CNN aired a documentary on pro wrestling called “Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling” earlier tonight. The documentary will replay at 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
During the documentary, Dr. David Black, who oversees drug testing for WWE, said that the company has handed out a total of 30 suspensions since the implementation of the Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy in November 2005. A total of 27 WWE talents that we know of have been suspended during the program’s history, including three individuals that have been suspended twice — so it seems to add up.
The history of the program’s drug offenders include Randy Orton, Joey Mercury, Rene Dupree (two-time offender), Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Kid Kash, Matt Hardy, Ryan Reeves, Ryan O’Reilly, Balls Mahoney, Drew “Festus Dalton” Hankinson, Andrew “Test” Martin, referee Chris Kay, Jeff Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Masters (two-time offender), Edge, Funaki, Gregory Helms, Booker T (two-time offender), Charlie Haas, Gene Snitsky, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, William Regal, John Morrison and Harry “D.H.” Smith.
The documentary also noted that a wrestler has to fail the drug test twice in order to get suspended — at least for talents who have no prior drug failures on their record. If the wrestler tests positive the first time, the wrestler will be given a warning, and not given a suspension. If the drug levels in the wrestler’s system aren’t down the next time he/she gets tested, then the wrestler will get suspended. For instance, Harry “D.H.” Smith actually failed two recent Wellness tests, not one, to be served with his suspension. So in actuality, wrestlers have “four lives” before they can be terminated from the company for their illegal drug use.
Dr. David Black also revealed the amount of wrestlers that have been handed out warnings for testing positive in their drug tests. He noted that it was double the amount of suspensions handed out in the program’s history. So well, that number figures to be at least 60 more WWE drug failures since November 2005.
