Author: WWE’s Drug Testing Policies and Challenges
Drug testing is sure to happen on any day in WWE. In one instance, a corrupt administrator surprised X-Pac and helped him (and others!) pass the test.
Sean Waltman on WWE Culture in the ’90s
In a November 26, 2005 interview with PWTorch, Sean Waltman opened up about his past drug use and how he and other wrestlers beat WWE substance testing via an unexpected assist from a corrupt administrator.
"When I came [into the WWF], I wasn’t using steroids, and I never really had at the time. I tried once or twice, but the truth is, I don’t even know if I had real steroids back then. I never touched a steroid until I was 25 years old until I left Vince McMahon.
An Inside Look at WWE Culture in the ’90s
“Before I went to the WWF, I had never really taken a painkiller or any pills.
“I walked into a company that was full of people who were taking tons of pills and drinking tons of alcohol on a nightly basis. I got caught up in that whirlwind really quick.
“We weren’t allowed to [use] a joint. They were testing for that as it was an illegal drug in most states. So that was the big thing. We weren’t allowed to [use] a joint.
“If they had only allowed us to smoke pot, we wouldn’t be taking all of these pills and getting ****** up and drinking every night.
The Intricacies of WWE’s Testing Procedures
“The testing can’t solve all of the problems. I know it’s a big PR thing, but Vince does really care. For all of his flaws, the guy does care. He does not want to keep having to go through this.
“Although the sad part about it is, they were testing for certain things, when all the while, you can have a pain pill prescription for whatever you can get your doctor to prescribe for you.
“You can take these things and [pee] in a cup, and these metabolites can show up in your urine, and you’re okay, but you’re not allowed to test for alcohol, which doesn’t really show up, anyhow.
“We’d find out we were being tested by showing up to the arena and seeing a sign on the door that said, ‘Drug Test.’
“That’s when we knew. It could have been anytime. You never knew when it was coming.
“There was a doctor Mario DiPasquale. He was a very, very good match. He was very knowledgeable in all of these things.
“In my opinion, he was probably one of the top two or three most knowledgeable people about PEDs — and how to beat the tests, by the way.
“He ran Vince’s substance abuse testing policy.
“He was great at it. He really was. He was great at his job. He was very understanding to us because he was an athlete himself. He understood what we were going through.
“At the same time, we could show up one day, take a test, and then think we would be okay for a couple of days, and bam, the next day, he’d hit us with another one. It wasn’t just where you walk in.
Strategies to Beat the Tests and Advances in Detection
“They give you a cup, you go into the bathroom, and you [pee] in a cup. In the bathroom you go into to [pee] in, a guy is standing there. We call him the ****-watcher. They watched the stream of urine leave your genitalia and go into the cup.
“I couldn’t think of a way to beat the test. I mean, not very many drug testing policies require somebody to actually watch it come out of you. Even when I was in rehab, you could go and have some privacy while taking the test.
“Nothing is unbeatable.
“Now they’ve come up with prosthetic [man parts] that look real that have a real heating system in them to heat the clean urine that you would put in there to body temperature. They’ll test the temperature and the PH to ensure you’re not using some masking agent. I’m sure in Vince’s test that there’s a thing to detect that.”
Should Vince McMahon Allow Some Use in the WWE?
Regarding grass, Sean Waltman opened up about how it was popular amongst some of the wrestlers in the ’90s, despite WWE not allowing their wrestlers to smoke it.
Revisiting WWE’s Substance Policy: Should There Be Exceptions?
“I’ll tell you a quick story.
“We really liked to smoke our pot back then. It was a big deal because they wouldn’t let us do that. I felt strongly about it. I don’t know if pot is on his list of things he’s testing for.
“If I were him, I wouldn’t test for it. It’s a hell of a lot more benign than alcohol, and we’re not talking about a PR thing where we’re worried about somebody getting caught with a dime bag of pot going through the airport or getting stopped on the road.
The Intersection of Public Relations and Health Concerns
“This is a thing to save people’s lives. This policy to save people’s lives shouldn’t be strictly for the company’s PR.
” I really don’t think there is going to be any bad press on the company if one of Vince’s WWE superstars gets caught with a bag of pot. And that’s my opinion on it.
Challenging WWE’s Stance on Marijuana
“It might be a biased opinion because I’m a legalization advocate. And I do have, in the state of California, a medical card.
“If I worked for Vince, I’m sure that would exempt me from being tested for it anyhow. But not everybody lives in the state of California, and not everybody’s able to get a doctor’s note, either. It’s just not the thing I’d be testing for.
The Corrupt Administrator Who Helped Wrestlers Beat the Test
“There was one time we beat the test,” Sean continued.
Unconventional Methods: How Wrestlers Outsmarted the Tests
“It was the Royal Rumble of 1995. It was in Tampa. We started figuring out in our drug addict minds that, okay, they test at house shows, but they don’t test us at TVs because there’s too much going on at TVs. Same for pay-per-views.
“They don’t test us in non-English-speaking countries, so if we go to Europe, we can get away with [using] a joint.
“We had all these things figured out in our heads — or so we thought.
Understanding WWE’s Testing Practices and Weaknesses
” So we went out the night before Royal Rumble to Ybor City in Tampa.
“I remember Scott Hall and I leaning on each other, walking down 7th Street in Ybor City and bumping into Lawrence Taylor of all people. (The next day was when Lawrence Taylor did the angle with Bam Bam Bigelow leading to WrestleMania.)
“He looked at Scott and me and was like, ‘God, aren’t you guys wrestling tomorrow?’
The High Stakes of Evasion: Risking Suspension and Financial Loss
“We were all pilled up and definitely in downer mode. If you want to make any assumption about Lawrence Taylor, he was probably exactly the opposite; he was probably zoomin’. So he’s looking at us like we’re crazy.
“Anyway, we show up for the pay-per-view. Bam, they got us. There are signs up everywhere: ‘Drug testing.’
“We’re dirty because we smoked pot the night before. We’re like, oh ****! So guys were going in and taking the test. I was avoiding it all day long.
Exploiting a Weak Link: How Corruption Aided Evasion
“Finally, Dave Hebner cornered me. He tricked me into going in. He said, ‘Somebody wants to talk to you.’ He had taken a sign down off the door. I walked through the door and, bam, there they were with the cups ready.
“So I’m telling the guy that’s doing the test, ‘Uh, I can’t really [pee]…’ He could tell I was nervous. I didn’t want to get caught. Nobody wants to get caught because it costs you money, and you get suspended.
“He goes, ‘Give me two hundred bucks, and I’ll [pee] for you.’
Wrestling with Morality: The Ethics of Evading Tests
“I’m telling you, two hundred dollars never left my wallet and went into somebody else’s hands so quick in my life.
“I didn’t even think that the guy could have been dirty himself if he was [peeing] into the cup.
“This guy actually couldn’t [pee] for everybody, but I think he pretty much took a couple of hundred bucks from several people in the company and ended up dumping their samples out.
“That was the only time that I could tell you that that test was beatable. It was because of a corrupt person who was administering the tests!"
The Andre the Giant Fight That Turned REAL in Japan!
Andre the Giant showed up at the Japanese venue more inebriated than usual in May ’86. He was to face Akira Maeda, a wrestler building a reputation as someone hard to do business with. Together, there was a possibility for volatility, and much like a forest fire, it only took a spark!
Read: Andre the Giant and Akira Maeda Fight That Turned REAL in Japan
The Kick That Ruined Bret Hart
BRET HART: "One of the last things I said to Goldberg before I walked out to the ring was, ‘Don’t hurt me. I wish he heard me a little better."
GOLDBERG: "This will forever go down in history as the biggest mistake that I have ever made in my entire life."
What was supposed to be a moment for the two former WCW tag team champions to shine turned into a match with dire consequences.
Read Bret Hart and Goldberg – The Kick That Ruined Bret’s Career
Secret Life and Tragic Passing of WWE Wrestler “Crush” Brian Adams
Hailing from Kona, Hawaii, “Crush” Brian Adams was a dominant force who underwent many striking transformations over his 17-year career.
After retiring from the ring, he worked as a bodyguard for “Macho Man” Randy Savage and was excited about opening a fitness spa alongside Marc Mero in Florida. Instead, sadly, tragedy struck.
Chief Jay Strongbow and His Notorious Backstage Reputation
‘MACHO MAN’ RANDY SAVAGE: “He killed more young wrestlers’ careers than [substance abuse]!”
THE HONKY TONK MAN: “If he were dying right now, I wouldn’t even [drop a dump] in his mouth."
Chief Jay Strongbow seemed a natural fit for a backstage role in WWE. However, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for the faux Native American!
Read: Chief Jay Strongbow and His Notorious Backstage Reputation
Doink The Clown – A Troubled Life For the Man Behind the Paint
Doink the Clown found fame in early 1990s WWE, but there was, unfortunately, trouble along the way for Matt Borne, the man behind the paint.
Read Doink The Clown – A Troubled Life For the Man Behind the Paint
Want More? Choose another story!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, and Flipboard!
Got a correction, tip, or story idea? Reach out to our team!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy!
