WWE News: Update On Chael Sonnen Possibly Signing With WWE
Former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen appeared on TSN’s Off The Record yesterday and claimed that he was going to be meeting with WWE over WrestleMania weekend. Sonnen didn’t reveal what that meeting would be about, and also said that he’s even sure what WWE wants to meet with him about.
Sonnen will be attending the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony the night before WrestleMania, and said that WWE is flying him to the event and giving him “a very good seat to the show.” Sonnen also said that WWE told him that they had contacted his longtime rival, Wanderlei Silva, and invited him to meet with them over WrestleMania weekend.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer posted in his Thursday news update that he knows that WWE is planning on meeting with Sonnen, but he doesn’t believe that WWE has any interest in Silva.
“Okay, so here’s the deal with Chael Sonnen and WrestleMania. Sonnen will be attending the Hall of Fame and WrestleMania in San Jose. He’s expected to talk with people in WWE. It is not a formal meeting but it is expected to happen. As far as Wanderlei Silva goes and WWE, I don’t know that there’s anything to that at all. Silva may be doing pro wrestling within a few weeks, but it’s not official at this point, but it wouldn’t be for WWE.”
This past August, Chael Sonnen appeared on Chris Jericho’s podcast and revealed that WWE had contacted him almost immediately after his UFC release, and told him that they had no interest in him. The WWE executive that Sonnen spoke with said that the only way WWE would be interested in him would be if TNA offered him a contract. Well, it appears that WWE has changed their mind.
The UFC decided to cut ties with Sonnen after he failed two separate drug tests back in June. Sonnen tested positive for four banned substances in the two drug tests — human growth hormone [HGH], erythropoietin [EPO], anastrozole, and clomiphene. Sonnen’s history of past drug test failures could end up being an issue if he becomes an active in-ring member of the WWE roster.
WWE could be interested in bringing Sonnen on board as a commentator and not an active wrestler, due to his age and the fact that he is a phenomenal commentator. Sonnen is currently an MMA analyst for ESPN, and was formerly a UFC analyst for Fox, so he has plenty of experience. If WWE decides to bring Sonnen in for anything, he’ll likely have to leave his job at ESPN.
[Image via Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
