I was as saddened as the next person over the news of William Regal's most recent 60-day suspension for violating WWE's wellness policy. It's especially troubling considering Regal was in the midst of the biggest push of his career and seemed primed to be elevated into a main event heel and possible world champion.
But there is a bigger picture here, and one that we should undoubtedly consider good news. WWE appears to be getting serious about its drug policy.
Since WWE first began any kind of drug testing in the 1990s, it has been criticized for selective enforcement. Bit players were failing tests and being disciplined, while top stars remained in peak physical shape and never seemed to fail a test - perhaps because they never took one. As recently as a few months ago, WWE’s violators consisted mostly of the DH Smith types, and "suspensions" meant that wrestlers would continue working big shows, and continue getting paid their downside guarantee.
The ultimate test for the legitimacy of the policy was whether WWE would have the guts to suspend one of its top stars going into the biggest pay per view of the year - WrestleMania. Sure enough, with just weeks to go before this year's show, and with Jeff Hardy already having earned a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match and expected to win it, WWE suspended the popular star and reigning Intercontinental champion for 60 days.
Now again, after weeks of building up Regal as the centerpiece heel of the Raw brand, and even crowning him King of the Ring, WWE did not hesitate to pull the plug on one of its biggest storylines and sit Regal out for two months.
Like many longtime observers, I'm often cynical about WWE's intentions, but it's hard not to give WWE decision makers kudos for sticking to their guns, even if it means having to scrap months of planned storylines.
Now, all that said, we do need to keep perspective. As big a push as he was getting, Regal is still not Triple H, nor John Cena nor Randy Orton. That is not to say that any of those three men are violating the wellness policy, despite any justified speculation. While Hardy and Regal were on the brink of breaking into the top tier, they were not quite there yet, which makes them more expendable than they otherwise would be.
Also, we are yet to see what will happen when a wrestler gets the dreaded "third strike." WWE claims a third wellness policy suspension can result in a termination, but says nothing about if and when it can hire back the fired wrestler. Regal, Hardy and I believe one other wrestler are all on their second strikes, so we'll see how serious WWE is if and when one of them fails another test - God forbid.
Another factor to consider in WWE's apparent crackdown is the relative good health of the roster right now, which makes it easier to sit out some wrestlers without taking too much of a hit. At one point last summer, seven of WWE's top stars were out with injuries - The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Triple H, Mr. Kennedy and Bobby Lashley. As soon as some of them came back, a few others went on the disabled list, including Cena. Today, the only main event star out with an injury is Mysterio, who is due back soon. As well, WWE benefited from the returns of such semi-retired stars as Chris Jericho, JBL and the Big Show. So, unlike at other times in recent memory, WWE has some breathing room that makes suspending a top star a bit easier. Even with Hardy pulled from Mania, there was no shortage of star power on the card or even in the MITB match.
But maybe the coinciding of the health of the WWE locker room and a more stringent enforcement of the drug policy are related. Indeed, over the last year we have seen many wrestlers get noticeably smaller, and also suffer fewer muscle related injuries.
It can all add up to something really remarkable - a cleaned up wrestling business. Now, I'm not naive. I don't think we're anywhere near there yet, but I do think WWE is starting to take some important baby steps.
(Photo courtesy of WWE.com)
Comments (16)
A part of me would love to see them institute a policy where they reveal the date of the actual violation. I think that would make things a bit interesting.
I'd love to know when Regal actually failed the test. It has to have at least been last Tuesday since they went ahead with the storyline on Smackdown where Long quit as the assistant GM.
Hey Alfonso,
Do you think the WWE could have known about this failed test a while ago and only raised Regal's status to make themselves look better when they suspended him? Because it seems so odd that a man who wasn't wrestling gets a HUGE in-ring push only to be suspended a few weeks after it begins.
If so, it's a smart move by the WWE.
I too was sad to see Regal go, he seemed to be thriving in the King/GM role, I think the only problem he had was that some of the newer fans couldn't connect to him, he's style is very old school. It's much like Kennedy getting suspended before the whole "vince's bastard son" angle played out (speaking of Kennedy he seems to have the worst luck when it comes to his pushes, he either gets suspended or injured or whoever is in the program with him does)
I think Orton is also on his last chance, afaik he's been suspended twice.
I haven't had any reason to doubt the policy since the mass suspensions back in October time. They suspended Kennedy - who would probably have been also getting a huge push as Vince's son. They suspended Morrison who was ECW champion, they suspended Umaga who was in the middle of a program with HHH. That was also when there were still a few injuries, and Jericho and Big Show weren't back. So I think the 'breathing room' excuse is a bit thin. As I said, I haven't really had any reason to doubt the policy since they all got suspended, but surely suspending Jeff, in the middle of the biggest wave of momentum he's ever had should have been enough.
And now with Regal, surely it shows they will suspend anyone? No he isn't Cena, Batista or HHH, but just because you really want to believe they are all doing steroids, it doesn't mean they are.
I'm gutted about Regal because he made Raw absolutely excellent since KOTR, it really was a pleasure to watch. I hope they can keep up the quality while he's gone, but I can imagine a couple of slow weeks while they try and establish someone else in the spot.
I'm really curious to see what happens if Orton gets his third strike. The cynic in me says they'll cover it up and say he's burned out and taking a break to be with his pregnant wife. Oh wait, isn't that what's happening?
No he isn't Cena, Batista or HHH, but just because you really want to believe they are all doing steroids, it doesn't mean they are.
Doesn't mean they're not either. That works both ways.
Of course it works both ways, but the annoying thing is that anytime any discussion like this happens, it's always assumed that they are, or the slant always is that they are but not tested/secretely getting away with it somehow. This paticular post reeks of hope/assumption that they are on something, when there is no proof whatsoever. I'm just defending their point of biew.
As anyone considered this to be a work? I seem to recall Seth mentioning this idea a few weeks back...
It's just a thought...
Just to clarify, Randy Orton has one strike against him (from the summer of 2006; before the policy changed to have violators completely removed from TV during the suspension). He was suspended for 60 days in April 2006 right after WM 22 for unprofessional conduct.
I believe Chavo Guerrero is the one with the two strikes, that's why he was out longer than anybody else during the September suspensions. I believe his first suspension came when he "retired" and got his hairplugs but it wasn't reported as such at the time, but it came out a while ago that he had in fact been suspended twice.
I just hope he hasn't fallen off the wagon. He very under-rated and deserved the push he was getting. Here's hoping it continues when he comes back. Possibly on Smackdown.
Chris Masters was suspended twice for violating the policy and later released by WWE. Though not a third strike and not a major star, Masters had potential to be an upper tier star and was even featured in a WWE magazine feature that he could be one of the top stars of recent memory and even all time.
As for Regal, while is in ring skill is still excellent, at his age, its unlikely he'll get another major push and lets not forget McMahon payed for Regal's rehab a few years ago.
When Triple H gets suspended, I'll believe it.
Kudos for even having a "wellness policy" in my opinion. The WWE is not a sport - it's entertainment, and it's the only form of entertainment who drug test their employees. (Or independent contractors for that matter...)
I wonder what would happen if record labels tested and suspended their artists for illicit substances...
I wonder what would happen if TV stations tested their actors for illicit substances...
9ui0;'yhicvy80ohi[
"Chris Masters was suspended twice for violating the policy and later released by WWE. Though not a third strike and not a major star, Masters had potential to be an upper tier star and was even featured in a WWE magazine feature that he could be one of the top stars of recent memory and even all time."
bwhahaha he was awful. He didn't have the wrestling skill, charisma, look, or anything else for that matter.