Randy Orton Suspended 60 Days by WWE

Major news hit the pro wrestling world today as superstar Randy Orton has been suspended by WWE for 60 days.  This is due to Orton's second violation of the Wellness Policy.  That means one more violation and he's out.

In breaking news on Wednesday, WWE announced on its website:

"In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE has suspended Randy Orton for 60 days effective today (May 30) for his second violation of the company's policy."

According to PWTorch.com, the suspension puts Orton out of action until late July/early August.  Raw moves to three hours around that time, and will also be building the hype to Summerslam 2012 PPV.

Ironically, Orton looked like he was involved in a feud with Chris Jericho, but Jericho got suspended 30 days for a flag incident at a Brazil House show.  On the most recent episode of Raw, Orton looked like he may be getting into a feud with The Miz, but now that clearly won't be happening either.

This leaves WWE in a bit of a conundrum, as they have to figure out what to do without some of their top talent for Raw and Smackdown.  Which superstars do you think should fill the role in the interim?

WWE Suspends Rey Mysterio 30 Days

As reported by WWE.com, current Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio will receive a 30-day suspension for violating the WWE's Wellness Program. This is Mysterio's first official violation of the policy. According to reports, his suspension begins on next Wednesday, September 2, 2009.

From WWE.com:

In accordance with WWE's Wellness Program, effective Wednesday, September 2, Oscar Gutierrez (Rey Mysterio) is suspended for 30 days for a violation of the company’s policy.

This would seem to move Rey Mysterio's Intercontinental Title off him as the suspension would continue through the Breaking Point Pay-Per-View scheduled for September 13, 2009. Currently the #1 Contender for Ziggler's IC title is Dolph Ziggler, but there is no word who he will face at Breaking Point now that Mysterio's been suspended.

Jimmy Wang Yang Suspended 30 Days

The WWE has suspended James Yun, also known as Smackdown superstar Jimmy Wang Yang. Yang will serve a 30 day suspension due to violation of the company's drug policy. Yun becomes the latest suspension since William Regal's shocking 60 day suspension and "firing" as General Manager of Raw.

News Story from Canadian Press:

STAMFORD, Conn. — World Wrestling Entertainment suspended performer James Yun for 30 days for his first violation of the company's drug policy.

Stamford-based WWE spokesman Gary Davis declined to say Monday what drugs were involved. Yun wrestles under the name Jimmy Wang Yang.

Company officials said there have been more than 30 suspensions under the WWE substance-abuse and drug-testing policy begun in 2006, which requires tests for steroids and other drugs.

A wrestler faces a 30-day suspension without pay for a first violation, a 60-day suspension for a second violation and firing for a third violation. Performers are tested at least four times a year.

3 WWE Superstars on the Ropes

The WWE's current drug policy gives wrestlers three strikes when it comes to drug use. On the first violation it's a 30 day suspension, second violation is 60 days, and on the third offense the wrestler is done with the WWE, forever. Three current WWE superstars are dangerously close to that point of no return, Jeff Hardy, William Regal and ECW's Chavo Guerrero. Each guy has been suspended twice, with Regal being the most recent. Regal of course was given an official "firing" from his position as Raw General Manager just 2 weeks ago, after being defeated by Mr. Kennedy. Jeff Hardy missed Wrestlemania 24 due to his second suspense, and Hardy also seemed to be on the rise in the WWE title picture prior to being sent home.

The latest name to be revealed though as dangerously close to termination is ECW star Chavo Guerrero. Chavo was suspended months ago for his second time during that huge sweeping suspension of 11 wrestlers. However, Chavo made a big comeback, winning the ECW title and now becoming a major heel on the ECW show. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently had the following confirmation of Chavo's second suspension.

Unlike the other WWE wrestlers busted in the Signature Pharmacy scandal last fall, they only sat out for 30 days, whereas Guerrero mysteriously sat on the sidelines for just a shade over 60 days. Guerrero was officially suspended on Thursday, August 30 and returned to action on November 3, 2007, which was a Saturday night SmackDown/ECW house show. That was the first scheduled WWE show a wrestler on a 60-day suspension from the August 30th suspensions would have been permitted to appear on. Apparently, Guerrero's first suspension quietly slipped under the radar some time ago and went unreported.

Back in July 2006, after a number of SmackDown stars went down with Wellness related issues the week before the Great American Bash pay-per-view, which caused havoc on the card, Vince McMahon made the decision to not pull future suspendees from television because he didn't want sudden suspensions to ruin his heavily-hyped pay-per-view cards. Instead, future suspensions called for wrestlers to miss a month's worth of downside pay, not to mention their pay-per-view bonus. Also, the suspendees would be pulled from all house shows for a 30-day period. The new rule allowed Randy Orton to wrestle Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam, who was suspended in August 2006 for a Wellness Policy violation (he failed for steroids). Last July, WWE reverted the policy to completely ban suspended talent from television as well in light of the aftermath following the Chris Benoit double-murder/suicide.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

So now Hardy, Chavo and Regal must try to keep their composure, obey the rules and fight through the issues. It would be unfortunate for any of these guys to slip up and be finished with WWE. They've each had prominent roles on their respective shows. Regal is a longtime wrestling star, while Guerrero and Hardy have well-known family names and starpower. Let's hope the WWE can provide them the necessary help so that they don't find themselves out of the job they love, entertaining WWE fans night in and out.

What Will Become of King Regal?

Amazingly enough, the William Regal suspension was worked right into WWE's storybook. While nobody supports Regal choosing to do drugs, the WWE simply used his current story to make it look as if he had been fired by WWE's head honcho, Vince McMahon. This allowed WWE to start the suspension, while fans could feel vindication that the man who was "ruining Raw" was taken out of his power-hungry position. The timing may have come off as premature to many, but it had to be done. It was a win-win for all involved and may save Regal as it gives him a chance to reflect and get himself help.

Despite any tragedy or issue, WWE continues to adapt to whatever real life stories or controversy come its way. They've been able to play up the Congressional hearings or the 08' presidential election, making sure they get the attention they need from the media. The unfortunate part of all this is as these guys are suspended they start to ruin their shots at WWE glory. The interesting thing to note with the Regal situation is that WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy just came back from his 60 day suspension recently. However, Jeff addressed the fans in the ring, telling everyone he has his issues but is dedicated to getting himself back on track. On the flipside, Regal seems banished from WWE, for now. It's hard to say he'll make the same sort of speech in the ring as Hardy did, if he returns.

So the questions start..Was the King of the Ring tournament now a waste, or will a new King be crowned? And maybe more importantly, will Regal be back on Raw or even in WWE? He just might make some sort of surprise return in 2 months as Teddy Long's humble assistant, or show up on the ECW or Smackdown show. But for now, the fans feel they have received justice from WWE, and that definitely will make many people happier with the pro wrestling product.

WWE Suspends William Regal 60 Days

WWE Wrestler Darren Matthews, better known as William Regal, has been suspended by the WWE for 60 days, following his second violation of the WWE drug policy. The news comes just one day after Regal participated in a "Loser is Fired" match. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon arranged the match citing that fans were strongly complaining to WWE about Regal's recent actions on the Raw show. Vince also said Raw ratings drop whenever Regal appears on the show.

Here's more info from Courant.com:

Stamford-based WWE spokeswoman Jennifer McIntosh declined to say what drugs were involved. Matthews wrestles under the name William Regal.

McIntosh says there have been more than 30 suspensions under the WWE substance abuse and drug testing policy begun in 2006, which requires tests for steroids and other drugs.

A wrestler faces a 30-day suspension without pay for a first violation, a 60-day suspension for a second violation and firing for a third violation. Performers are tested at least four times per year.

Last August, WWE suspended 10 wrestlers for violations of its drug testing policy involve drug purchases, mostly human growth hormones.

On last night's episode of WWE Raw, the current General Manager of Raw and King, William Regal, was strangely fired, after Vince McMahon put him into a match versus Mr. Kennedy. The loser of the match was to be sent packing. Regal tried to cheat with brass knuckles but Mr. Kennedy was able to duck the punch and hit his finisher to win the match. At the time Regal's firing seemed to make little sense with the way his storyline had been going, but now it's much clearer. One more mess up and Regal is officially done with WWE.

WWE Suspends Afa Anoai

Just a week or so after WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy was suspended for 60 days (his second violation of WWE policy), wrestler Afa Anoai, a development talent of WWE, was suspended on Thursday, March 20th, 2008.

According to StreetInsider.com:

World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) today announced that, in accordance with its Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, WWE has suspended Afa Anoai, a developmental talent in the WWE farm system (Florida Championship Wrestling), for 30 days for his first violation of the company's policy.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in developing, producing, licensing, marketing, and selling television and pay-per-view event programming and live events, and consumer products featuring its World Wrestling Entertainment brands worldwide.

More About Jeff Hardy Suspension

Wrestling website Wrestlezone.com has provided additional details on the recent 60 day Jeff Hardy WWE Suspension.

From Wrestlezone.com:

- Jeff Hardy knew he was being suspended before Raw. According to reports, Hardy had a meeting with Vince McMahon before the show about the suspension and was noticeably not happy when it ended.

- According to multiple sources, Hardy's drug test failure was not for a body enhancing substance.

- With this being a 60 day suspension and his second violation of the Wellness Policy (his first taking place last year in August 2007), it is possible WWE could suspend Hardy indefinitely until he successfully completes a drug rehab program.

- As noted yesterday, Hardy has been pulled from WrestleMania 24 and the "Money in the Bank" Ladder Match.

- According to WWE sources, the feeling many people got from Jeff was that he still doesn't think he has a problem and would rather leave the company than go to rehab.

Information found at Wrestlezone.com

WWE Suspends Jeff Hardy 60 Days

This past week's Monday Night Raw saw a surprising change of titles when Chris Jericho defeated Jeff Hardy in an Intercontinental title match. It surprised many fans, but now the reason for the title change is more obvious. According to WWE.com, Jeff has been suspended by the company for 60 days for drug violations. This means Jeff won't be a part of the Money in the Bank Ladder match he had qualified for at Wrestlemania 24 either.

WWE.com reported on March 11th:

STAMFORD, Conn. – In accordance with its Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, WWE has suspended Jeff Hardy for 60 days, for his second violation of the company’s policy.

One more violation could have Jeff no longer on display for the WWE and its fans. In January, Hardy had told Baltimore Sun writer and blogger, Kevin Eck, that he's been wrestling with all sorts of injury and body problems, including chipped bones. Unfortunate for this bright superstar, who seemed to be on the rise. Due to poor choices, Jeff now will sit on the sidelines for 60 days and miss the WWE's biggest Pay Per View of the year, Wrestlemania 24.

WWE Suspensions and Mun2 Contest

According to WWE corporate, 2 WWE developmental talent wrestlers have been suspended for violating the Wellness policy:

"STAMFORD, Conn., January 16, 2008 – Derrick Neikirk and Neil Bzibziak, two developmental talents in the WWE farm system (Florida Championship Wrestling), have been suspended for violations in accordance with WWE’s Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy" (Source: WWE Corporate site)

WWE along with Mun2 is holding a contest for 15-21 year old females to give one lucky girl the "Ultimate Quinceanera". You may have seen the recent TV spots featuring WWE Diva Melina. Here's the details:

STAMFORD, Conn., January 3, 2008 – World Wrestling Entertainment® (WWE) and mun2 have announced the “Ultimate Quinceañera” Sweepstakes, giving one lucky winner the ultimate WWE RAW themed Quince of her dreams. Female fans between the ages of 15 and 21 who would like to celebrate a quinceañera in 2008 can enter the “Ultimate Quinceañera” Sweepstakes now by visiting holamun2.com/raw. Entries must be received between January 1 and January 30, 2008. The Sweepstakes is co-sponsored by WWE and mun2. To read the full release, please click here.

Mun2 is a company launched in 2001 and is the top voice for Latina youth in America. It's a multiplatform entertainment network offering authentic content to reflect the lifestyle of the Hispanic population. They are part of Telemundo Cable Network, a division of NBC Universal. The websie features several articles about WWE including a piece on Rey Mysterio's history in wrestling.

View the Mun2 official Site.

What's in Store for WWE 08'?

Some of my favorite moments of 2007 for WWE included Santino Marella's surprise Intercontinental title win, Mr. McMahon's surprise ECW title win, and the emergence of MVP as one of the top heels. You could also throw in Jeff Hardy's surprise victory over Triple H at Armageddon, which many didn't expect. So what might we expect from the WWE in 2008? Here's several thoughts and ideas.

- Expect to see several favorite superstars return back to the ring. Bobby Lashley, Gregory Helms, Candice Michelle, Matt Hardy and Ashley Massaro should be back in 08' and yes, John Cena should be back as well.

- It makes sense that Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder will capture the tag team titles at some point, now that they are aligned with Edge. However you have to wonder if they win it off Miz and Morrison or Jesse and Festus in 2008.

- It wouldn't be surprising to see the Hornswoggle story flipped and someone else revealed as the true McMahon illegitimate son. Mr. Kennedy is one possibility, and HHH is another.

- Many other wrestling analysts and sites have suggested a Hulk Hogan vs. Great Khali match, which doesn't seem out of the question for Wrestlemania 24.

- In a Batista interview, he noted that the winner of this year's Royal Rumble will be granted a title shot from their particular brand, not a choice of which title to compete for.

- Fans here at WWE Characters the Blog voted that Chris Jericho will be holding the WWE title at Wrestlemania 24. Triple H came in second. Many WWE analysts do not expect Randy Orton to be holding the title when the big event rolls around.

- Expect Flair's retirement to come some time in 2008 and possibly the Undertaker's (and Mark Henry's). Both may go out at Wrestlemania 24 which would really make it a special event, but it would be better to see them at WM25.

- Wouldn't it be nice to see more of Maryse in 2008? Her Smackdown promos are good but she could be better as a ringside valet, similar to Cherry who never wrestles.

- Unfortunately, expect to see more suspensions and possible firings, now that the WWE is not playing games with its Wellness Policy. But this will also make the WWE stronger and more respectable.

- MVP should continue to be the longest reigning of champs around, until Matt Hardy returns. Also of note, MVP's bio blurb on the Smackdown superstar page notes "At Judgment Day, MVP won a 2-out-of-3 Falls match in two straight falls to become the United States Champion". Notice the name of his opponent is missing.

Overall, things in WWE should improve in terms of controversy and stories, as more wrestlers return in 2008. Expect a great year!

What do you expect to see happen with the WWE in 2008?

WWE's Top 10 Stories in 2007

For WWE, 2007 was quite the roller coaster ride, with plenty of controversy hitting hard on the pro wrestling industry in general. It's unfortunate and notable that we had several wrestling legends pass way. The Fabolous Moolah, a longtime diva and WWE performer passed away at age 84. There was also Sensational Sherri's death at age 49, and Crush of Demolition fame found dead at age 44. These continued the media discussions of pro wrestling deaths and WWE doing something about it. Despite some of the great suprise moments and matches, it's hard to call this a "good" year for World Wrestling Entertainment, as the top 10 stories almost seem to be dominated by downfall and tragedy. But just as we heard in story #10, "Things are looking up", or so we all hope for 2008...

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Top 10 stories from WWE in 2007:

10) The Son of Vince Saga - Hornswoggle - A story that came about a bit after the whole Vince limo explosion plot. For weeks there was a mystery in which Vince McMahon had been told one of the wrestlers was his illegitimate son. Vince and his staff (Coach) investigated the possibilities and various "flings" Vince had over the years. Vince chuckled about his romps but the last laugh was on him as it was revealed that his son was the under the ring dwelling leprechaun, Hornswoggle. And it makes sense, both are Irish by descent. In recent weeks Vince has tried to pre-occupy his son with "tough love" matches, and Horney's long time pal, Finlay has come to his rescue. However, many fans believe this may be a temporary story as the true son of Vince will later be revealed as Mr. Kennedy or even HHH, leading up to a major push for title contention.

Also see:
Thoughts on Raw & Vince's Son
Hornswoggle is Vince's Son
Hornswoggle, Cruiserweight Champ

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9) Wrestlers Return - Plagued by injuries in 2007, the WWE was on its heels, forced to move titles and try to showcase what it had left. Luckily, 2007 was not totally lost as some of the top superstars on Raw and Smackdown returned back to the ring. Triple H and Rey Mysterio both made for a huge Summerslam return and had comeback victories. The Undertaker returned at Unforgiven, from his injury after a short title reign (following WM23). Shawn Michaels came back on Raw during the past several months. Chris Jericho made a huge return to Raw after being fired. They definitely lent star power to a product in need and that could have possibly lost a lot of ground due to controversy. In 2008 we should see more wrestler returns which will strengthen the brand.

Also see:
HBK Returns on Raw 10.08.07
Undertaker's Unforgiven Return
Summerslam Results 2007
Greatness of the Game

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8) Wrestlemania 23 Rocks Detroit - The "Hair vs. Hair" match was part of the headlining matches at Wrestlemania 23 in Detroit, Michigan. It was a battle of billionaires with Vince McMahon's wrestler Umaga facing Donald Trump's wrestler Bobby Lashley. And special "impartial" guest referee, none other than Vince's long time nemesis, Stone Cold Steve Austin. We all know who won, and we all witnessed a bald Mr. McMahon on Raw trying to hide from his new hairless look. We also saw John Cena successfully defeat HBK in a title contest and the Undertaker extend his win streak to 15-0 at Wrestlemania, as he captured the World Heavyweight title from Batista.

Also see:
Wrestlemania 23 Results
Battle of the Billionaires

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7) Flair Will Keep Wrestling - Wooooo! Flair showed up on Raw's November 26th show and many anticipated he was going to retire. However Flair has no quit in his wrestling body, even at his current age. An all-time wrestling legend, Flair informed the fans he will die in that wrestling ring. Vince McMahon came to the ring to add the stipulation that Flair can keep wrestling as long as he wins. Once Flair loses, he's done. The year is about over and Flair's still at it with a big match against HHH coming on New Year's Eve. How far will the legacy of Flair extend until?

Also see:
When Will Ric Flair's Legacy End?
Flair Reports He's With WWE
3 Stories for 2008

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6) Chris Jericho Returns - It took weeks for the signing to be a done deal, and we saw many cryptic commercial ads during Raw, Smackdown and ECW. Finally, Jericho returned in late November. Y2J made his grand entrance by knocking down a marathon torch runner and interupting the "Torch Passing Ceremony" Randy Orton had planned for himself as WWE champ. Y2J vowed to save the WWE from Orton as well and take back the title. And as we all know a talent and personality like Jericho was greatly needed back in the WWE. Most recently, Jericho has entered a feud with JBL, after the commentator interfered in Y2J's title match with Orton.

Also see:
Can Jericho Save Us?
Y2J = 11.19 Raw

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5) The Vince McMahon Limo Explosion - This story happened this past summer, where Raw's show ended with a "bang" literally. Vince walked through lines of superstars and headed out of the arena to his white limo which was waiting. Vince paused briefly to look back at the arena. As he got into the limo there was a brief pause and then the door shut. An immediate explosion ensued. WWE.com went with the story, publishing video footage of just about everything. A press conference with a "federal investigator" named Daniel Beck. Stories about fans mourning the loss by leaving flowers and gifts at WWE headquarters. And newspaper journalists as well as fans criticized the WWE for such a controversial story. But controversy is nothing new for the WWE. The story was definitely different, and sidelined in lieu of a bigger event which happened not long after.

Also see:
Mr. McMahon's Death Stunt
Is Vince Dead?

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4)Wrestler Injuries The injury bug hit hard in 2007 - Candice Michelle, Mr. Kennedy, Matt Hardy, Lashley, Edge, Undertaker, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio all were out. This coupled with the #2 story of the year hurt the WWE product quite a bit. It's hard enough if your writers aren't doing well with the great talent roster, but even more difficult when major star after major star is sidelined. It's difficult to find a name on the WWE roster who didn't have some sort of injury in 07'. This led to more media discussion of the safety and wellness of WWE talent. In 2008, several of the current sidelined stars should be back and that will definitely give WWE a boost.

Also see:
WWE's Real Injury Problem
Matt Hardy Injury Update
Candice Michelle Injury Update
Lashley Injury Update

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3) John Cena's Injury - It could be included with #4 but this one stands out for the simple fact he had to vacate the WWE title, which he had held for over a year. Cena is a fan-favorite (love or hate him). He was one of the longest reigning WWE champs in the history of the belt. The champ was forced to undergo surgery and Vince McMahon appeared on ECW to inform fans the champ would not be back for up to a year. Randy Orton promptly received the title at the next Pay Per View, lost it, then regained it in the same night. WWE isn't the same without Cena, as many tickets were purchased by fans who wanted to see the superstar in action. Cena aims to be back after Wrestlemania next year and is already rehabbing, but without him the WWE is at a loss.

Also see:
John Cena Injured, Title Vacant
Cena Injured During Raw
Cena Speaks About CNN

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2) WWE Suspensions - A sweeping round of supsensions occurred as WWE knew it was facing a Congressional info request into its Wellness Policy. WWE had to show the world and the media that it was doing all it can to protect its wrestlers and that drug use is not going to be tolerated. So 12 men were suspended within 2 days and the media had a field day with it. The names were never "officially" released, but speculation was made easier by a report of wrestlers linked to the Signature drug company. Also, disappearances and title changes made for further evidence of who was not to be a part of the WWE for a month or so. And the worst happened as Chris Masters and Eugene were among those who were canned from the WWE. King Booker left over his suspension. And speculation continues as the WWE works to clean up its act. Congress is also involved as it made a formal request for WWE records, so that they can examine wrestling policies. Along with story #1, this made times rocky and extremely controversial for WWE in 2007.

Also see:

The 11th WWE Suspension
WWE Suspends 10 Performers
WWE Suspension Info Links
Chris Masters & DH Smith Suspended

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1) Chris Benoit Tragedy - There's no arguing this one. No story in the professional wrestling world was bigger than this in the past year. It in fact spawned story #2 as controversy over WWE steroid use followed. Media reported on it like crazy, looking for the obvious "attack the WWE" angle. Wrestlers were profiled in interviews. Fingers pointed and names named. The Congress even decided to get involved. But this didn't come about until after the heinous crimes perpetrated by former WWE star, Chris Benoit. The double murder suicide occurred in June 2007 this year and things were far from the same after it. Not only that but it happened around the time of the Vince McMahon death in a Limo explosion story, causing the WWE to briefly sideline the story.

The craziest part of this shocking real story is up until that point everyone knew Benoit as the constant hardworking professional and family man. Described as a nice guy and not very talkative, but always wanting to please the fans. A friend of mine met him several weeks before at a gym and shook Benoit's hand, and said he seemed like a nice guy in person. The incident caused such a range of emotions in all of the WWE fans. First was the surprise of Benoit not showing up for a title match at a Pay Per View. Then the somber Raw memorial show of 3 hours dedicated to Benoit after his death was announced. And then the worst, the announcement that Benoit had committed the horrible acts. Vince McMahon and the WWE erased his wrestling status from their books while fans continued to struggle with it all. And the media took off with the stories and accusations.

So did Benoit have the mentality of an Alzheimer's patient? Did he fly into a crazy rage induced by steroids? The real reasons behind why Benoit snapped may never be known, but this definitely turned the wrestling world upside down and inside out in 2007 as it created more controversy.

Also see:

The Chris Benoit Tragedy - Squidoo page
Benoit Diary Revelations
Benoit is No Hero
WWE Press Release on Benoit
Benoit Autopsy Results
WWE Releases Benoit Update

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Those are our top 10 stories for the year of 2007 in World Wrestling Entertainment. While not all are pretty and some are very controversial, it is what has shaped the brand from here out. Smackdown and ECW continue their unity, and Raw will be heading towards its 16th year in January! We have former, present and new superstars on their way back as well. Here's looking forward to a 2008 full of amazing things for the WWE and all of its great fans!

Also see recap of Smackdown - WWE's Top 5 Matches of 2007

Chris Masters Released by WWE

WWE has officially released suspended wrestler Chris Masters.
According to WWE.com's official statement:

"WWE has come to terms on the release of SmackDown Superstar Chris Masters. We wish Chris the best in all his future endeavors."

According to f4wonline.com, here's the reasons WWE let Masters go:

"Regarding his suspension last week, a person in the known within WWE is absolutely certain that it wasn't his second strike; more like his fourth. He has definitely been suspended on two occasions. He was also sent to rehab in the summer of 2006 due to a problem with painkillers. The belief at the time was that he had been suspended, but that wasn't the case because he only had to serve a 30-day suspension when the Signature Pharmacy news hit as that was his first recorded offence. Also, Masters will have to come up with a new ring name now that he's no longer employed by WWE; the 'Chris Masters' name is not his real name as it is trademarked by WWE."

Masters was serving a 60 day suspension for his 2nd violation of the WWE Wellness Drug Policies.

Chris Masters & DH Smith Suspended

November 1st was the first official day for WWE to start reporting the names of suspended wrestlers who violate the company's Wellness Policy. Amazingly two wrestlers, Chris Masters and DH Smith have officially been suspended for violating the Substance Abuse and Drug policies of the policy, just one day later.

The suspensions are publicized on WWE.com:

"In accordance with its Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, WWE today suspended the following performers for violations: Chris Mordetzky (Chris Masters) for 60 days (second violation) and Harry Smith (DH Smith) for 30 days (first violation)."

One more suspension and Masters is out. It's also unfortunate to see the young newcomer Smith suspended already as he is trying to carry on the name of his legendary father Davey Boy Smith of the British Bulldogs.

No Mercy Matches & Wrestler Returns

So far 3 matches have been set for No Mercy, October 6, 2007. We already knew of the John Cena vs. Randy Orton "Last Man Standing" match for the WWE title. In addition, a "Punjabi Prison "match was announced between Great Khali and Batista for the World Heavyweight title. Also, Umaga will seek revenge as he takes on Triple H in a one on one contest at the Pay Per View. Check out WWE.com for more info on the matches.

Also according to various reports, the suspended wrestlers we haven't seen on Raw, Mr. Kennedy, William Regal and Umaga, should all be appearing on the October 1st edition of Monday Night Raw.

- Politico.com takes a look at the WWE's upcoming Congress hearings and discusses how the politicians who called for the hearings may just be doing their own political campaigning. They also discuss WWE strategy and how they might need to hire their own lobbyist team.

Read the full article "Congress ready to rumble" here.

Also see:

No Mercy Countdown Timer - For Myspace
Review of "The Condemned" DVD
What Every Fan Should Know About WWE
Be a WWE Action Figure

Reactions to Raw

Last night's Raw came on the heels of the news of the WWE suspensions. Faced with potential disaster and fallout, the WWE obviously had to scramble just a bit in terms of how it would work this show and upcoming shows. Two things stood out:1) the Vince McMahon illegitimate child storyline; and 2) how they handled 3 wrestlers who are rumored to be suspended, as far as their Raw status.

1) Vince's paternity suit/child - Many wrestling rumor sites and fans all were in agreement that Mr. Kennedy would most likely be the son of Vince McMahon. It made sense due to his last name being Vince's middle name. It also made sense because it could make for some great storylines. However, on last night's Raw they threw us for a loop, with a lawyer appearing on behalf of the woman suing Vince. He claimed DNA tests say Kennedy is not the son and the clue he left us with was "things are starting to look up". That immediately made me think Great Khali or other taller wrestlers, like Snitsky, Kane or Undertaker even. I wouldn't discount Randy Orton, or perhaps someone who wasn't standing around the ring like Stephanie said. WWE may have quickly changed up the story too based on the fact Mr. Kennedy was among the names on the rumored suspension list. Either way it was a pleasant surprise to see so many thrown for this loop and not know what to expect.

2) Three suspended wresters - Almost half of the rumored names of suspended wrestlers are on the Raw roster. Last night, 3 of those rumored names seemed to be worked out of the show through injury angles. Umaga was completely decimated by Triple H in classic Game fashion. That is only interesting in the fact that Umaga is usually the one dominating. Second, we saw Sandman beat up an already injured Santino Marella (also rumored as suspended) with his Singapore Cane. Finally, we saw John Cena attack GM William Regal and put him in the STFU, causing Vince to replace Regal with Coach as temporary GM. Two other names mentioned as rumored suspended wrestlers, Randy Orton and Mr. Kennedy both made appearances (Orton via sattelite).

I think another approach could have been taken in WWE fashion, and that is to actually have Vince suspend the wrestlers on the show. He could have been angry and on the warpath based on his family being present to confront him. The stress gets to him and the 3 names mentioned; Marella, Umaga and Regal happen to do something that sets Vince off. He suspends them on the spot, along with a few extra guys who don't wrestle as much, just to make it more interesting, if they weren't actually suspended. It would be part truth, part mockery which is often what WWE is famous for, making fun of itself and its critics.

Rumored WWE Suspensions List

The WWE announced it suspended 10 of its performers this past Thursday night, August 30, 2007. An 11th suspension was acknowledged the next day by WWE attorney, Jerry McDevitt. WWE said the suspensions were based on information received from the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney's office. Jerry McDevitt also stated the suspensions were due to wrestlers buying human growth hormones.

Suspensions under the WWE Wellness Program are for 30 days without pay for a 1st offense and 60 days for the 2nd offense. A 3rd offense results in termination. According to various sources the majority of the suspensions given were for 30 days with one wrestler receiving a 60 day.

No official list of names has been released by WWE. A Sports Illustrated article listed 14 names of wrestlers who had received some kind of steroids, human growth hormone or other performance enhancing drug from a pair of facilities in Florida that were raided by federal authorities as part of a government investigation. (3 of the names: Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Brian "Crush" Adams are deceased. Sylvain Grenier had been released by WWE.)

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List of 10 Rumored WWE Suspensions:

Ken "Mr. Kennedy" Anderson
Mike "Simon Dean" Bucci - released by WWE
Adam "Edge" Copeland
Edward "Umaga" Fatu
Shoichi Funaki
Chavo Guerrero
Charles Haas, Jr.
Shane "Gregory" Helms
John "Morrison" Hennignan (Johnny Nitro)
Darren "William Regal" Matthews

The 11th suspended wrestler could potentially be Robert "Booker T" Huffman, Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella), or Chris "Masters" Mordetsky, whose names have also been rumored as suspended by various sites. Eugene and Cryme Tyme were recently released by WWE, but have not been mentioned amongst the suspended names.

Randy Orton was mentioned originally as amongst the various suspended wrestlers but appears not to be at this point. David "Batista" Bautista was also rumored by sites but does not appear to be amongst those suspended. Both wrestlers were recently announced as being a part of the Unforgiven Pay Per View card, scheduled for September 16.

The WWE or Albany County, N.Y., district attorney's office have neither confirmed nor denied that any of these wrestlers are suspended. As you can see from the above info, rumors and speculation can only continue to fly without any official list of names released by WWE, making it difficult to pin down all of the names.

The Sports Illustrated article, "Fourteen wrestlers tied to pipeline" documents the various purchases of the names on their list for more information.

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PWTorch has also reported that WWE has added marijuana as a banned substance for its performers:

"WWE has told it's wrestlers that marijuana is now a banned substance and will not be treated as a drug that is in the same class of other banned drugs. Instead of a suspension if tested positive there will only be a fine of a $1000 and this also does not count as a 'strike' in the '3 strikes' rule."

Speculation & Rants

A disclaimer to all: blogs and wrestling news sites are not newspapers. In addition, media sites don't always report the true story either, so taking information from any media outlet and immediately taking it as "the truth" can be dangerous.

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An anonymous fan left this recent comment here:

"Morrison is suspended. If you know anything then you know that WWE and Vince McMahon are known to suspend wrestlers without pay but make them still attend and perform on the shows. Morrison has been suspended, thats why he was stripped of the title, and he worked that match for free. If you read all the articles you even posted yesterday you would know that some of the guys suspended have probably just had their pay suspended. Orton worked for free during a suspension in the past, it would seem Morrison did this one show. Dont expect to see him on the rest of the shows, nor at house shows for the next month."

I challenge anonymous fans to cite and present sources rather than saying this is how Vince and the WWE work. I also ask the anonymous fan if they are a pro wrestling insider or work for WWE to please state that. I do not make any claim to be inside the pro-wrestling business here, the blog presents info and commentary for you to digest. I do not work for the WWE or Vince McMahon or know him personally. If you disagree with the info, feel free to comment, but please present sources. "It would seem" that certain performers are suspended based on title changes and who's missing from the rosters, but that is never an official "confirmation".

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The WWE's Outline of its Wellness Program states:

"Effective today, February 27, 2006, WWE is implementing a broad
WWE Talent Wellness Program."

- Since the Wellness Program has been around only a year and a half, it's tough to say Vince McMahon and WWE handle suspensions a certain way other than what you see in their Wellness Program Outline. Seeing as these came about this past Friday, it's also hard to believe there was a sweeping random drug test day, or they just discovered these guys were clients who made recent purchases with the Signature company. Let's not jump the gun and pretend to know how WWE handles things internally or what the suspensions entail. I'm not here to bash WWE or Vince McMahon either, but I can certainly see plenty of reasons why they may have held off on giving these suspensions.

Also from the WWE Wellness Program Outline:

"Under the Policy, WWE Talent may be tested on a random and/or reasonable suspicion basis. The initial test of all Talent will be considered "baseline" testing. No discipline will be imposed for a positive test on the baseline test. The results of the baseline test, if positive for any prohibited substance, will be utilized thereafter by Dr. Black to determine if use has continued. After the baseline test, subsequent positive tests for non-medical use of a prohibited substance will result in disciplinary action. For testing positive the first time, a Talent will be suspended for 30 days without pay. A second positive test results in a 60-day suspension without pay or, if Dr. Black so determines, in-patient care at a substance abuse facility, during which the Talent also will be suspended without pay. A third positive test results in termination."

Upon reading this it does not clearly state whether the suspensions are only "without pay" or also include "suspended from appearing at events". If the anonymous commenter has a source document better explaining the Wellness Program and how its policies are administered please provide that for other fans. The Outline of the Wellness Program on WWE.com is here. That is a source and is the only document WWE provides to explain how it works currently.

This is not meant as a criticism of fan comments at all. Comments and opinions are fully welcome here but again sources of information always lend a bit more support to any argument or points made.

Suspended or Not?

The following info contains spoilers from the upcoming Friday Smackdown (which was taped this weekend). Do not read on if you don't want to see these Smackdown spoilers. Also contains a potential spoiler for tomorrow's Raw. Some early match tapings for Smackdown and ECW may give us indications of who is suspended.

This information comes courtesy of 411mania.com (Note: Spoiler for Friday's Smackdown in this report):

"-WWE has announced that Umaga will be defending the WWE Intercontinental Title against Jeff Hardy at the RAW taping tonight. It is likely that Umaga is one of the 11 suspended wrestlers and thus will likely drop the belt tonight. Umaga was also named in the media reports as a customer of Signature Pharmacy, with his most recent date of purchase being December of 2006.

-Batista worked the Smackdown taping last night and was not only victorious, but also announced as part of the main event for Unforgiven, so it doesn't appear as if he is among the suspended wrestlers. Batista was named as a customer of Signature Pharmacy but only in the ESPN report which did not list the dates of purchase.

-Chavo Guerrero worked the Smackdown taping and lost to Rey Mysterio. It remains to be seen if he is one of the suspended wrestlers, although one would presume he would be since he was named in media reports as a customer of Signature Pharmacy and listed as buying drugs from Signature as recently as May of 2006. "

Also see news regarding John Morrison and the ECW title here.

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That leaves us with Monday Night Raw. If several guys are missing, it will be a strong indicator that they most likely are suspended. However, 1 show won't be a telltale sign. Again it begs the question "when were the suspensions started?". They were announced by WWE Friday as suspensions. It's entirely possible that each of the 11 wrestlers' suspensions starts at a different date, in order to move titles. No names have been confirmed so the speculation continues. Title changes and missing wrestlers can make it a lot more obvious.

Rock Discusses WWE Issues

Former WWE star, The Rock, gave his thoughts to Fox Sports about the Benoit tragedy as well as the recent WWE Suspensions and more.

From FoxSports.com:

"I was blown away," Johnson said. "I had a chance to work with Chris on many occasions. He was a great guy and I knew his wife very well. The guy I knew wasn't the guy who committed these heinous crimes.

"I've stopped trying to figure it out because Chris had wiring that allowed him to do that where anybody who was sane couldn't fathom doing that."

Johnson, who is officially retired from wrestling, said he didn't take steroids during his nine years (1996 to 2004) with the WWE. Johnson, who wrestled with the WWE before the promotion enacted a steroid testing policy, did admit to briefly using them with unsatisfactory results entering his freshman year as a University of Miami football player in the early 1990s.

"I always joke about it because nothing happened," said Johnson, who played collegiately as a 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive lineman. "I had no idea what I was doing. I was probably taking Advil or something like it because it seemed like there were no changes. I didn't understand what it was all about and that UM had drug testing all the time.

"When I got in the wrestling business, I never cared about being the biggest guy. I just wanted to be the most entertaining."

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Read the full Fox Sports interview with The Rock here.

The Rock's new movie, "The Game Plan", a Disney film, is set for release on September 28th in theaters.