TNA get their letter

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

- August 14, 2007 -

 

STEARNS JOINS CHAIRMAN IN REQUESTING DRUG PREVENTION RECORDS FROM ADDITIONAL PRO WRESTLING GROUPS

 

REQUEST SENT TO TOTAL NON-STOP WRESTLING & NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE - WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT ALREADY CONTACTED

 

WASHINGTON, AUG. 14, 2007 - Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, joined the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), in contacting additional professional wrestling associations regarding their drug prevention efforts. Stearns and Rush requested this information from World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. last month.

 

"After I called for a congressional hearings on the use of steroids and other drugs in professional wrestling, I have heard from wrestlers that steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry," said Stearns. "Trafficking in steroids and other drugs is a felony and their use without a prescription is also a crime. In addition to ensuring that our laws are respected, Congress has a responsibility to protect young people from the harmful impact of drug use in pro wrestling. Some 1 million children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."

 

The associations are asked to outline their drug-testing policies and efforts to detect and prevent the use of steroids and other drugs. As a result of the numerous premature deaths of wrestlers, in many cases involving drugs, Stearns and Rush have discussed holding a hearing in the fall to look into drug use within the industry.

 

For Further Information Please Contact Paul Flusche at 202-225-5744 or Email.

 

August 13, 2007

 

 

Ms. Dixie Carter

 

President

 

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

 

209 10th Avenue South, Suite 302

 

Nashville , Tennessee 37203

 

 

Dear Ms. Carter:

 

 

We are writing to request information regarding the response of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) to allegations of pervasive use of steroids and other drugs by professional wrestlers. The tragic death of Mr. Chris Benoit and his family has focused attention on the seriousness of the problem. Illegal steroid use in professional sports has gained plenty of attention, but the record suggests that the problem is most pervasive and deadly in pro wrestling, an unregulated form of entertainment that is watched on TV and in arenas by an estimated 20 million fans a week, including children. See e.g., attached USA TODAY investigative report, "High death rate lingers behind fun facade of pro wrestling."

 

 

 

As Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over sports-related matters, we are monitoring this situation very closely. We request a briefing on this matter at the earliest possible time We also are considering a hearing on this matter, and whether there is a need for Federal regulation to protect the health and safety of the wrestlers. In the 109 th Congress, the Subcommittee held a hearing on "Steroids in Sports: Cheating the System and Gambling Your Health," and reported legislation, H.R. 1862, the Drug Free Sports Act

 

 

 

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. implemented a Talent Wellness Program in February 2006. Please advise the Subcommittee by close of business on August 28, 2007, whether TNA has adopted a similar program. If so, please provide the Subcommittee with a copy of your program, as well as any other relevant records detailing the specifics of the program as well as TNA' s implementation and interpretation thereof. Records include memoranda, correspondence, and electronic communications. Please also describe any and all actions that TNA has taken - either within or outside any such program - to detect and prevent steroid abuse. Information, including the aggregate number of random tests conducted in each month this year, would assist the Subcommittee in its review, and we request that you provide that information, as well. We are sending similar information requests to other wrestling leagues.

 

 

 

Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact us, or have your staff contact Christian Tomatsu Fjeld or Consuela Washington with the Majority Committee staff at (202) 225-2927 or Brian McCullough or Will Carty with the Minority Committee staff at (202) 225-3641.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Bobby L. Rush

 

Chairman

 

Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection

 

 

Cliff Stearns

 

Ranking Member

 

Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection

 

 

Attachment

 

 

cc: The Honorable John D. Dingell, Chairman

 

Committee on Energy and Commerce

 

 

The Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member

 

Committee on Energy and Commerce

[claydude14 0]

TNA can thank the Pac-Man Jones angle for getting their name out there in the mainstream at the wrong time.

[fazzle 0]

TNA's drug testing consists of going around asking people if they're on drugs. And then saying "Really? REALLY? ok" When they say no.

[Boxer 0]

I wonder what Angle is thinking now. And other guys who left the WWE under ausipicious circumstances like TEST!

[edgehead69 0]

Expect firings in the near future for TNA

[Steviekick 0]

Well I guess Shelly, Sabin and co. will all get that TV time they deserve.

[AlexPuma 0]

Who on the roster would be in big trouble with the testing? I'm thinking (going off of TNAwrestling.com's roster list):

'

"The Punisher"

BG James

Kevin Nash

Kip James

Kurt Angle

Raven

Scott Steiner

Tomko

 

Will all be in trouble of some sort. Not sure if Raven is clean now or not, but I hope he is. There are guys like Brother Devon or Rhino who might be on something, but that is just speculation from my end.

[dubq 0]

Nash? How so?

[Bix 0]

I would say "most of the roster" if there was serious testing.

[zappafrank 0]

August 13, 2007

 

 

Ms. Dixie Carter

 

President

 

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

 

209 10th Avenue South, Suite 302

 

Nashville , Tennessee 37203

 

 

Dear Ms. Carter:

 

 

Does anyone realize what this means?

 

It means that she's at least not married!!! WOO HOO!!!!

 

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMILFY!!!

[CubbyBr 0]

So long Big Poppa Pump...

 

[Jericho2000Mark 0]

So long Sonjay...

[JustJoe2k5 0]

I kind of hope someone like Shark Boy is the first to be caught.

[Bix 0]

August 13, 2007

 

 

Ms. Dixie Carter

 

President

 

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

 

209 10th Avenue South, Suite 302

 

Nashville , Tennessee 37203

 

 

Dear Ms. Carter:

 

 

Does anyone realize what this means?

 

It means that she's at least not married!!! WOO HOO!!!!

 

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMILFY!!!

No, Ms. is ambiguous.

[cabbageboy 0]

Well, it seems like I read that Dixie Carter is in fact married but if she's not.....well, Jeff Jarrett is now a widower.

[Nate 0]

does TNA actually have a drug policy in place, because i remember hearing when Sean Waltman was in TNA couple years ago, he was smoking a joint backstage and nothing was ever said, although i could be wrong about that

[RedJed 0]

does TNA actually have a drug policy in place, because i remember hearing when Sean Waltman was in TNA couple years ago, he was smoking a joint backstage and nothing was ever said, although i could be wrong about that

 

its never been anything official, but this will force their hand to have something, ANYTHING, in place. I'm all for it since I thought WWE shouldnt have solely been targeted with all of this anyway - if congress, and in turn the industry itself, wants changes, well then everyone pretty much needs to be included.

 

With that said, what about the NWA being counted as well? That in itself may be a really rough deal because there are so many NWA territories, some of a very low budget.

[luke-o 0]

Not sure if Raven is clean now or not, but I hope he is.

 

I think he is, but if he isn't, I'd imagine it's to help him get over his thyroid.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

does TNA actually have a drug policy in place, because i remember hearing when Sean Waltman was in TNA couple years ago, he was smoking a joint backstage and nothing was ever said, although i could be wrong about that

 

I remember hearing some backstage story before about BG James, Killings and some weed, so I wouldn't be surprised.

[Jingus 0]

With that said, what about the NWA being counted as well? That in itself may be a really rough deal because there are so many NWA territories, some of a very low budget.

That's actually the most important part of the story. If Congress starts investigating indy wrestling, and finds out just how scummy and illegal most of their business practices are, well bye-bye indy wrestling. HOW illegal: well over 90% of them pay no taxes whatsoever. And I could tell stories of at least one former NWA president who was a known homosexual that abused his workers and often paid them in weed instead of money... ALLEGEDLY [/kathy griffin].

[haws bah gawd 0]

One of things we can almost say for certain is bye-bye Kurt Angle. I hope Raven has gotten clean. If some of these other ex WWE guys have to go due to the testing, I'd love to see Raven get another run at the top.

[Steviekick 0]

As of his 2003 interview, Raven said he's been clean.

 

I couldn't see him getting back into drugs again, especially with all the health problems he has had the last few years.

[razazteca 0]

bye bye Hernandez?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Hasn't TNA claimed that they don't have the financial resources to do independent testing? We all know that's a load of crap, but if they start instituting testing things will change quickly. That company's been a haven for drug abusers.

[Jingus 0]

TNA claimed that they don't have the financial resources to do independent testing

Says the company funded by the giant oil conglomorate that provides power to 10% of the country.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

I wonder if Nate has gone one further then his one man boycott of TNA, and has infact decided to bring the company down to its knees by tipping off Congress.

[Steviekick 0]

Does it make me evil for thinking that TNA was happy for the fact that getting the letter means that they are getting recognition?

[Nate 0]

I wonder if Nate has gone one further then his one man boycott of TNA, and has infact decided to bring the company down to its knees by tipping off Congress.

 

no i did not tip them off, if i remember right they were gonna look at TNA before i decided to Boycott TNA

[Jingus 0]

Does it make me evil for thinking that TNA was happy for the fact that getting the letter means that they are getting recognition?

Sadly, you're probably right. "Look, it says our name right next to the WWE's! WE'RE RELEVENT, DAMMIT!"

[edgehead69 0]

Does it make me evil for thinking that TNA was happy for the fact that getting the letter means that they are getting recognition?

Sadly, you're probably right. "Look, it says our name right next to the WWE's! WE'RE RELEVENT, DAMMIT!"

 

TNA just loves to goad and goad at everybody... "look we can be big too, lets say the name of the competition and say that they suck in order to be popular!"

They couldve been a threat to WWE, now they are a threat to reruns of Everybody loves Raymond