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WWE News
WWE News: Congress officially schedules hearing next month on pro wrestling (w/Keller Reax) Aug 30, 2007 - 4:09:00 PM
The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing on pro wrestling in late September, reported the New York Daily News.
"I am extremely concerned about the possible illegal and destructive practices by professional entertainment athletes that negatively influence the younger generation," said Rep. Bobby Rush, the Illinois Democrat who is the chairman of the committee. "We must make sure that today's wrestling sports heroes are not using illegal performance-enhancing drugs that, unfortunately, can and have led to their untimely deaths."
The New York Daily News reports today that a witness list has not yet been compiled by the committee. A WWE spokesman said they weren't aware of the hearings, but would comply with a request to appear. TNA refused comment.
KELLER ANALYSIS: TNA could actually end up being a bigger factor in this story than most assume. They have no public drug testing policy, have made comments on the record dismissive of such a need, and have made every boneheaded move possible in the last month to draw attention to themselves from Congress. This story just grows in magnitude, and while WWE said it had no knowledge of hearings, the fact that they are going public with names of those who violate the wellness policy would seem like a good new policy to be able to tout at hearings. The fact that WWE suspended ten wrestlers for using an Internet pharmacy has the potential to wreak havoc on ongoing storylines and PPV plans. That will become apparent, if not leaked first, by this next set of live events.
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