Brock Lesnar is undeniably a standout superstar in the WWE. His popularity and notoriety are undeniable, and it’s no secret that he receives special treatment from the company. In fact, it seems that accommodations are made for Lesnar in many ways, including granting him amnesty from drug tests.
The issue of drug testing is a contentious one in the world of professional wrestling. Many wrestlers have been suspended or even fired for failing drug tests, even if they were not actively performing at the time. One such wrestler was Billy Gunn, who was let go from the WWE in 2015 after testing positive for steroids during a weightlifting competition.
In contrast, Brock Lesnar failed a drug test in 2016 after his UFC fight against Mark Hunt. However, he was not fired from the WWE. The failed test revealed that he had used anti-estrogen drugs clomiphene and hydroxy-clomiphene in an out-of-competition drug sample. While Lesnar was banned from UFC for a year and had to pay a $250k fine, he was not subject to any consequences from the WWE.
This precedent set an interesting and controversial precedent for Lesnar in Vince McMahon’s company. During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that he was told by the WWE that failed drug tests don’t apply to Brock Lesnar.
Meltzer was surprised by this revelation, especially given that Brock Lesnar had participated in UFC and was an active wrestler. In contrast, Billy Gunn was just a coach for the WWE at the time of his failed drug test. Meltzer pointed out that Lesnar didn’t test positive for steroids, but he did fail a drug test. In commission states that regulate wrestling, Lesnar should have been suspended, but WWE didn’t enforce it.
Brock Lesnar did UFC, was an active wrestler — Billy Gunn wasn’t even an active wrestler — and Brock tested positive, it wasn’t for steroids, but he failed a drug test, and the response from WWE is that the drug test doesn’t apply to Brock Lesnar. This amazed me, because I asked, I was like, ‘hey, Brock just failed a test, you know and in commission states, in theory, he should be suspended from commision states that regulate wrestling, because that’s the rules.’
It was also revealed that WrestleMania took place in a state that year when the athletic commission should have stopped Brock Lesnar from competing. However, they didn’t take any action, and Lesnar was able to compete without any consequences. If it had been an MMA fight, it would have been a different story altogether.
Brock Lesnar’s status as a part-time superstar affords him many privileges and perks that other wrestlers do not enjoy. For example, he doesn’t have to make all the shows for WWE, including live events. He also gets to enjoy a few extra perks that the average wrestler might not have considered before.
Transcription by Ringside News
