The WWE Wellness Policy program was instituted in 2006 to prevent wrestlers from abusing drugs and ensure the well-being of talents. But the fans have always questioned the legitimacy of the program for many reasons.
At the same time, however, several wrestlers have gotten suspended for a wellness policy violation and a few have even lost their big push in WWE. One time, WWE even had to make last-minute changes to The Great American Bash pay-per-view because Bobby Lashley, The Great Khali, and Super Crazy were suspended right before the show due to steroid abuse.
It does show that WWE takes the Wellness Policy seriously, but they haven't always been consistent with it.
Why Was The Wellness Policy Program Created
Many decades ago, WWE used to test their wrestlers for steroids but not many were caught back then. After the infamous steroids trial in 1994, the company moved its testing to an independent company but later stopped the program in 1996.
Shortly after the death of Eddie Guerrero in 2005, the company created the Talent Wellness Policy program that exists to this day.
Three Strikes For Everyone
Normally, wrestlers get tested four times throughout the year but repeated offenders can get tested up to 12 times a year at random times.
Every WWE wrestler gets three strikes before they need to pack their bags and go home. The first suspension lasts for 30 days and the second one lasts for 60-days, and both times the wrestler loses their paycheck for that period. The third violation acts like the final straw and the wrestler is fired from the company.
On paper, it does seem like nobody would be that careless to fail drug tests but many wrestlers don't always take this policy seriously.
Pay Upfront To Avoid Suspensions
Kurt Angle once told a story about Randy Orton and Rob Van Dam and how both used to pay their fines upfront to avoid suspensions. Orton and RVD both share a love for marijuana and it was one of the substances that were illegal in WWE's policy. So they used to pay thousands of dollars in advance to bypass the tests and work normally like others.
Nowadays, WWE just puts a fine on wrestlers who consume weed but they don't enforce suspensions for it anymore.
One time, WWE quietly made changes to their Wellness Policy program that allowed Orton to remove one of his two strikes from his profile if he agrees to stay clean for some time and attend a drug rehab center.
The Policy Isn't For Everyone
Some smart wrestlers were also able to find loopholes in the Wellness Policy. Many were able to get themselves a prescription note for a drug and they avoid suspensions this way.
Rey Mysterio, like others, said he was only given one day to show a note from his doctor in 2009 but he was unable to provide the paperwork in time. The Signature Pharmacy scandal two years before this incident shed light on many wrestlers who took prescription drugs.
Scott Steiner claimed to have never failed a single drug test. Though he probably would've if he had agreed to take one. According to him, WWE once told him to get tested but Steiner said he'd do it if Triple H does it with him.
And the company never bothered Scott with another drug test ever again. This further shows that how star power can have a huge impact on almost everything.
WWE Gets Away Without Being Honest With The Fans
First of all, WWE tests their wrestlers in-house and because of that, they have complete control over the testing process. Even if a wrestler fails a test, the word won't get out unless the company wanted to.
WWE also rarely reveals the cause of suspensions of wrestlers to the public. Some of those suspended stars even claimed that they didn't take any illegal substance and that WWE hid the details of their suspensions from them.
If those stars were right, then WWE should've at least revealed to them the reason behind their suspensions and what kind of drug did they consume.
WWE is a sports entertainment company and because of this, they aren't subject to any State Athletic Commission's tests. If that wasn't the case, perhaps many shocking names would've been suspended many times throughout their careers.
Remember, The Wellness Policy Is For PR Purposes
While there's no doubt that WWE cares about the well-being of its performers, it's clear that PR purposes are also part of the reason why the Wellness Policy exists and after all the bad press wrestling has received in the mainstream media over the years, it's not a surprise.
Fans also need to realize that the reason WWE created the Wellness Policy was to avoid past tragedies that destroy the company's image rather than to ensure fair competition which doesn't exist in sports entertainment anyway.