The 11/1 edition of TNA iMPACT! drew a final 1.0 cable rating (or 1.3 million viewers).
This is the same number the show has drawn on Spike TV for the last three weeks.
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There is a bit of confusion regarding Chris Masters’ past suspensions. His latest suspension isn’t his third tally (which would have resulted in an automatic dismissal from World Wrestling Entertainment) because in May 2006, WWE intervened on his painkiller abuse and he was sent to rehab. He didn’t actually fail a test or violate WWE’s Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy during that time period and so his painkiller abuse didn’t count against the policy. He returned to the ring at the August 6, 2006 OVW TV taping and was back in WWE on August 28, 2006 for a match on Raw with John Cena.
On August 30, 2007, Chris “Masters” Mordetsky’s name came up in an article on ESPN.com where they said he was a customer of the crooked Signature Pharmacy online drug firm based out of Orlando, Florida. Purchasing drugs over the internet is a violation of WWE’s policy and he was one of the 10 undisclosed WWE talents suspended on that Black Thursday for violating the drug policy (which later turned out to be 12). Masters was suspended for 30 days for his infraction, which was his first official violation of the policy. Masters got added heat from management for missing his flight to WWE’s headquarters in Stamford, CT later that week as all of the wrestlers listed as clients in the articles were ordered to have face-to-face meetings with WWE officials to talk about their dealings with Signature Pharmacy.
Masters made his return to WWE at the 9/29 SmackDown/ECW house show in Peoria, IL. He came back to resume his feud with Chuck Palumbo, which got cut off when he was suspended in August. Two weeks later, Masters dislocated his elbow during his tag match with Finlay vs. Undertaker & Kane at the 10/13 house show in Brussels, Belgium. Shortly thereafter, Masters was seen wearing a sling during WWE’s European tour, but the injury didn’t appear to be too serious because he wrestled at the 10/16 SmackDown tapings in Birmingham, England. He rolled up Palumbo for the win, and hasn’t appeared at a WWE event since.
Because this is Masters’ second violation of WWE’s Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, he will be out of action for 60 days and thus he is ineligible to appear at a WWE event for the rest of 2007. His current suspension runs out when the clock strikes midnight to signal the dawn of the new year. He will be eligible to return to the ring at SmackDown’s first show in 2008.
