When it comes to drama in the ring, that’s what the WWE is all about! However, things can get a little cloudy when it comes to drama outside of the ring. Sometimes it’s hard to decipher what is true and what isn’t, as real-life drama is often shielded from the press.
Matt Riddle was recently written off the programming of December 5th’s WWE Raw after reportedly being hospitalized with a nasty bunch of injuries. As a result, WWE announced that he would not be available for a match for at least six weeks. While this makes sense from a storyline perspective, details have emerged online that tell us much more is going on behind the scenes!
Credit: WWE
It’s no secret that some of these jacked-up, muscular wrestling superstars may have dabbled with performance-enhancing drugs. To achieve such a physique naturally is pretty unheard of. However, an intense weight training program and a high-protein diet can only take you so far. To be a complete monster, some of these tough guys dabble in PEDs to get to that level.
In 1994, Hulk Hogan testified in a federal trial against the WWE and admitted to taking steroids for 14 years of his career. Also, before his untimely death in 2014, The Ultimate Warrior testified and stated that 85-90% of wrestlers had taken performance-enhancing drugs at one point in their career. The WWE Wellness Programme came in to combat this.
The WWE Wellness Programme is devised of two separate programs. One tests for the wrestlers’ well-being, while the other aims to detect drug abuse. This means that the WWE prohibits their wrestlers from abusing prescription or performance-enhancing drugs.
If found to be abusing any drugs, wrestlers can be fired on the spot but are often sent to rehab – and this is what has supposedly happened to WWE superstar Matt Riddle.
Credit: wwe.
Cassidy Haynes of Body Slam has revealed the real reason for Riddle’s absence. Haynes had this to say on his website:
“Over the summer, WWE had originally planned for Matt Riddle to have a match at SummerSlam against Seth Rollins, but that match was pushed back to Clash at the Castle. It was reported that the change was due to a new “creative direction.”
Haynes said that sources told him this wasn’t true, and the real reason was that Riddle failed a drug test and has since failed a second one, resulting in him being sent to rehab. He continued:
“This leads us to Matt Riddle’s most recent “six weeks” television write-off. I could confirm that WWE wrote Riddle of TV because he failed another drug test and will be sent to rehab. The belief is that he has already entered treatment or will be going in soon, as most programs run for 30 days, and he would need to be finished in time for his return in six weeks.
I asked for clarification on what exactly came up on the failed test, but it should be noted that WWE no longer tests for marijuana.”
Credit: WWE
So, with that information out there for the world to see, fans will now be left to speculate what exactly was found in the tests. Due to the nature of the sport, many will veer towards performance-enhancing drugs. It is quite the trending subject at the moment due to the famous YouTube personality, The Liver King, being exposed for his long list of drugs he takes. Joe Rogan even recently called out Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for his massive physique and said he needs to “come clean right now.
Does this pose a big moral question – should influential personalities like wrestlers and actors be transparent about their use of any drugs? Or would it influence people to follow in their footsteps and cause serious health risks? Many stars may not talk about it because they are not asked about it. Or maybe their publicists state from the outset that their client will not talk about this matter during interviews.
Either way, it is widely considered that this way of life is unsafe and unhealthy. It is not a necessity to achieve a fit and healthy physique. It is simply a shortcut that the Hollywood elite may take to get them where they need to be at a faster level. Hard work, dedication, and a healthy diet will inevitably create those sustainable muscle gains!
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