to get steroids, just as an example, out of their system. It's a killer, because it would only admit to issues, but if there is testing one month from today, even if everyone involved goes cold turkey today, many would still fail. Half the performers failed four months after a similar meeting. If McMahon doesn't publicly explain, and take whatever early heat there would be, and if the public is told there are no failures, the credibility would have to be questioned. The point here is, it would be easy to just say suspend everyone who tests positive. There may not be enough guys to fill a roster, let alone two, not to mention the p.r. nightmare if major names suddenly disappear. They could wait six months and hope people clean out, and if that's the case, they also need to be open about this. During the 90s, there were wrestlers who tested positive that were allowed to stay on the road, but they were working without pay, under the guise they would both protect their reputations and also not interrupt existing storylines. If that's the case, the company also has to be open about this ahead of time. I don't care about pointing fingers and holding up examples of suspended guys to prove they are serious. But I do believe all aspects of the policy have to be open and honest, and not misleading.

 

If word spreads that things happen, such as a wrestler who failed a steroid test and then worked a European tour for several weeks because he was booked in main events and the depth was down at the time, in 2005, this will backfire. Also, talent will know if the policy is adhered to unfairly, and it's a very different world at this time, because if talent knows, we will all know soon enough, and all credibility will be lost. I believe that is a major reason why McMahon is going to have someone autonomous in control of the policy.

 

But the most important thing is to remember what the goal is. The goal for everyone is the health of the performers and hopefully never having to go through another week like we did, and far more importantly, that no more families will have to go through a lifetime of which they have been unfairly sentenced.

 

It is natural to be skeptical of this, and if McMahon is serious, we will see major physical changes in much of the talent, both men and women. It's going to be a tough pill for a lot of people, wrestlers, fans and management, to swallow. We will have to accept the standards of real bodies, as opposed to bodies by science, and perhaps of a standard of physical punishment in matches diminished to a degree based on not using artificial means of recovery.

 

If the changes are not significant, people are not stupid and will know this is a fraud. This is not just physiques, but the entire nature of the business and lifestyles of many of the performers, if this is an honest policy, will have to change.

 

This is, after all, pro wrestling, which hardly has a sterling track record for honesty. I also was in the same place Vince McMahon was this past week, and please don't think for a minute that he doesn't care. You couldn't be human without this making a huge impression and wanting to do everything in your power to keep this from happening again.

 

But even from a cold business perspective, the circumstances of why this happened and very different from any other period. We not only had the death of a popular performer, but judging from feedback, the fan base, and the media, are a whole lot more savvy on this subject than they were in 1991 or 1996. It is horrible it took what it did for these problems to be addressed. We've all heard many times that the only consolation is that Eddie is in a better place. Maybe a second consolation is that Eddie's most important legacy in this business is that it took his death to save the lives of others. We can't turn back the clock. We can only look to the future.

[Guest drdrainoscott]

If word spreads that things happen, such as a wrestler who failed a steroid test and then worked a European tour for several weeks because he was booked in main events and the depth was down at the time, in 2005, this will backfire.

 

That's referring to Sid right?

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like ya'll to meet our brand new drug tester...

 

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like ya'll to meet our brand new drug tester...

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Deaf Drug Tester! His finisher can be the DDT.

[2GOLD 0]

Just ask Jake Roberts, he can smell people and tell what drugs they are using and/or abusing.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Just ask Jake Roberts, he can smell people and tell what drugs they are using and/or abusing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

WWE Official: Why does he have his nose buried in Maria's ass?

 

Maria: What's a heroin?

 

Jake: Never you mind....never you mind.

[haVoc 0]

It would have been far worse for issues of this magnitude, particularly after a second scare this week involving Nick Dinsmore, who passed out after taking too many somas in the lobby of a hotel in Manchester, England, be ignored.

 

I have no idea what somas are.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

It would have been far worse for issues of this magnitude, particularly after a second scare this week involving Nick Dinsmore, who passed out after taking too many somas in the lobby of a hotel in Manchester, England, be ignored.

 

I have no idea what somas are.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This is from Yahoo Health (yeah I know):

 

Soma is a carisoprodol.

 

Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant. It works by blocking nerve impulses (or pain sensations) that are sent to your brain.

 

Carisoprodol is used, along with rest and physical therapy, to treat injuries and other painful muscular conditions.

[MrRant 0]

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like ya'll to meet our brand new drug tester...

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Deaf Drug Tester! His finisher can be the DDT.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Is he promoting Pepsi with his tat?

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Yes he is. He even had a faction called GeneratioNEXT for a while.

[Guest hasbeen]

Cutting down on the "insane" bumps, using chair shots rarely, will help in the painkiller part of it. Used to, chair shots were rare and always ended a match, now they're commonplace and don't have a lot of effect for the fans unless it's a total smash like Kennedy on Eddy on Smackdown.

[Guest *KNK*]

Yes he is. He even had a faction called GeneratioNEXT for a while.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Now we're just going to have a legion of confused people

[The Amazing Rando 0]

As opposed to what we have now?

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Okay I rewatched the video and it probably is Flair asking the prescription question because Vince names Kurt out loud for the second question and it's a different voice. Kurt asked if it would be random drug testing. Flair (?) asked if they would be able to gauge if somone has been using "a lot" of prescription drugs.

[Downhome 0]

From PWInsider:

 

I talked to a few wrestlers today after Vince McMahon's meeting with the talent this morning.  They are 100% behind the testing that WWE is doing, with the caveat being that no one is exempt and the rules are the same for everyone.  One wrestler I spoke with actually told me that he looks forward to taking the cardiovascular tests.

 

As for my reaction to the policy, people have asked me if this is a "dog and pony show" by Vince, done because of the profile of Eddie Guerrero's death.  My answer is this.  It may be, but does that really matter at this point?  Isn't a real policy more important, right now, than why WWE implemented it?  As I cryptically alluded to over the weekend, Nick Dinsmore was in bad shape before he was hospitalized.  In the past, we couldn't write the truth because, even if we were 100% correct, if we could not prove it in court, WWE and the talent could sue us and win.  Now, WWE has taken a huge first step and announced on their own website what Dinsmore's problem was.  I applaud that and think it's a great change for the company.  If they are going to continue on this road, I support them 100%. 

[Guest tony manero]

So, the "next to die" speculation was about Dinsmore, not Angle?

 

That's interesting.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

So he sees Eugene as a "Top Star"???

[Dangerous A 0]

No, it wasn't about Dinsmore. It just came out today that the reason Dinsmore was hopsitalized was overdosing on somas. Keller is still referring to Angle because he said that this particular person's death would be bigger than Eddie's death and while Eugene is over, he ain't that over.

[iliketurtles 0]

One thing to take into consideration is it's not like these wrestlers still can go out and get Amino Acids and stuff like that at GNC.

 

They'll still have good bodies and be very athletic, it's just you wouldn't see bodies like Snitsky and Masters anymore.

[NoCalMike 0]

I find it hilarious that Vince would come out with this new policy, considering the entire roster that came from WCW/ECW/Indy...etc....all had somewhat managable physiques BEFORE WWE, and somebody was obviously coaching them to become muscle-bound freaks in WWE.

[Enigma 0]

Rick Rude said that when he was in the WWF, Vince hinted at the fact he would promise him a push if he got "on the gas".