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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: WWE ANNOUNCES NEW DRUG TESTING POLICY, BRET HART WINS HIS FIRST WCW WORLD TITLE AND MORE

By Buck Woodward on 2008-11-21 08:00:00

November 21st

On this day in history in ....

1978 - Tony Garea & Larry Zbyszko defeat The Yukon Lumberjacks for the WWWF World Tag Team Title in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

1999 - WCW Mayhem, a new PPV replacing the "World War 3" concept, was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Air Canada Center. Here are the results:
- In a WCW World Title tournament semifinal match, Chris Benoit defeated Jeff Jarrett when Benoit hit Jarrett with his own guitar after interference by Dustin Rhodes and Creative Control.
- Evan Karagias defeated Disco Inferno to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title with a flying bodypress after Disco accidentally hit Tony Marinara with a chair as he was holding Karagias for the shot. If Disco had won, he would have gotten $25,000 of Karagias' money.
- Norman Smiley defeated Brian Knobs to become the first WCW Hardcore Champion when Jimmy Hart mistakenly hit Knobs with a garbage can as an elevator the two wrestlers were fighting in opened.
- Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko & Asya defeated Eddie Guerrero, Billy Kidman & Torrie Wilson in an Elimination match. Perry Saturn was the sole survivor.
* Malenko pinned Kidman with a rollup.
* Guerrero pinned Malenko with a rana.
* Guerrero pinned Asya with a frog splash.
* Saturn forced Guerrero to submit to the Rings Of Saturn.
* Saturn pinned Wilson with a low blow as Shane Douglas distracted the referee.
- Buff Bagwell defeated Curt Hennig in a Retirement match with a Buff Blockbuster.
- In a WCW World Title tournament semifinal match, Bret Hart defeated Sting via submission with a sharpshooter. During the match, while the referee was down, Lex Luger attacked Sting, hitting him in the leg with a baseball bat. Hart started fighting with Luger, and the referee awoke to see this, and disqualified Sting for outside interference. However, Hart demanded the match continue, and beat Sting via submission.
- Vampiro defeated Berlyn via submission in a Chain match with a camel clutch using the chain. Post-match, Steve Williams, who was at ringside with Oklahoma, ran in and beat up Vampiro and Jerry Only of the band The Misfits.
- Meng defeated Lex Luger with the Tongan Death Grip after Elizabeth accidentally sprayed mace in his eyes.
- WCW United States & Television Champion Scott Hall defeated Booker T with a Razor's Edge as Booker was arguing with Jeff Jarrett, who was on the floor. After the match, Jeff Jarrett and Creative Control beat on Booker until Midnight made her debut and ran them off.
- David Flair vs. Kimberly Page ended in a no contest. Page and Flair had a brief brawl (and some stupid spots involving Flair wearing a cup for the match) until Dallas Page, Kanyon and Arn Anderson interfered. Page & Kanyon helped Kimberly, while Arn came out to help Flair. After the match, Flair hit Arn with his crowbar anyway.
- Bill Goldberg defeated Sid Vicious in an I Quit match when Sid was rendered unconscious in a cobra clutch variation.
- In a 32-person tournament final, Bret Hart defeated Chris Benoit to win WCW World Heavyweight Title with the Sharpshooter. Early in the match, Dean Malenko attacked Benoit, but was run off by Hart. Later in the match, the Outsiders interfered, but were run off by Bill Goldberg. This marked Hart's first WCW World Title reign, two years after the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" cost him with WWF World Title.

2000 - Billy Gunn defeats Eddie Guerrero for the WWF Intercontinental Title in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This begins Gunn's only Intercontinental Championship reign.

2005 - World Wrestling Entertainment announced on their website that details of a new drug policy being instituted by Vince McMahon would be announced later that day.  WWE's website later announced that Vince McMahon met with both the Raw and Smackdown rosters at the Raw taping in Sheffield, Great Britain to announce details of the company's new drug policy. McMahon announced that a new testing policy would be implemented in the next few weeks, which will see the banning of "performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids, etc., recreational drugs, as well as the abuse of prescription drugs." The company also announced there will be a new emphasis on cardiovascular examinations in light of the passing of Eddie Guerrero several days earlier.

In a video posted on WWE.com later that day, they showed a clip from the the meeting that Vince had earlier today with his wrestlers, telling them about the company's new drug policy.  He said he wanted them to hear it from him first, before it leaked out elsewhere.  He said that the policy would be implemented over the next few weeks. He said that they will be testing for "drugs of abuse" and abuse of prescription drugs, as well as growth enhancers and steroids.  He said it will be a strict policy that will be handled by a third party agency, not done in-house by WWE.  He added that it will cover all individuals under full time contracts with WWE.

He asked for comments from the wrestlers and no one said a word.  He said that there must be a million things going through their heads and there was laughter.  He then said he doesn't have all the answers yet.  He said that WWE was looking into implementing the program and wanted to tell the talent before word got out and they heard about it elsewhere.  He said he doesn't have the policy with him but will have it in a few weeks.  He asked the wrestlers for their input in it since it will be their policy.

Someone (it sounded like Ric Flair) asked about the prescription drug usage.  Vince said that the doctor would be able to check what prescriptions the wrestler is taking and by testing, would be able to tell if they were being abused.  He said it was easy to see when too much of a drug has been taken.  He added that the first step, if someone is caught abusing prescription drugs, would be to try and get the worker help.  He said if there were not prescriptions involved in a failed test, he thought that would bring on "another set of ramifications".  He added that the policy will be fair and "across the board for everybody".  He added there would be no exceptions to it.

He was asked if the testing would be random and Vince said yes.  He said it would be "relatively frequent".  He talked about the last testing they had (back in the early 90s) and said that the difference this time is that he will be the second person to know.  The first people will be the tester and the performer.  Vince added that people won't be able to say "Yeah Vince but...." if they are caught.  Everything will be spelled out in black and white in the policy as to what will happen if someone tests positive.  Someone then thanked Vince for telling them personally.

2006 - Jim Ross announces on his website that he has signed a new one-year contract with WWE the previous night. His earlier deal had expired on October 29th and Ross worked on an extension of that deal for several weeks while a new deal was worked out.

2007 - Former WCW wrestler Hardbody Harrison was been found guilty of sex trafficking and prostitution charges.  The Associated Press issued the following:

Ex-Wrestler Convicted of Sex Trafficking

ATLANTA (AP) A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a former pro wrestler known as "Hardbody Harrison" of charges that he kept eight women as sex slaves in his two north Georgia homes.

Harrison Norris Jr. was convicted of charges including aggravated sexual abuse, forced labor, sex trafficking, conspiracy and witness tampering. He was acquitted of all charges involving a ninth woman, but still could get life in prison at sentencing, set for Feb. 28.

Norris, 41, wrestled for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling organization in the 1990s.

Serving as his own lawyer, he contended that the women willingly lived at his Cartersville homes because they wanted to train as pro wrestlers. He says many of them arrived on drugs and left in the best shape of their lives.

During a two-week trial, prosecutors portrayed Norris as a predator who used his wrestling business to lure poor and vulnerable women into prostitution and forced labor.

"I think the jury's verdict vindicates the rights of the victims who were brave enough to come forward and confront this man who abused them," prosecutor Susan Coppedge said.

Witnesses testified that Norris, a former Army sergeant and veteran of the Persian Gulf War, imposed a strict military structure, with each of the women assigned to a squad overseen by an "enforcer."

One witness testified that Norris beat or threatened them to keep control and that he threatened to throw one through a hotel window when she would not engage in sex with two customers.

In addition to forcing the victims to work as prostitutes, Norris made them work in and around his houses, requiring them to haul trees, lay sod and paint, according to testimony.

 

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