William Regal Suspended For 60 Days

EdK

STAMFORD, Conn., May 20, 2008 - In accordance with its Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, WWE has suspended Darren Matthews (William Regal) for 60 days for his second violation of the company’s policy.


wwe.com


I thought something was up after last night's Raw, I had heard he was in line for a push but this makes sense after hearing of his suspension.

grames_bond

omg what a f*cking idiot! another kotr thats gonna mean nothing!

Vince135792003

Well that screws everything up in terms of his push, storylines etc.... He was doing so well in the role too.

You'd wonder though. Regal doesn't come across like a stupid dude. He's had drug problems in the passed, he's been suspended once and now it's happened again.

So is he taking whatever he is taking out of stupidity, medical dependency or just because he's addicted to them? I really don't know.

FutureGuy

+1

On the biggest push that he will ever get and hey presto. Funnily enough I was thinking was was in great shape recently :rolleyes:

I am actually really disappointed by this...

EdK

Yeah for anyone who saw Raw he really payed for it

Kane-N-Nite

I really am in shock. Some wrestlers really never learn. Push after push, win after win, these guys obviously don't care about their own success or the fans respect. Regal is a major idiot.

rovert

I think this a PR move by WWE ahead of the Benoit: One Year On articles that will be written soon. The 60 days runs past the Benoit anniversary too, not to mention Regal and Benoit were contempories as well. Regal was also on the signature pharmacy list. The timing stinks.

Kane-N-Nite

The timing couldnt be worse for him.

Fozzy

I hope he sorts himself out, but he's only got himself to blame. I'm disappointed

RebelRockChick

Always seems to happen, in line for a push and they have to be so stupid as to throw it away.

What happened to Regal in the many interviews (which I think may have even been done before his first suspension) about how he would never do that sh*t again. No surprise there then....

Rjd2

Kane-N-Nite wrote: »

The timing couldnt be worse for him.

Yeah he was in line for a feud with HHH over the title and to be honest i was really looking forward to it. The problem with him unlike Jeff, when he returns I dont think they will push him again, he will probably reamain in the midcard. I suppose the one bright thing for William is that HHH is meant to be a close friend and was instrumental in his push so he may be able to help him out behind the scenes.

Vince135792003

Kane-N-Nite wrote: »

Some wrestlers really never learn. Push after push, win after win, these guys obviously don't care about their own success or the fans respect. Regal is a major idiot.

I don't think it's as black and white as that just for the simple fact we don't know anything about his situation really.

We don't know why or for what purpose he took whatever he did. I'm not being an apologist for him I just think it's a complicated thing.

Yes at a surface level, it was a very dumb move but I'd go back to my first post, you'd have to wonder why.

I don't buy the "fans respect" thing either for taking drugs. I'm not condoning drug taking at all but KaneNNite you're going to be going to Wrestlemania next year and if you think everybody that you will see is a squeeky clean saint, your very wrong.

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

I think this a PR move by WWE ahead of the Benoit: One Year On articles that will be written soon. The 60 days runs past the Benoit anniversary too, not to mention Regal and Benoit were contempories as well. Regal was also on the signature pharmacy list. The timing stinks.

What a load of horse-sh*t! Captain Negative rears it's ugly head again!
Seriously, what in the hell has this got to do with Benoit? Regal didn't kill his wife and kid, and nobody knows for sure if Benoit was under the influence when he did! And besides, WWE are doing all they can to erase Benoit from their history book (although not doing that good a job as he appeared on the recent HHH DVD).

I will agree with you about the timing sucking. However the guy knew what he was getting himself in for. And has done for years as Regal has a history of drug problems stemming back to his WCW years.

VR!

ShawnRaven

Fozzy wrote: »

I hope he sorts himself out, but he's only got himself to blame. I'm disappointed

Ding Ding Ding! This is the correct answer folks!
VR!

Kane-N-Nite

Vince135792003 wrote: »

I don't think it's as black and white as that just for the simple fact we don't know anything about his situation really.

We don't know why or for what purpose he took whatever he did. I'm not being an apologist for him I just think it's a complicated thing.

Yes at a surface level, it was a very dumb move but I'd go back to my first post, you'd have to wonder why.

I don't by the "fans respect" thing either for taking drugs. I'm not condoning drug taking at all but KaneNNite you're going to be going to Wrestlemania next year and if you think everybody that you will see is a squeeky clean saint, your very wrong.

Oh, believe me Vince, I know everyone won't be squeky clean by any means. I just think one minute things are going great for some guys & then Jeff misses the money in the bank match, & Regals GM position & King Of The Ring win seeemingly have gone to waste.

ShawnRaven

Kane-N-Nite wrote: »

Oh, believe me Vince, I know everyone won't be squeky clean by any means. I just think one minute things are going great for some guys & then Jeff misses the money in the bank match, & Regals GM position & King Of The Ring win seeemingly have gone to waste.

The thing about the wellness policy is that it tends to include pain pills. Now some guys just dope up on pain pills so that they can't miss a show. I'm not condoning Regals actions if it so happens to be pain pills. But wrestlers are damned if they do and damned if they don't. They take the pills, they get busted and suspended. They don't take the pills, they go on the injured list (and in some cases, fired afterwards), no money, no way of supporting their families.

Vince135792003 is right. It's not always that black and white.
VR!

nacho libre

Vince135792003 wrote: »

I don't think it's as black and white as that just for the simple fact we don't know anything about his situation really.

We don't know why or for what purpose he took whatever he did. I'm not being an apologist for him I just think it's a complicated thing.

Yes at a surface level, it was a very dumb move but I'd go back to my first post, you'd have to wonder why.
.

I'm inclined to agree.
Regal isn't stupid, i'd say he might be hooked on something that is proscribed due to years of wear and tear.

grames_bond

EdK wrote: »

Yeah for anyone who saw Raw he really payed for it

what happened? *spoiler tag please*

Vince135792003

Kane-N-Nite wrote: »

Oh, believe me Vince, I know everyone won't be squeky clean by any means. I just think one minute things are going great for some guys & then Jeff misses the money in the bank match, & Regals GM position & King Of The Ring win seeemingly have gone to waste.

That's fair enough. I agree.

But I just don't buy Regal getting his push and saying to himself "Oh I'm going to take this drug now because I'm an idiot".

It's so hard to even talk about because there are no specifics but:

- Did he take it because he felt he needed to look a certain way to get the push?
- Is he taking stuff because he needs it to get though the WWE schedule?
- Is he taking stuff because he has a drug problem?
- Or is he just stupid?

I don't buy the last question but who knows. My gut tells me though he's taking stuff because he thinks he needs to, took the risk (which arguably is very stupid) and now it's backfired.

Kane-N-Nite

Maybe hes taking them because he thinks he can get away with it... Obviously he has a reason for taking them, & we may never know why, but it seems no matter how well they can be doing, they could be gone for 60 days in the blink of an eye.

rovert

rovert wrote: »

I think this a PR move by WWE ahead of the Benoit: One Year On articles that will be written soon. The 60 days runs past the Benoit anniversary too, not to mention Regal and Benoit were contempories as well. Regal was also on the signature pharmacy list. The timing stinks.

validreasoning! wrote: »

What a load of horse-sh*t! Captain Negative rears it's ugly head again!
Seriously, what in the hell has this got to do with Benoit? Regal didn't kill his wife and kid, and nobody knows for sure if Benoit was under the influence when he did! And besides, WWE are doing all they can to erase Benoit from their history book (although not doing that good a job as he appeared on the recent HHH DVD).

Did even read what I said and actually think about it? What you wrote has very little to do with what I wrote.

john concannon

What a stupid ****.He loses his only chance at a mega push.We've seen way too many idiotic screw ups on the wrestler's parts.

The only way to sort this sh1t out is by firing someone.People like Regal and Kennedy think they are above the rules.

nacho libre

Kane-N-Nite wrote: »

Maybe hes taking them because he thinks he can get away with it... Obviously he has a reason for taking them, & we may never know why, but it seems no matter how well they can be doing, they could be gone for 60 days in the blink of an eye.

I still say it's more likely he's taking them due to attrition. He feels he has no choice but to take them to maintain his position. In his mind, even though he knows the consequences will be severe if he gets caught, it's a risk worth taking. As Vr said it's a tricky situation - take them and keep your spot or don't take them and risk being on the sideline due to injury and then face the possiblity of eventually being fired. In that scenario many will take the risk of using something proscribed to keep them active and maintain their spot.

EdK

grames_bond wrote: »

what happened? *spoiler tag please*

He was in a loser gets fired match against Kennedy and lost

Otis Driftwood

Hmmmm,maybe its just the cynic in me but Jeff was on the cusp of a huge push,got tested and then suspended.Now Regal.

It kinda looks like Vince is making an example of the stars to fans and detractors of the industry and basically saying I dont care who you are or what angles are going on,you mess up and your ass is grass.Let that be a lesson to all of you.

Bubs101

nedtheshed wrote: »

Hmmmm,maybe its just the cynic in me but Jeff was on the cusp of a huge push,got tested and then suspended.Now Regal.

.

I think it may be more that when they're on the cusp of a main event push, they're in the ring much more and need more pain killers. I kind of feel sorry for those who got addicted to pain killers in the 10 years since they emerged (much more in Regals case) and then have to change the habits of a lifetime in a year.

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

Did even read what I said and actually think about it? What you wrote has very little to do with what I wrote.

You got that right pal, what i wrote was on topic, yours wasn't!
VR!

rovert

validreasoning! wrote: »

You got that right pal, what i wrote was on topic, yours wasn't!
VR!

Explain and back up your point, please.

ShawnRaven

Simple m'man, allow me to dissect what you wrote earlier

rovert wrote:

I think this a PR move by WWE ahead of the Benoit: One Year On articles that will be written soon.

First things first, Benoit has nothing to do with this. Sure the timeframe might be somewhat coincidental, but whoop de do. And secondly, if WWE are erasing Benoit out of their history books, why in the hell would they give him publicity with a PR stunt?

The 60 days runs past the Benoit anniversary too, not to mention Regal and Benoit were contempories as well. Regal was also on the signature pharmacy list.

Amazingly enough, you were about the only one that over-read into this too?
There you go sir, beautifully f*cking illustrated. Now if you'd like to further re-iterate your point, i'd love to hear it. I've backed up my points, you back yours up.

VR!

Machismo Fan

WWE brushed off the negative publicity from Benoit quite well(despite the best efforts of their employees), why would they want to bring it back up.

ShawnRaven

Thank you! I'm glad SOMEONE here sees my point!
VR!

rovert

Here is the thing you back your opinion with more opinion and no actual facts.

So Benoit has nothing to do with the Wellness policy? Let me see the public blamed steroids for the Benoit murders. Obviously this was overblown by the media; steroids were still a minor contributory factor. Benoit's epitestertone levels were later found to be 59:1 which lead temporally to the policy being tightened and expanded with further medical testing. As Americans are very anti-Steroids after the baseball scandals. WWE suspended a rake of wrestlers in the summer at a time were they faced the most heat ever from the media and US Congress. The overwhelming feeling by WWE was that they had to do something themselves to curb the decline in ratings and possible government investigation. Once the pressure died off they made the policy more lax again (letting people appear on TV while servicing suspensions for example.) For these reasons WWE’s Wellness Policy has to be viewed a PR exercise for the most part.

Benoit’s murder suicide had more of a bearing than Eddie Guerroe’s on the Wellness Policy. When you talk about Wellness you must talk in this context, sorry.

Your giving Chris Benoit publicity line is so dumb and so not the real world. You say WWE is trying to erase Benoit, but the media will still remember it and pieces will still be written on it. This is a pre-emptive move on WWE’s part to quell criticism when the anniversary rolls around.

Why do I need to back up this:

The 60 days runs past the Benoit anniversary too, not to mention Regal and Benoit were contempories as well. Regal was also on the signature pharmacy list.

It is all fact.

Seriously do you think WWE’s Wellness Policy is completely legit?

Machismo Fan wrote: »

WWE brushed off the negative publicity from Benoit quite well(despite the best efforts of their employees), why would they want to bring it back up.

because other people will given the importance of the story. There are three books on the way about it. Not to mention a civil case maybe brought still by the Benoits. WWE has not learned their lesson from the murders. Everyone is as big as they were last year and their schedule is exactly the same. Your view of things is not how the media works, sorry.

Machismo Fan

Everyone knows WWE only suspend people when they need to(they called up DH Smith in the knowledge that he failed a drug test to make an example of him) but they recently tightened the system after they found out people were cheating the system. What difference does it make how long it has been since Benoit, WWE do not need to publicise it and they came out of that period with very little real long term damage.

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

So Benoit has nothing to do with the Wellness policy? Let me see the public blamed steroids for the Benoit murders. Obviously this was overblown by the media; steroids were still a minor contributory factor.

To which i will agree on, however if i recall correctly, The wellness policy was in about 18 months before the Benoit murders. They brought it in after the untimely death of Eddie Guerrero, who died of a heart attack which may or may not have been caused by his previous drug abuse.

Benoit's epitestertone levels were later found to be 59:1 which lead temporally to the policy being tightened and expanded with further medical testing. As Americans are very anti-Steroids after the baseball scandals. WWE suspended a rake of wrestlers in the summer at a time were they faced the most heat ever from the media and US Congress. The overwhelming feeling by WWE was that they had to do something themselves to curb the decline in ratings and possible government investigation. Once the pressure died off they made the policy more lax again (letting people appear on TV while servicing suspensions for example.) For these reasons WWE’s Wellness Policy has to be viewed a PR exercise for the most part.

Which would have been convincing, only if i recall correctly, the signature pharmacy stuff came out before the Benoit murders. The names were then leaked out AFTER the Benoit murders. You wanted facts, sir, there you go.

I will agree with you that the Wellness policy has been very lax from the beginning. It's very bendable depending on high up on the card you are.

Benoit’s murder suicide had more of a bearing than Eddie Guerroe’s on the Wellness Policy. When you talk about Wellness you must talk in this context, sorry.

That really depends on how you look at it. To me, Guerrero's has a lot more bearing since he was pretty much the reason they brought it in. And pretty much any wrestling fan or PW poster would back me up on this one.

Your giving Chris Benoit publicity line is so dumb and so not the real world. You say WWE is trying to erase Benoit, but the media will still remember it and pieces will still be written on it. This is a pre-emptive move on WWE’s part to quell criticism when the anniversary rolls around.

It's obviously not just my opinion on the publicity line. And a good example is when the Summerslam anthology rolls out and the amount of Benoit matches that will probably appear on the DVD's themselves, you can be guaranteed they will not appear on the DVD listings. Believe me, WWE have done everything they can to distance themselves away from Benoit once it was revealed that he was responsible. And that's as obvious as the nose on your face, m'man.

Seriously do you think WWE’s Wellness Policy is completely legit?

I answered this earlier.
VR!

rovert

Machismo Fan wrote: »

WWE do not need to publicise it and they came out of that period with very little real long term damage.

THEY ARENT PUBLICISING IT, IT IS DAMAGE LIMITATION MOVE (re PR)!

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

WWE has not learned their lesson from the murders. Everyone is as big as they were last year and their schedule is exactly the same. Your view of things is not how the media works, sorry.

Wow wow wow, hold up, and before i get started here rovert, you're the first to bitch about me going off topic, and you turned this into a Benoit topic.

Secondly, what lesson does WWE have to learn? WWE aren't responsible for Benoit's personal life. What happened happened outside of work hours. It IS that black and white. If you choose to do drugs in your line of work, how is that the responsibility of the company?

Don't get me wrong, i choose TNA>WWE in terms of priority of when i watch wrestling, despite TNA barely checking for drugs. But given the amount of injuries to the head Benoit suffered, who's to say where he suffered them? ECW? Japan? WCW? WWE? It was his profession that caused all the concussions, not the company!

VR!

rovert

Fair point about signature pharmacy stuff and Eddie Guerrero (I kinda alluded to it but anyways.) In relation to both the Benoit thing increased the public's, the media and the governments interest a thousandfold at least in the weeks after.

I will agree with you that the Wellness policy has been very lax from the beginning. It's very bendable depending on high up on the card you are.

So at least in theory can you agree with me that it can be manipulated into a PR exercise with token suspensions? As I’ve said repeatedly in different ways it is something to hide behind and point to for WWE when the face poor public relations from customers, government, media, shareholders etc.

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

THEY ARENT PUBLICISING IT, IT IS DAMAGE LIMITATION MOVE (re PR)!

How is it a damage limitation move by throwing salt in old wounds?
Please don't tell me you work in PR, PLEASE!

VR!

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

Fair point about signature pharmacy stuff and Eddie Guerrero (I kinda alluded to it but anyways.) In relation to both the Benoit thing increased the public's, the media and the governments interest a thousandfold at least in the weeks after.

A double murder suicide will generate media sensationalism in any case to be fair. OJ Simpson is a good example of this, minus the suicide. The infamous myth there is that Benoit hated the direction the industry was going and he wanted to pull it down. Of course, if you follow wrestling, you'll know that myths and rumours go like ice with Baileys. And it's not the first time the government got involved. See Federal Government - Steroid Trials, 1993

So at least in theory can you agree with me that it can be manipulated into a PR exercise with token suspensions? As I’ve said repeatedly in different ways it is something to hide behind and point to for WWE when the face poor public relations from customers, government, media, shareholders etc.

I will in theory agree that it CAN be manipulated into a PR exercise
In practice however, Vince McMahon is just not that f*cking stupid.

Just out of curiousity, are you studying public relations? Or just graduated from it?

VR!

rovert

validreasoning! wrote: »

Wow wow wow, hold up, and before i get started here rovert, you're the first to bitch about me going off topic, and you turned this into a Benoit topic.

Secondly, what lesson does WWE have to learn? WWE aren't responsible for Benoit's personal life. What happened happened outside of work hours. It IS that black and white. If you choose to do drugs in your line of work, how is that the responsibility of the company?

Don't get me wrong, i choose TNA>WWE in terms of priority of when i watch wrestling, despite TNA barely checking for drugs. But given the amount of injuries to the head Benoit suffered, who's to say where he suffered them? ECW? Japan? WCW? WWE? It was his profession that caused all the concussions, not the company!

VR!

The 21st century companies do have higher responsibilities, we could go further "off topic" and talk about the case for unionisation but we WONT. You are reading too much into what I did and didn’t say, Benoit was predisposed to mental problems long answer short. Television shows had wrester after wrestler come on and the themes for improvement included: travel, concussion monitoring, time off and fair drug testing. Conditions haven’t improved for (WWE) wrestlers since then.

rovert

validreasoning! wrote: »

How is it a damage limitation move by throwing salt in old wounds?
Please don't tell me you work in PR, PLEASE!

VR!

I dont work in PR, I did a module on it tho. But learned more outside it.

I dont think fully understand what damage limitation is. Lets just stay suspending Regal IS a PR move. Is that throwing salt on old wounds?

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

The 21st century companies do have higher responsibilities, we could go further "off topic" and talk about the case for unionisation but we WONT.

To a certain extent they do. However once you clock out, that's it. What happens at home is not the responsibility of said company. Hence why the family of Nancy don't have a leg to stand on if they take WWE to court. Best they could hope for is if Vince settles out of court. And that's if he feels like it. Ugly scenario, i know. But as i said, Vince isn't stupid. But holding him responsible for the Benoit deaths (through his company, WWE) just won't work.

You are reading too much into what I did and didn’t say, Benoit was predisposed to mental problems long answer short. Television shows had wrester after wrestler come on and the themes for improvement included: travel, concussion monitoring, time off and fair drug testing. Conditions haven’t improved for (WWE) wrestlers since then.

That's a good one, earlier you were asking me if i even read what you wrote? So at least we've established that if anything else

I will agree that Benoit was predisposed to mental health problems leading up to the double murder suicide. And hell, i'll even admit the road schedule over years has been bloody horrible. However from 2002 onwards that did ease over time thanks to the brand split. Sadly when they threw them back on the road for house shows. They undid the work they did. So as far as Wrestlers conditions go, you've got my agreement on that too.

Now.. can we get back to Regal before Fozzy chucks us both out?
VR!

rovert

Please answer my post above yours, thanks.

VR, why do you think that talking about Benoit in a Regal topic about wellness is so off topic?

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

Please answer my post above yours, thanks.

VR, why do you think that talking about Benoit in a Regal topic about wellness is so off topic?

Sorry, you'd posted that before i posted my response and i hadn't seen it. It happens when 2 conversations get going in the same subject.

It's the spin you're putting on it. You're making it out to be a big PR deal when it's an unfortunate coincidence. As stated earlier, WWE would be mad to draw attention to Benoit when they spent so much time dismissing it. And if you did a module on PR, especially the negative aspects of it, you'd understand this.

Regarding your prior question. No, i don't think it's throwing salt in old wounds for as long as Benoit is not mentioned.

What happened last year affected a lot of wrestling fans, especially fans of Benoit. Benoit is someone who a lot of people looked up to, and respected. For the turn out that he was the one responsible for killing his family left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. Some people have gotten over it in a "work appreciation" way, others still curse his name.

That's my final word on this matter in public. If you want my opinion after this, send me a PM, but i really don't think Benoit should be discussed in this.

Alternatively, a seperate thread would be a better idea if you want compare the two.

Although at the end of the day, i'm not a mod. However i was around here last year when nearly every thread was turned into a Benoit one.

VR!

rovert

validreasoning! wrote: »

Sorry, you'd posted that before i posted my response and i hadn't seen it. It happens when 2 conversations get going in the same subject.

It's the spin you're putting on it. You're making it out to be a big PR deal when it's an unfortunate coincidence. As stated earlier, WWE would be mad to draw attention to Benoit when they spent so much time dismissing it. And if you did a module on PR, especially the negative aspects of it, you'd understand this.

Regarding your prior question. No, i don't think it's throwing salt in old wounds for as long as Benoit is not mentioned.

What happened last year affected a lot of wrestling fans, especially fans of Benoit. Benoit is someone who a lot of people looked up to, and respected. For the turn out that he was the one responsible for killing his family left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. Some people have gotten over it in a "work appreciation" way, others still curse his name.

That's my final word on this matter in public. If you want my opinion after this, send me a PM, but i really don't think Benoit should be discussed in this.

Alternatively, a seperate thread would be a better idea if you want compare the two.

Although at the end of the day, i'm not a mod. However i was around here last year when nearly every thread was turned into a Benoit one.

VR!

As it is was major story which MAY return one year hence, which is why WWE could be preparing themselves already by suspending a wrestler. So they have an example to say "the policy works and we enforce it" if needed.

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

As it is was major story which MAY return one year hence, which is why WWE could be preparing themselves already by suspending a wrestler. So they have an example to say "the policy works and we enforce it" if needed.

If it was a case of an accidental overdose, car crash in the case of the likes of Eddie Guerrero, or Brian Pillman, i would have no problems agreeing with you on this.

However nobody, and i mean NOBODY, wants to be involved with a double murder suicide. I'm no PR genius, but it's just common sense! So it's only natural that WWE will distance themselves away from it.

VR!

McConnon

Ah jesus. Regal was the only reason I watched RAW.

rovert

rovert wrote: »

As it is was major story which MAY return one year hence, which is why WWE could be preparing themselves already by suspending a wrestler. So they have an example to say "the policy works and we enforce it" if needed.

validreasoning! wrote: »

However nobody, and i mean NOBODY, wants to be involved with a double murder suicide.VR!

Which is why they are using this suspension as damage limitation (please look this term up VR, Im bored of repeating it.)

Aparrently there are huge holes in the wellness policy and Regal was unlucky to be caught .
Another senario is that this is somthing that Regal and the WWE came up with to help the company get away from the Benoit situation. If they are ever questioned they can say, the have sacked wrestlers. Other wrestlers were suspended.
By Regal doing this, he has a job for life. WWE's PR can say here is a top shelf guy that they suspended for 60 days .

But lets face it none of us really know what's going on in there.

ShawnRaven

rovert wrote: »

Which is why they are using this suspension as damage limitation (please look this term up VR, Im bored of repeating it.)

Nowhere near half as bored as i am of repeating myself!
I'm perfectly aware of what damage limitation is. I just don't believe it applies in this case. Regal is not being used as PR for the one year anniversary of the Benoit double murder-suicide!

And if you honestly, genuinely believe otherwise, you've got rocks in your head!

VR!

Vince135792003

Bryan Alvarez made the point yesterday that bodies noticeably changed over the last few months citing Orton and Triple H which I noticed too. Funny how that works.