Ryback On Samoa Joe's Wellness Violation Suspension, How WWE Drug Testing Policy Works
Samoa Joe was recently suspended by WWE for his first violation of the Wellness Policy. He is suspended for 30 days and is already the fourth Superstar to serve time for a Wellness violation in just 2020.
WWE didn't immediately announce the suspension which is also something they've done in the past. Ryback discussed them withholding the suspension announcements on Ryback TV Shooting Blanks Wrestling Report With Raj Giri.
"That seems really shady in itself. This goes back to a lot of the things they do," Ryback said before noting that if Conor McGregor failed a drug test the week before a fight, then UFC wouldn't let the fight go on as planned and have McGregor compete.
"This is where there's holes in the drug testing [with WWE]. When a guy tests positive, the guy should be suspended and it's announced immediately. That shows that the drug testing company is a bulls*** thing. That should be enforced immediately. Those part-timers who come in ? these guys aren't getting drug tested and it's not fair to the full-time talent."
Ryback said when he was with WWE it bothered him that he would work his tail off and comply with the Wellness Policy while a part-timer would come in, not get tested and get all of the big spots.
He also said he wants drug testing in pro wrestling to be as strict as possible. Raj then asked him how often he was tested in WWE.
"It was 5, 6, 7, 8 times [a year] ? somewhere in that range. It was quarterly. I think there was a period where I went 4-5 months without getting tested and that was the longest ever," revealed Ryback. "Right after I got tested every time. They knew I was clean and I wasn't doing marijuana or anything like that at the time. When you're constantly getting clean tests, they're not as concerned. But the guys who get popped for weed get tested all the time. If you do fail for PEDs, you're probably gonna be tested a lot more."
He said you get tested at TV, PPVs and even occasionally at live events so that they would catch you off-guard.
"With some of the referees ? a lot of the people smarten the guys up to when the drug testing is gonna be. It's a weird system. It is in fact drug testing, but there's holes. I know guys there that were taking some different things that were PEDs and they're not showing up on the test," stated Ryback. "That f***ing bothered me with them eating their bags of candy on the bus and not go work out. It's a real thing but at the end of the day it's not my heart. So, it's something they'll have to worry about when they're older."
Ryback said that those referees that would give talent a heads-up in regards to testing were Mark Carano's stooges. They would be buddy buddy with the talent and then snitch on them by reporting back to Carano.
"With the guys on marijuana, I heard there were drinks they could get to flush it out of their system. Usually they needed to know a day before and then they could flush it out. But that's marijuana and to me that's harmless on the part of the refs [for alerting talent]. They don't want guys to pay a $2500 fine for something they shouldn't have to pay," said Ryback.
"I'm really curious what they're popping for. I know how the way things work up there and if a guy finds a new "supplement" that isn't tested, then it spreads like wildfire. I don't know. Is it cocaine? I remember when I was there some of the guys would pop for cocaine. I've never done it but you wrestle, you party and you do cocaine. Is that what they're popping for? I don't know."
Ryback admitted that you can't just look at a guy's physique and tell if he's on anything with Samoa Joe being a prime example.
"Some of those guys, like Joe, you don't look at them and think they're taking a PED. But also, if you're f***ed up then you do take things for recovery. So, I've seen a lot of people that don't look like they take stuff and you'd be shocked that they are taking stuff," stated Ryback.
"This isn't being bitter or angry, but that schedule is so f***ed up. You're just trying to survive so it's no fault of the talent ? and I say that but it is their fault ? but it's a really screwed up environment. You're simply trying to go week-to-week by any means necessary."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Shooting Blanks Wrestling Report With Raj Giri with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.