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RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Ten wrestlers suspended and names revealed, but it's not enough Aug 30, 2007 - 6:49:00 PM
The other shoe finally dropped today, as ten WWE wrestlers were suspended by the WWE for Wellness Policy violations Based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County, NY D.A.'s office.
Also coming out today were a list of customers of Signature Pharmacy thanks to the New York Daily News.
We still don’t know exactly who has been suspended for Wellness Policy violations, but once house show results start to come out, it won’t be hard to figure out who has been suspended.
The stream of double talk coming from WWE wrestlers and representatives in the wake of the Benoit tragedy has been nauseating to say the least. This is only the first step, as WWE has shown a mostly defiant attitude when addressing the drug problems that exist in the wrestling industry as evidenced in the media interviews and press releases issued in the wake of the Benoit incident and the release of the toxicology report.
If anything, WWE’s decision to suspend wrestlers was an offensive tactic, as Congress continues to investigate the company and a hearing on pro wrestling is scheduled next month.
The drug problem that exists in wrestling isn’t limited to the wrestling industry, as similar issues exist in professional sports. We live in a day and age where athletes are blatantly cheating and using performance enhancing drugs to gain an edge.
Professional athletes just haven’t started to die yet at the same alarming rate as pro wrestlers.
It seems each week a familiar wrestling name passes away. Most of them go at an age much younger than they should. This was happening before Benoit’s death and has continued at an alarming rate after his passing. I applaud Congress for stepping in and investigating pro wrestling, as it seemed to me the only way the wrestling industry would be forced to clean up is if the government got involved.
These suspensions could just be an action WWE is using to show their Wellness Policy works. If the Congressional hearings don’t lead to a truly independent body administering drug tests for the WWE, I believe the company would go back to business as usual once the scrutiny from the mainstream media and Congress died down.
This isn’t just a problem limited to WWE. It’s an industry-wide problem.
It’s time for WWE to clean up.
It’s time for TNA to adopt a drug policy and enforce it, instead of being a haven for former drug abusers let go by TNA or leftover from WCW.
Actions speak louder than words.
WWE took a step in the right direction today, but it’s just one step on the long path needed to correct the problems in the company. The wrestling industry as a whole needs to step up, take responsibility, and ensure that the culture of wrestling doesn’t foster the types of behaviors that have lead to the deaths of so many young men and women in the industry.
Email Sean Radican.
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