You were out what, nine months, after basically being ignored for a very long time before that. They give you a “hot angle” (:rolleyes: on what I think of it, but whatever) and a shot at the title at Wrestlemania. The biggest possible push they could ever give anyone, let alone someone they had basically shown no confidence in for a long time.
And you go and get busted for DUI and possession of Marijuana.
What a fucking dumbass.
Now my personal feelings that Marijuana should be legal and the arrest for that isn’t really a big deal aside, your employer has other ideas, and you just embarassed them going into their biggest show of the year.
Bets he’ll be in TNA within a year, and unless he shows utter brilliance there, out of wresting within 3 years.
Didn’t Robb Van Dam do pretty much the same thing a few years ago? Right about to finally break out as a major star, then gets busted driving with weed?
It fits right into his new Tea Party/Libertarian/Hick personality. Unless he’s violated the WWE Wellness policy, in which case Vince will be really pissed. Maybe he’ll be found unconcious in his hotel room just before Wrestlemania. What a maroon.
Which is why I said he’d be in TNA. A couple of the on-show reports for TNA have mentioned that RVD reeks of weed on his way to the ring, so apparently it isn’t a big deal there.
Just the overall stupid that gets me. Out all that time, being overlooked before that. Get a big break and the biggest push you could possibly get. Be stupid and lose it all.
If they do take Swagger’s title shot away, I wonder what excuse WWE will use on the air. Will they make him wrestle a match for the spot (which, of course, he would lose), or break out a variation on “stabbed in the kidney during a bar fight” that they used when Cena needed time off to film The Marine?
Swagger was probably getting a short time in the spotlight anyway. It’s a Wrestlemania push, where a lot of guys come in short term. I’m sure he would end up losing his match and go back to jobbing at best. So let’s not make this out like the biggest fail of all time. But Vince will be pissed. They’re wasting money on Dutch Mantel and the We-the-People gimmick that won’t get used. Unless they just give him a second chance, I don’t know if he’s had any other infractions. Don’t count Vince short, he might just go with this one, Linda’s not running for office, and they know they need to shake things up. So they might just let Swagger incorporate marijuana laws in his storyline.
Not a chance. They still haven’t admitted on the air (or on DVDs where they mention him) that Droz had a career-ending injury…in 1999.
Since it’s more than 30 days before WrestleMania, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Swagger get a 30-day suspension (which is what any first time Wellness Policy violator gets) and they just gloss over why he’s not wrestling until then. (He’s a SmackDown wrestler, isn’t he? That makes this much easier to do.)
I dunno…Vince has a tendency to be vindictive. Especially when someone embarasses the company. I would not be surprised to see Swagger somehow lose a match for his spot at Wrestlemania, and then find himself being wished well in his future endeavors.
Well, it’s a cinch that if he was ever scheduled to win, he isn’t now. The 30-days before Wrestlemania thing is plausible (with BS story line cover), but we’ll see.
Vince, vindictive? They guy who is so incredibly unprofessional as to punish his people with embarassing, stupid (and sometimes borderline lawsuit-worthy) shit ON-AIR??? Nooooo…
Errr, wow. Apparently Glenn Beck had something bad to say about the general angle, and just today, WWE released a new video from Zeb/Swagger, but they stop in the middle of it, completely break kayfabe, and address Glenn directly, explaining to him in very small words that they are an entertainment company playing characters, and inviting him to appear on Raw.
I have no idea what’s going on with the angle now.
Rob (one “b”) was actually WWE (and ECW) champion at the time. But it’s not like they didn’t know he was a pothead. I mean, where did they think “RVD 4:20 says I Just Smoked Your Ass” from his real ECW days came from?
Rob and others, before the Wellness Program started made overt references to marijuana smoking on the air. They were in the Attitude Era and it was acceptable up to a point. I’m sure they knew that Van Dam and others would be problematic as they entered their modern family friendly mode, and they have been. Swagger is surprising because he’s just been plucked from obscurity to star in a major new storyline. It looks like the Glenn Beck controversy might save his ass. And as I commented in the GD thread, it could all be a work, with that intended purpose.
As you say it may all be a work, but think about that. It’s a shame that the industry has gotten to that point. I really miss the days when blood and the occasional nip slip was the most controversial thing going on in pro wrestling. I agree with OP, Swagger was basically living the young pro wrestler’s dream and may have thrown it all away if this is real.
Also didn’t Jeff Hardy go down for financing meth labs a few months ago?
Reading some of the stuff about the last time Randy Orton failed a Wellness check, it was for steroids. He also tested positive for Marijuana, but the articles noted that this is NOT considered a failure of the WP and only results in a $2500 fine. So it would appear at least from those articles that as long as you’re willing to pay the fine every time you get tested, there is no real consequence to smoking pot.
And therefore Jake Hager (Jack Swagger) did not fail by their Wellness Policy and will only be subject to a small fine. (Although we’ll see how or what eventually comes out of it.)
Judging from Monday Night Raw, they’re moving full steam ahead with the angle.
The most recent thing I recall about Hardy was a couple years back when he ruined one of TNA’s PPV main events when he showed up too high/stoned/whatever to work and Sting basically had to just go legit on him and pin him in about 8 seconds (as ordered by Eric Bischoff).
I doubt they would’ve put the belt back on him if he’d been going Gus Fring a few months ago.