Congress Asks Vince McMahon For WWE Testing Details & Results

[Enigma 0]

From ESPN:

 

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Two congressmen responsible for conducting steroid hearings into Major League Baseball have requested that Vince McMahon, the head of World Wrestling Entertainment, provide records pertaining to the WWE's testing policies.

 

In a three-page letter dated Friday, Rep. Henry Waxman, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Tom Davis, its ranking minority member, asked McMahon to provide a series of documents intended to give the committee and its investigation a detailed look at WWE's drug-testing policy, including information about the results of performance-enhancing drug tests on pro wrestlers.

 

"The tragic deaths of World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit and his family have raised questions about reports of widespread use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs by professional wrestlers," the congressmen wrote.

 

"These allegations -- which include first-hand reports of steroid use by prominent former wrestlers -- have swirled around the WWE for over a decade. Investigations by journalists have described a culture of performance-enhancing drug use in professional wrestling, high fatality rates among young professional wrestlers, and an inability or unwillingness of WWE to address these problems."

 

The letter from Waxman and Davis described WWE wrestlers as "multimedia stars that have an influence on the behavior and attitudes of the nation's youth."

 

"WWE has a responsibility to do everything possible to eliminate the use of performance-enhancing drugs -- or the perception of such use -- by its wrestlers."

 

The records request is wide ranging, and parallels what was asked of Major League Baseball. It seeks a list of drugs covered by its policies; the entity that conducts its drug testing; the number of tests it conducts annually; the protocols followed after a positive test; and the procedures for awarding exemptions.

 

It also wants hard figures about the number of tests that the WWE conducts each year; the numbers of wrestlers tested; positive results for each specific drug; and the number of positive tests for which wrestlers were penalized.

 

In an attempt to investigate the WWE's reaction to past scandals, the committee is also seeking "the results of any investigations prepared [by the company] regarding the deaths, injuries, or illnesses of current or former professional wrestlers that may have been related to the use of steroids."

 

It adds to the list "all communications between [the company] and outside entities including communications with health care professionals or law enforcement authorities, regarding allegations of drug use by wrestlers."

 

 

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Hear that sound... that's everyone at WWE headquarters collectively shitting a brick.

[haws bah gawd 0]

So, anyone think this will lead to a repeat of the events of the early 90's? WWE starts pushing the smaller wrestlers (i.e. Bret Hart's push) to show that "you dont have to be on 'roids to get ahead in the company", to get congress off it's back?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Until something major happens out of this, the big guys and juicers will keep getting the top pushes.

[Enigma 0]

Well, there is a reason why Bobby Lashley has gone from feuding with John Cena to Carlito.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I think Lashley is feuding with Carlito simply so he can squash someone and look strong after doing his first clean job in forever.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The records request is wide ranging, and parallels what was asked of Major League Baseball. It seeks a list of drugs covered by its policies; the entity that conducts its drug testing; the number of tests it conducts annually; the protocols followed after a positive test; and the procedures for awarding exemptions.

 

I find this to be the most interesting statement in the whole article. Once they get into seeing the flaws in the testing program, the many guys with "presciptions", the unreported failed tests and everything else that makes their policy a joke, the WWE might be in some serious shit. If it really parallels what they have done to MLB, this won't go away easily and the WWE will forced into wholesale changes.

 

If anything, it looks like there might be some industry changing positives associated with the Benoit tragedy.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

As long as everyone stays in business an I don't lose my TV shows, PPVs, DVD releases, and 24/7 broadcasts (selfish, I know), hooray for possible positive changes.

[LJSexay 0]

this is great.

[AntiLeaf33 0]

Hopefully this will lead to smaller talented wrestlers getting pushes over the typical juiced up guys they push now

[Celtic Guardian 0]

Here's the key sentence to me.

 

The letter from Waxman and Davis described WWE wrestlers as "multimedia stars that have an influence on the behavior and attitudes of the nation's youth."

 

Congress could easily go into the "protect youth from evil influences" mode on this one. We have not heard the last of this controversy, we've barely heard the first of it.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Hopefully this will lead to smaller talented wrestlers getting pushes over the typical juiced up guys they push now

 

 

I could care less what size guys are. I just want the industry cleaned up so that my favorite wrestlers stop dying in their 40s.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Hopefully this will lead to smaller talented wrestlers getting pushes over the typical juiced up guys they push now

I think this is naive. Big guys like Gorilla Monsoon, Haystacks Calhoun, Sky Hi Lee and many others received big pushes long before steroids existed.

 

I don't intend for this to become yet another argument about what works in wrestling. Let me just say that some actions on this level may be harmful to the wrestling industry, and ultimately to the quality of the show. I highly doubt this will lead to positive changes. Government action may at best lead to a revised steroid policy with more smokescreens. Anything further than that, independent government testing for example, jeopardizes the industry.

[Ripper 0]

This goes back to my argument in the other thread though. While how they apply their testing policies might not be up to task, their WRITTEN policy is actually a solid one. And its solid for reasons like this.

 

The records request is wide ranging, and parallels what was asked of Major League Baseball. It seeks a list of drugs covered by its policies; the entity that conducts its drug testing; the number of tests it conducts annually; the protocols followed after a positive test; and the procedures for awarding exemptions.

 

It will have no problem standing up when it comes to this.

 

It also wants hard figures about the number of tests that the WWE conducts each year; the numbers of wrestlers tested; positive results for each specific drug; and the number of positive tests for which wrestlers were penalized.

 

This is where its going to get hit the fanish.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

How 'solid' can a written policy be when it's got so many holes in it?

[Dangerous A 0]

I think Bruce Mitchell said it best on PWTorch forums...

 

"Here we go".

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Here's a more pertinent question. Can Congress honestly get those test results? I don't see how they have a right to them.

[AlaskanHero 0]

How 'solid' can a written policy be when it's got so many holes in it?

Those holes are there because the workers abuse the fact that they are allowed to use steroids and whatnot if they have a prescription and by the company not really showing much concern that the wrestlers are abusing said loophole. It's like carnival folks trying to run a game legitimately. The game and rules can be perfectly fair and on the level, and the carny will play fair for a little while at least. However, when things stop going their way, the carny will go back to his old ways.

[JPopStarKami 0]

Here's a more pertinent question. Can Congress honestly get those test results? I don't see how they have a right to them.

 

Can't they get a warrant or something to that element?

[haVoc 0]

A warrant would be their best bet. Get the documents for the outside company instead of trusting Vince McMahon's altered versions.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

How 'solid' can a written policy be when it's got so many holes in it?

Those holes are there because the workers abuse the fact that they are allowed to use steroids and whatnot if they have a prescription and by the company not really showing much concern that the wrestlers are abusing said loophole. It's like carnival folks trying to run a game legitimately. The game and rules can be perfectly fair and on the level, and the carny will play fair for a little while at least. However, when things stop going their way, the carny will go back to his old ways.

Which is what makes the policy a joke. Shakespeare could write the thing, but if it's filled with loopholes and 'outs' to enable the continued abuse of drugs, then how well it's written is irrelevant.

[Dangerous A 0]

Here's a more pertinent question. Can Congress honestly get those test results? I don't see how they have a right to them.

 

Can't they get a warrant or something to that element?

 

 

They don't have a right to them. It's why they're asking. If WWE doesn't satisfy the government's queries, they'll be on the Hill in the form of a congressional hearing. It would be in WWE's best interests to comply as best they can or we'll be seeing what we saw in Baseball with Sosa, McGwire, etc. except with HHH, Taker, and HBK. (that would get me to finally watch C-SPAN)

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

But wouldn't they go all Murder on the Orient Express and just deny that anyone every did anything wrong?

[Guest whizzo]

ya know not too long ago when people spoke of pushing the smaller guys instead of the roid monsters most people would have brought up benoit or rey.........

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

ya know not too long ago when people spoke of pushing the smaller guys instead of the roid monsters most people would have brought up benoit or rey.........

 

 

Then those people are extremely naive. I suspect just about everyone that's been in the WWF the last 20 years of doing steroids. That may not be fair, but there's just way to tell who is and isn't on them.

[Celtic Guardian 0]

UPDATED: Full letter link here (PDF file), from the committee itself.

[Enigma 0]

That would be awesome if HHH and UT were in Congress. You know, the two guys who are currently treating injuries which many sports people define as "steroid injuries" in terms of tendons being totally ripped off the bone.

[Ripper 0]

How 'solid' can a written policy be when it's got so many holes in it?

Those holes are there because the workers abuse the fact that they are allowed to use steroids and whatnot if they have a prescription and by the company not really showing much concern that the wrestlers are abusing said loophole. It's like carnival folks trying to run a game legitimately. The game and rules can be perfectly fair and on the level, and the carny will play fair for a little while at least. However, when things stop going their way, the carny will go back to his old ways.

Which is what makes the policy a joke. Shakespeare could write the thing, but if it's filled with loopholes and 'outs' to enable the continued abuse of drugs, then how well it's written is irrelevant.

 

 

Please point to me any type of policy or law that doesn't have loopholes.

 

Thats the same for every sports drug policy.

 

[Guest NateW]

As long as other promotions fly under the radar the government won't clean up anything and this would all be a waste of time.

[Dangerous A 0]

This looks to have some legs to it. Other promotions are not going to get hammered as much publicly because WWE makes hand over fist cash while every other promotion in the US either barely breaks even (ROH and a couple Indies) or are huge money losers (TNA and everyone else). Because WWE is far and ahead the leader in pro wrestling and are a publicly traded company, they are going to come under heavy scrutiny.

 

To the winner goes the spoils.