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SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: ALL OF THE FACTS IN THE WWE SUSPENSION-GROWTH ENHANCEMENT STORY, FULL COVERAGE FROM THE BEGINNING

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT CHANGES HIRING PRACTICES, ANNOUNCES TWO MAJOR CHANGES TO WELLNESS POLICY TO WRESTLERS
by Mike Johnson @ 11:48:22 AM on 9/2/2007

World Wrestling Entertainment's Stephanie McMahon and John Laurinaitis held a meeting with the Smackdown and ECW talent last night in Cincinnati, Ohio prior to yesterday's television tapings to discuss new changes to the WWE Wellness Policy:

*The company will begin to test for marijuana shortly.  A positive will not result in a suspension but all positives will be met with a fine of, at least, $1000 per offense.

*The company will also begin testing for anti-estrogen drugs, which can be taken to offset some of the effects of steroid and HGH use.  A positive for any anti-estrogen agents will result in Wellness suspensions.

*The company also announced that any new potential hires will have to undergo and pass the WWE Wellness test before they are signed to the company.

WWE DEVELOPMENTAL SYSTEM UPDATE IN THE WAKE OF MIKE BUCCI'S FIRING
by Mike Johnson @ 1:25:03 PM on 9/2/2007

I've heard Tommy Dreamer was approached to help fill the void left by Mike Bucci's departure from World Wrestling Entertainment, which makes sense since he was the one Bucci replaced.  The belief among those I spoke to is that Dreamer will help in the interim while the company finds someone new to fill that position full-time.  The two names I've heard the most for that position are Val Venis and Ty Bailey.  Bailey is an office executive who works under John Laurinaitis while Venis, a long tenured performer in the company on the Raw brand, has been long expected to eventually slide into an office position.

TOP WWE STAR CLAIMING HE WANTS TO SUE THE MEDIA, STEPHANIE DISCUSSING VINCE WANTING TO GO BEFORE CONGRESS, HHH ADDRESSES THE BOYS & MORE
by Mike Johnson @ 4:16:37 PM on 9/2/2007

During the talent meeting with the wrestlers on the ECW and Smackdown brand yesterday afternoon, Stephanie McMahon told the performers that thirteen suspensions were handed out in regard to issues with performers receiving substances from online pharmacies and two were issued due to drug test failures.  We've only seen the company publicly confirm 11, so it's possible Stephanie had incorrect numbers or there are more suspensions/firings still to be announced.  If McMahon was speaking correctly, that would mean 15 total suspensions, plus the firing of Mike Bucci.

Also interesting to note is that McMahon told the wrestlers that Vince McMahon was "looking forward to the Congressional hearings" on the sport and to testifying before Congress if and when he was called to do so.  Two separate sources stated that Stephanie joked to the wrestlers that Vince was thinking of wearing a clown wig and shoes when he entered Congress in order to make a statement on the hearings.

During the meeting, Batista asked Stephanie about what could be done legally about his name being included on the recent media reports, citing publicly in front of the crew that he had never received anything from the online pharmacy companies.  Stephanie told him that was an issue he and his personal attorneys should look into, also commenting that she was under the impression he was already doing that (which would mean a civil lawsuit seeking damages).  Batista was telling numerous performers that he was extremely upset at Sports Illustrated and other media outlets for reporting his name, claiming there was no connection between him and the pharmacies.

When the meeting was over, Triple H addressed the wrestlers with something of a "rah rah" speech, saying that right now, he knows they are probably feeling they are in a horrible business and questioning why they want to be involved in it.  He reminded them that they have a dream job where they get to make children happy and they get to live out their dreams of being involved in the business they all grew up loving.  He said that he was proud to be a professional wrestler and that the entire business, not just WWE but all of wrestling, was under fire so it was up to the boys to stick together and work through it.

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