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Blog Question

Hello;

So all the recent Benoit talk on the blog got me wondering:

It was either after Eddy's death or Benoit's rampage (my gut tells me it was after Benoit) that I was reading on various sites that WWE had put a few wrestlers "on watch."

I remember some of the names being reported were HBK and Angle.  Angle seems pretty probable.  For some reason or another, I never followed up on the news.

So my question is - Was this true?  If so, what wrestlers were on this "list?"  And finally, what ever became of it?

Good question.  It was actually after Eddy's death, because it would have been difficult for WWE to watch Angle in TNA after Benoit died.  But yeah, I don't recall any particular followup.  And really, given what happened to Benoit, they probably wouldn't want to open up those kinds of questions anyway. It was probably just the usual corporate deal where the people in charge decide something is going to be the new policy and then it gets forgotten about a few weeks later when everyone loses interest in following through.

Comments

  1. I remember reading an interview with Edge in late 2008 that included some talk about Benoit. He basically said the exact same things that Benoit said about Eddie (that Chris was one of those people he could call up and talk to about personals problems and that he could "talk me out of it") and then also listed off the other people who could fill that role that weren't there.

    Christian was among those listed and was snatched up the very second his TNA contract expired.

    I couldn't help but feel that this was related to what Benoit said in 2005.


    http://youtu.be/NQgKwDxBcLE?t=49s

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  2. Wasn't Ric Fair rumored to be on the "suicide watch list"?

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  3. After Eddie died is when they first instituted the beginnings of the Wellness Policy. I remember the video being on WWE.com of Vince reading off a sort of prepared statement and then taking questions from the wrestlers, who were not shown on camera.


    Kurt Angle had a question for nearly every damn statement. Kurt Angle was definitely the guy on watch. His breakdown later that year confirmed it.

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  4. They should keep an eye on Jey Uso if you ask me. That guy has 'wellness violation' written all over him

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  5. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJune 29, 2013 at 1:55 PM

    HBK? Really? I thought by 05 he was pretty much on the straight and narrow.

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  6. He did do a LOT of drugs.

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  7. For every story I read about Angle and a return to WWE, I can't help but think that WWE would not want him back on their roster. DUI's, weird Twitter rants, etc. Angle seems to be the sort of person who would be hard to keep under wraps. With that neck still hanging by a thread after all these years, being an active participant would seem like something that would throw up red flags. Maybe in a full-time non-wrestling capacity, but when Angle ever gets around to wrapping up his TNA career, I'm not so sure a WWE return is a sure thing.

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  8. But if he did come back, and ended up doing something crazy like say murder Tyson Kidd in the shower or something, that's publicity you can't buy! We need to start looking at things from Vince's perspective for a change

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  9. Up to 2002. After that he was, by all accounts, totally clean.

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  10. If this is true and Angle was on this list, why did Vince try to make him go full time and thus drive him (Angle) out of WWE?

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  11. MaffewOfBotchamaniaJune 29, 2013 at 5:07 PM

    I always thought it was a dark joke that Angle was on suicide watch during this period. Huh.

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  12. Was it really the full time part that pushed him out? Thought part of the contract offer was time off for rehab???

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  13. Eddie was totally clean when he died too.

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  14. Well, totally clean from street drugs. I'm not gonna say for sure he was clean from getting some chemical assistance for his WWE Championship physique.

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  15. "something is going to be the new policy and then it gets forgotten about
    a few weeks later when everyone loses interest in following through"



    We should call it the Vince Russo Wellness Policy. Of course, it's also consistent with the other aspects of the WWE since VKM took over. I'm still waiting for a conclusion to the Bad News Brown/Bret Hart feud!

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  16. Yes. "This guy wants to die on live TV. Keep an eye on him."

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  17. If there is one think Vince ain't giving up, it is the house show revenue. It is VERY rare for him to let someone work less than a full schedule. You've had more of it lately with guys like Brock, Taker and Rock, but I wouldn't be surprised if that is a HHH thing more than Vince.

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  18. Jeez way too many people have come forward admitting that Eddie wasn't completely clean upon his death, he was simply not the "old Eddie." Besides, it has also been reported that Benoit, Dean and chavo cleaned Eddie's room after they found him dead, which is pretty common among the boys code. Don't forget about the HGH or roids he was obviously destroying his heart with.

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  19. I've always said that Angle is a potential time bomb for a company. I HOPE the limited TNA schedule has helped the guy. However, if he does become another statistic, the media will eat whatever company he's with for lunch. Just the story of "Clean cut American Olympic Hero that destroys his life in professional wrestling" will be a huge black eye.

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  20. I don't think we ever got the full story here. Vince wanted Kurt to go to rehab but Kurt was too stubborn and refused to go vs. Kurt wanting a reduced schedule and Vince sticking to the original contract.


    As with most stories, I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle... but either way... Kurt was fucked.

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  21. My comment was mostly a joke.


    But the drugs Shawn was on can really fuck up your brain. Even after you're clean you still might not be 100%.

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  22. No, the media will still point at fingers at WWE because as far as their lazy- no-research asses are concerned WWE *is* pro wrestling. Angle could be a part of some small Japanese fed when he keels over and WWE would still get most of the blame.

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  23. After a swift google and a look at urban dictionary, I still have no idea what that means

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  24. This guy gets it

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