More On Recent Wellness Suspensions For Robert Roode and Primo, Use of Testosterone Enhancement in WWE

It was reported earlier this week that both Robert Roode and Primo Colon were suspended for thirty days due to violations of WWE’s Wellness Policy. It was the first drug test failure for both. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has more details on the suspensions of both.

As noted, WWE TLC was changed due to Roode’s suspension, as he was originally set to team with Dolph Ziggler against the New Day. Instead, he was written out with an injury angle. It’s possible that is when his failure was discovered. However, the only ones told about the violations are the talent, Vince McMahon and possibly Paul Levesque, but not the creative team.

No one has failed in WWE in three years, compared to UFC which has frequent drug test failures, as well as a two-year suspension instead of 30 days for the first offense. One difference is that TUEs for testosterone are not allowed, but they are allowed in WWE. So when it looks like a wrestler may be on something, it’s possible that it’s just TUE. According to the report, this gives them “free reign for at least testosterone use and that’s the base of most cycles.”

Only a few were approved for TUEs around 12 years ago and no new wrestlers would be, but talent has claimed that TUEs are common and this rule is no longer in effect. Of course the rules are selective anyway, as Brock Lesnar’s contract doesn’t allow for drug testing (even after he tested positive in UFC), while Billy Gunn was fired for failing a test for highly elevated testosterone levels and getting suspended from powerlifting.