RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Sports and Wrestling Top WWE names emerge in doping scandal

The WWE was rocked again today, after several of wrestling's top names emerged in the Albany district attorney's probe into a widespread Internet doping scandal.

The wrestling conglomerate based in Stamford announced that it will suspend 10 of its biggest stars for violation of its wellness policy.

In a list obtained exclusively by the Daily News, top wrestlers Randy Orton, Charles Haas, Jr., Adam "Edge" Copeland, Robert "Booker T" Huffman, Shane Helms, Mike Bucci, Anthony Carelli, John "Johnny Nitro" Hennigan, Darren "William Regal" Matthews, Ken "Mr. Kennedy" Anderson, Eddie "Umaga" Fatu, Shoichi Funaki and Chavo Guerrero were all identified as clients of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, the site raided by Albany County and Florida law enforcement agencies in February for distributing steroids and other prescription drugs to clients who had not been examined by doctors. The investigation is part of a probe into illegal Internet drug distribution by Albany D.A. David Soares.

It is unclear at this time which of these wrestlers will be suspended by the WWE.

The WWE said in a statement that it issued suspension notices based on independent information received from the Albany D.A.

The WWE's announcement comes as members of Congress prepare to investigate steroid use in professional wrestling, as the Daily News reported today.

Two of its recently deceased stars - Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero - also received steroids and other drugs from Signature, as prescribed by Florida physician Gary Brandwein, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal diversion of prescription drugs. Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself in June and Guerrero died in a Minneapolis hotel in 2005 from heart disease.

Guerrero received the steroids testosterone and nandrolone, along with the estrogen-blocker anastozole, a drug commonly taken by men on steroids to prevent developing breast tissue, Nov. 2, 2005, just 11 days before he died of heart disease.

Guerrero's nephew, Chavo Guerrero, found Guerrero unconscious in the hotel room.

Benoit received steroids from Signature, based on a Brandwein prescription, in February, 2006.

The WWE stars are among the first athletes to face discipline for their part in the nationwide Signature Pharmacy scandal, the Internet steroid ring that has already led to guilty pleas from nine doctors, anti-aging clinic owners and operators. Law enforcement sources have said they expect the names of numerous NFL and Major League Baseball athletes to emerge as well.

Wellness Policy Suspensions

Based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County, NY D.A.’s office, WWE has today, under the penalty provisions of its wellness policy, issued suspension notices to 10 of its performers for violations. It has been WWE’s practice not to release the names of those who have been suspended, but notice has been sent to all WWE performers that names of anyone who is suspended under the Wellness Policy as of November 1 will be made public.

Here are a few more notes from WWE Lawyer Jerry McDevitt's appearance on Greta tonight:

- After confirming information from the Albany DA today, Mr. McMahon himself informed the 10 talents that they would be suspended.

- Nine of the suspensions are the Superstar's first offense while one is the second offense for the Superstar. First offenses carry 30 days while second offenses carry a suspension of 60 days. Again, McDevitt didn't name any names or speculate as to who may have what.

- All of the suspensions come with no pay.

It would appear that Kennedy is a short woman with breast cancer!

He's Rob?

The Land of the Extreme hails CM Punk as its new ECW Champion. Less than a week after prevailing in a Fatal Four Way Match for the No. 1 Contender spot, the Straightedge Superstar defeated John Morrison for the ECW gold at a television taping in Cincinnati Saturday night. To see exactly how Punk made Extreme history this weekend, be sure to watch this momentous match-up in its entirety on ECW on Sci Fi, Tuesday night at 10/9 CT.

Almost every title change recently has been due to injuries or outside circumstances!

Khali won cause Edge was injured.
Edge only ahd the belt cause Kennedy was injured, who was only gonna win the belt cause Taker was injured!

Cena only won the title cause Vince had brain damage!

Punk won the ECW title cause Morrison does drugs, who only won the title cause Benoit does murder, who was only gonna win the title cause Lashley was gay, who only won the title cause Big Show is so fat he had to retire before his legs snapped, who only won the title cause RVD does drugs!

-- During the meeting with Stephanie McMahon, WWE Star Batista asked Stephanie what could be done legally about his name being on that list from recent reports from media outlets. McMahon then told Batista it would be something that him and his attorneys would have to look into. He is already filing a civil lawsuit seeking damages.

Batista was telling many performers backstage that he was very upset at Sports Illustrated and other media networks for reporting his name. He was claiming there was no connection between him and the pharmacies.

What am I upset about?
I like Kennedy the wrestler and entertainer, I couldnt care less about Kennedy the man!

DENIAL of steroid use in wrestling is nothing new.

In the 1980's Hulk Hogan said he didn't take them despite his superhuman physique. He now admits using almost every day for 16 years.

When talking about the huge number of drug-related deaths in the business, today's grapplers have said they are due to problems of the past and the industry is now clean.

But at least 10 current WWE superstars have been found to be buying steroids and other drugs from the Internet, even after the company instituted a Wellness Policy specifically banning it.

Vince McMahon's group should be applauded for suspending them and sending out a firm message.

But you only have to look comments they have made - Brit William Regal as recently as TWO days ago - to show how little things have changed since the days of Hogan.

William Regal on August 29 - "Steroids are not something that are part of my being as a performer, it's not something that I've ever relied on or anything that I've had anything to do with.

"When I was in my early 20s, in fact very early 20s when I was still living in England and travelling the world, I dabbled in steroids but nobody ever told me to or forced me to.

"Nowadays we get tested very thoroughly and if guys are going to use steroids and they get tested they're going to get caught and they're going to get found out or they're going to get suspended or fired."

Ken Kennedy to The Sun on August 17 - "I never took massive amounts of steroids and do you know why I stopped taking them? Because of the WWE's Wellness Policy.

"Because they instituted the Wellness Policy (in February 2006) and I knew that having a job with the WWE was way more important than the 10 pounds of extra muscle that the steroids gave me.

"I stopped taking them and I had the biggest push of my life.

"I worked with The Undertaker for the last six, seven months. Working on top of all the house shows. I worked PPVs, I was on every PPV.

"I didn't take any steroids and that's the thing, nowadays, in our business, you don't have to take that stuff in order to get a push.

"We've got thousands upon thousands upon thousands of applicants every year, that apply to have a job as a WWE superstar and Vince picks the best of the litter, he picks the guys that have very good genetics."



EDGE ... claimed he is clean as a whistle


Edge in March - "To the columnist who said a 'roided up thing called Edge' was at the NHL All Star Game a few weeks ago, in 2003, this may have been true.

"Now, not in the least, as my random urine tests, which have always been negative will attest.

"I guess I'll take the fact that he thought I was as somewhat of a compliment. To the fact that I've been lucky enough to have been gifted with a 6 foot 5, 240lb body naturally.

"And finally made it to the top of my industry last year on my own, clean as a whistle."

Gregory Helms (after the Chris Benoit murders) in July - "Failed, former stars (and I use that term loosely) like Marc Mero are only making things worse by trying to cash in and turn a tragedy into a last few minutes of fame on TV. That is just pathetic.

"There are a lot of great people in this business, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, and the many should not have to suffer for the mistakes of a few."

You used his propaganda quote, and fell for it hook, line, and sinker!

I'm going to take a wild guess that Umaga will drop the IC Mid-Card title to Jeff Hardy...

"It does appear that wrestles due to be suspended will be appearing on one final TV taping as Umaga will be defending the Intercontinental Title against Jeff Hardy on Raw, which is being taped Sunday night to air on Monday. A title change is likely there since Umaga is expected to be among those suspended since he was named as receiving somtropin (a growth hormone) between July and December 2006."

The Wrestling Observer in it's latest issue claims to have been contacted by a well-known wrestler no longer with WWE, who said he began to get steroids from Signature Pharmacy in 2005 after one of the Divas alerted him about it. He told Observer owner Dave Meltzer that "everybody in the company did it", yet only two of the names he knew for sure were customers appeared on the recent list. So far there have been confirmed 30 day suspensions for Charlie Haas, Edge, Gregory Helms, John Morrison, William Regal, Ken Kennedy, Umaga, Funaki and Chavo Guerrero, while Chris Masters received a 60 day suspension. The suspensions for Edge and Helms don't have any on-screen effect as they are both out injured. However, bear in mind that WWE does not test people who are injured since the tests are held at large TV tapings, so Edge and Helms could very easily continue to use for the moment. Additionally, King Booker was suspended for 60 days, most likely due to failing a test in addition to appearing on the Signature list.

Randy Orton was first suspended for 60 days after WrestleMania 22 for unprofessional conduct. This was for various reasons, most notably smoking a joint in front of numerous witnesses whilst backstage at a show. He was suspended again in August that year after he failed a steroid test without a valid prescription, which was the punishment WWE is using as a reason for not suspending him now. However, he continued to receive orders from Signature Pharmacy after this and right up to February this year. He was also given a pay cut in April after he caused some $30,000 damage to a hotel room on the European tour. He has also been given various fines for misdemeanours, most notably due to his attitude towards women backstage. Perhaps coincidentally, he is slated to headline the next PPV against John Cena.

Regal made the following quote in a newspaper the day before he was suspended: "Steroids are not something that are part of my being a performer. It's not something I've relied on or anything that I've had anything to do with. When I was in my early 20s, in fact, very early 20s, when I was still living in England and travelling the world, I dabbled in steroids but nobody ever told me or forced me to. Nowadays, we get tested very thoroughly and if guys are going to use steroids and they get tested, they're going to get caught, and they're going to get found out or they're going to get suspended or fired." Regal also admitted in private that he had been prescribed steroids by Dr Phil Astin in the past, yet quickly distanced himself from Astin after feeling the doctor wanted to press painkillers and other drugs on him.

Umaga and Funaki were the only wrestlers named in the Signature Pharmacy story who were only receiving Growth Hormone and not steroids. Umaga is still slated to face Triple H at No Mercy. Funaki is said to have only remained employed by WWE for so long because he causes no problems backstage and is always eager to please John Laurinaitis. The feeling is that now his name has come up, Vince McMahon might actually get around to remembering him the next time he clears out the prelim ranks.

The UK Sun has written a good story on Meltzer's scoop, and Meltzer recently published a list of WWE wrestlers that Meltzer previously reported being suspended.

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 10 September 2007

AMERICA'S most prominent wrestling writer has labelled the WWE's drug testing programme "more fishy than even the most sceptical would have believed".

Dave Meltzer claims that when the federation designed their Wellness Policy in February 2006 it contained a serious loophole that allowed wrestlers to continue using a "well-known" method of obtaining steroids for faked testosterone replacement therapy.

In this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter he quotes an unnamed ex-WWE employee who regularly bought drugs from Signature Pharmacy, the same firm revealed last week as supplying many grapplers with steroids and growth hormone over the Internet.

Meltzer writes: "He told us he had been getting steroids from Signature in 2005 and that everyone everybody in the company did it.

"He said they would not supply steroids without just medical cause, because of their controlled legal nature.

"He said the routine (among wrestlers) was to get on a heavy steroid cycle, then get off and not take any HCG, which kicks your natural testosterone back in.

"Two weeks later, when the testosterone boost from the steroids is gone, but before your natural level of testosterone has kicked back in, you get a blood test.

"Even if you are in your early 20s, you will be diagnosed with significantly low levels of testosterone.

"What's the medical treatment? Testosterone therapy.

"Basically, you get a lifetime prescription, if you want to keep using it.

"The point of all of this is when David Black designed the WWE's unique steroid policy, as the only sports testing programme we're aware of that allows the testosterone replacement exemption, the policy specifically allowed the well-known method wrestlers were already using to defraud the system.

"This is not a system the wrestlers came up with after the policy was enacted, but the system already in place by the wrestlers."

Meanwhile there has been a mixed reaction to the WWE's decision to suspend at least 10 superstars accused of using Signature Pharmacy.

While Meltzer notes they took more than two weeks to act and that Randy Orton is still set to headline the next big PPV, two other vocal critics have been more welcoming.

Marc Mero told The Sun: "The suspensions are a move in the right direction to address the drug problem in pro wrestling.

"I wish it didn't have to take so many of our brothers and sisters to die so young.

"I can only hope that these wrestlers that are suspended turn their bad choices into a positive platform to help young people that idolize them."

Lance Storm added: "While these suspensions did expose that WWE's Wellness Policy was either extremely flawed, or poorly enforced, perhaps even both, they also showed that WWE is being put in a position where things are having to be done and they are at least being done.

"With a three-strike rule still in effect, and WWE announcing that names of talent failing Wellness and facing suspensions will be publicly released as of November 1, there is going to be a lot more pressure on talent and WWE to clean up.

"Even if talent can circumnavigate Wellness, fear of exposure through other investigations into doctors and suppliers, should make everyone rethink the risk of steroid and drug use.

"We are still a long way from prefect but, by hook or by crook, these suspensions happened and are a small step in the right direction."