10 Things You Didn't Know About Jack Swagger

2. He Was Busted For Drugs And Wasn't Suspended

Jack Swagger
TMZ

On February 17, 2013, the newly repackaged Jack Swagger stepped into the Elimination Chamber and won the bout. As result of that victory, he was guaranteed a WrestleMania title shot against World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio.

Just two days later, following a Smackdown taping in Mississippi, Swagger was pulled over and subsequently arrested. Charged with driving under the influence and drug possession (marijuana, specifically), Swagger was released from custody after the arrest.

There was much speculation about how WWE would handle the situation. Though Swagger hadn't failed a drug test (and marijuana is not met with a suspension as per the rules of WWE's Wellness Policy), arrests for drug-related reasons are supposed to be treated as full-fledged violations. That precedent was set when Rob Van Dam and Sabu were arrested in 2006.

With Swagger, though, nothing ever happened. He continued on the road to WrestleMania, appearing in court on March 12. After losing at 'Mania, Swagger continued to make all of his scheduled bookings, and on June 25, he was fined $500 and sentenced to six months of probation.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013