10 WWE Wrestlers You'd Never Guess Were Suspended
Not everyone's as innocent as they look.
Initiated in February 2006 in the wake of the abrupt death of Eddie Guerrero, WWE's Wellness Policy has seen all Superstars subjected to random drug testings. It's helped ensure the health and safety of WWE's performers, testing for recreational drug use as well as abuse of prescription medication, among other things.
If a wrestler tests positive, they're suspended for 30 days in addition to an extra month for the second violation. The third violation results in an immediate release from the company and/or failure to report to a rehabilitation facility at the behest of management.
In the past decade, over two dozen stars have been suspended because of the program, most of whom being the usual suspects. Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy have all sat on the sidelines at one point or another, but given their checkered pasts and the fact that they're top-tier players, their suspensions typically don't come as much of a surprise.
However, there have quite a few suspensions over the years that have flown under the radar; people the average viewer would have never predicted violating the Wellness Policy. From regulars on "WWE Superstars" to referees and managers, no one is exempt from the rules as you'll soon see.
10. Dolph Ziggler
Years before he resurfaced on WWE TV with a new name, Nick Nemeth had competed under various gimmicks including Kerwin White's caddy and a cheerleader as part of the Spirit Squad. However, he wouldn't truly break out until as a singles performer until late 2008 when he was repackaged as Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler officially made his Raw re-debut on the September 15, 2008 episode, introducing himself to other members of the roster backstage. Although this continued for a few weeks, he was surprisingly suspended for 30 days as a result of violating the WWE Wellness Policy in October.
Ziggler's never been known for his size to begin with, but for him to get himself suspended only mere weeks following his return to Raw was mind-boggling. It's a good thing it didn't cost him his push, though; he'd eventually wrestle his first match back in December against Batista before making waves on the SmackDown brand the subsequent summer.