AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
Imagine you’re Vince McMahon.
You suspend Rey Mysterio, one of your highest profile star after he is found to be violating the company’s Wellness Policy. Mysterio stated in an Mexican newspaper interview, that “he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm.” As per Wellness Program policy, Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but couldn’t produce it by the requested date was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to his already being on vacation and doing a WWE promotional tour.
After some controversy, including Mysterio’s doing the interview in the first place, a major no-no for WWE talent to do without permission…Mysterio drops the title, and goes on his suspension.
Then, if that isn’t bad enough…Jeff Hardy, possible the promotion’s most popular star, who is on a leave of absence/inbetween contracts is arrested at his North Carolina home after local sheriff execute a search warrant of his home and find 262 Vicodin pills, 180 Somas, 555 milliliters (18 fluid ounces) of anabolic steroids, plus a residual amount of powder cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Hardy was charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Hardy was placed in the Moore County Detention Center under a $125,000 secured bond. Then there was further controversy, as the Moore County Sheriff states Matt Hardy bailed out his brother, which Jeff Hardy has denied via Twiiter post after his release. The Sheriff hasn’t changed his story, nonetheless.
On top of all this, you have a live pay-per-view in the market where you pulled a doublecross title change on your World Champion…one not forgotten about nearly 12 years later.
Think you have problems?
So far, the mainstream media hasn’t picked up on the above stories too much, other than a scattered mention on Foxsports.com and in the Mexican press.
Emphasis on “so far”.
So what do you do?
Apparently what you do is to have CM Punk directly remind them about what happened in a promo for his World Championship match with Undertaker. In a way that no one can miss it (you also leave a fan with a sign saying “We Miss Jeff” in the expensive seats for most of the show…even more curious given the usual WWE track record with those things).
Yes, it gets more heat on CM Punk. But it also reminds WWE critics that two stars have been nailed again for drug-related offenses, one a major legal issue that won’t go away anytime soon, and another with a pissed-off star getting a suspension that may be in a grey area.
You also remind the fans about Montreal…twice…. by having DX acknowledge the clearly audible “You Screwed Bret” chants during their own intro for their match with Legacy….then have HHH joke about it pointing to Shawn Michaels saying “I did’;t do anything, it was all HIS (Michaels) fault.
Then you do a main event finish with CM Punk “submitting” Undertaker in a quick count 1997 Montreal finish, after the initial submission finish was ruled not to count by Teddy Long because “Vickie Guerrero banned the Hell’s Gate finish”.
Oh, Lord.
Monday and Tuesday night TV ought to be fun.
Until next time….
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