Source: The Sun Online
Rob and Sabu fly too high
By THE LILSBOYS
WE’VE used many words to describe Rob Van Dam over the years – but idiot hasn’t been one of them.
Up until now.
RVD started the week as WWE and ECW champion and the figurehead of the latter company, fulfilling the dreams he’s harboured for years.
He ended it without either belt and facing a 30-day suspension, after he and Sabu were arrested by police for possessing a small quantity of marijuana.
We’ll come onto the ramifications for the already failing ECW brand and the lads themselves shortly.
But first a look at what actually happened.
As first reported in America’s Irontown Tribune Van Dam was driving back from a house show, with Sabu as a passenger, when he was pulled over by police for speeding.
When officers approached they smelt marijuana and searched his car, discovering 18 grams (two thirds of an ounce) of the drug, five prescription pain pills, other unidentified controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.
The lads were then arrested and charged with five violations, including possession.
On arriving for Raw the next day they were called in by Johnny Ace, the head of talent relations.
The WWE are wisely keeping details of the meeting are confidential, but it’s safe to say Van Dam and Sabu got more than a just slap on the wrist.
Sabu was immediately taken off TV and fined $1000 but has avoided any suspension.
RVD posed a bigger problem, being that he held two of the company’s three heavyweight championships.
Two days later that was no longer the case.
Rob was allowed to wrestle on Raw and the ECW TV show, in order to drop the titles, then immediately suspended for a month.
We won’t tell you exactly what happened at the ECW taping, as it hasn’t been shown in the UK yet, but it certainly angered the hardcore fans in attendance.
At Raw, the WWE put on their Saturday Night’s Main Event headliner two weeks early with Edge winning the title in a strong triple threat match also featuring John Cena.
Vince McMahon will be fuming at having his plans ruined and Edge can’t be happy that his title win has been totally overshadowed by events outside of the ring.
WWE stars are also role models to kids around the globe and taking drugs is obviously a terrible example to set.
In most other businesses it would be enough to get you fired.
Luckily for Rob and Sabu, wrestling is unlike any other business.
Vince McMahon’s golden rule has always been if you can make him money then almost anything can be forgiven.
Right now people are paying to see RVD and Sabu and, more importantly for their job prospects, an ECW brand without them is almost unthinkable.
Also in RVD’s favour is that he’s never hidden the fact that he likes a joint.
Other stars have made references to him “flying high” and back in the old ECW he sometimes wore the number 420 on his back – the police code for marijuana. Sabu hardly comes across as straight edge either.
The WWE’s drugs policy, introduced after the tragic death of Eddie Guerrero, does clearly state that “possession and/or distribution of illegal drugs by WWE talent is unacceptable and prohibited”.
However it’s always been unclear whether marijuana is included in this description or whether it’s just meant to cover harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Wrestlers aren’t automatically tested for cannabis, like they are for other substances, unless there is “reasonable cause” to do so.
The small amount the stars were carrying will also work in their favour, the punishment is likely to be a measly $100 fine. We’ve heard nothing to suggest that RVD was driving under the influence of drugs, which would obviously be a much more serious offence.
But it’s just amazing that Rob was stupid enough to throw away his biggest ever push, if not his whole WWE career, for a few joints and five pain pills.
He may have also hammered a nail in the coffin of ECW.
The Extreme group is already coming under fire from fans for featuring too many WWE stars and booking tactics.
Now, in the short term at least, it’s lost the only wrestler the fans truly believe in.
Of course RVD could come back stronger than before as a cult hero who lives as extremely as he wrestles.
But that’s only if there’s an ECW for him to come back to.
