More on Evan Bourne’s second WWE suspension

Evan Bourne’s second WWE Wellness Policy violation resulting in a 60 day suspension was known several days before the official announcement was made on 1/17, leading to the decision to take the WWE Tag Team Championships off Bourne and Kofi Kingston in favor of Epico and Primo. John Laurinaitis was sent to the 1/15 Raw house show in Oakland to oversee the title change.

Bourne’s return would put him back around 3/19 leaving his role at Wrestlemania in doubt in what could cost him not only a big payoff for the Royal Rumble, but also the biggest show of the year. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the policy in WWE is that when a positive drug test comes in, if a storyline is in play, the talent’s suspension beings after the next television taping where an angle can be done to explain an absence or “tie up lose ends.”

It’s a policy designed to be implemented over a week, but in some cases (like Ron “R-Truth” Killings) it ended up being several weeks. This is the second suspension for Bourne (real name Matthew Korklan) following his first on 11/1 for a drug test failure for the use of Spice, a marijuana substitute. Spice, which has become popular among wrestlers, is treated just as seriously as cocaine or steroids in WWE’s drug policy. Testing positive for marijuana still results in a $2,500 fine – although repeated fines have resulted in some talent not being considered for stronger spots. Former WWE talent have claimed this doesn’t apply to talent already higher up on the card.

Total
0
Shares