WWE News: Updates And Reaction To Superstars’ Failed Drug Tests

The Titus O’Neil suspension grabbed a lot of WWE-related headlines, primarily because of its peculiar circumstances. But then it was reported that Adam Rose and Konnor were suspended for 60 days each for failed drug tests. Not the best timing for either superstar seeing how WWE tends to issue pink slips this time of year, and neither one has made a major impact in their short time in the company.

Failed drug tests in the WWE are a rarity these days. In fact, in the last four years, only Hornswoggle in 2015 and Ricardo Rodriguez in 2013 violated the Wellness Policy until Rose and Konnor’s violations this month. Ever since the WWE decided to become a public company, drug testing became a formality, whereas things were much more lenient in the 80s and early 90s.

There’s now some surprising news regarding the suspensions of Rose and Konnor. On one hand, Konnor has kept quiet regarding his drug test. On the other hand, Rose went public with his reaction to the suspension. The Social Outcasts member took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with the decision, which read, in part the following.

“I am pretty sure this response will meet nowhere near the publicity that my suspension did and that this response is tantamount to career suicide… I can say right now I did not do anything knowingly wrong and was taking prescribed medication that my Dr and I followed all the correct protocol on… My family and I are still collecting ourselves from this blow. I have zero anger or animosity against the WWE. But feel the administrators over the WWE Wellness policy were just simply not right in taking this action.”

And according to PWInsider, many WWE officials were caught off guard by Rose’s public statements and were not made aware that he was going to post them before he did. Essentially, WWE management saw the post at the same time the general public did. His comments also came as a shock to some of Rose’s fellow superstars and co-workers. But while they were surprised to read them (and surprised he even posted them), they also gained a new-found respect for him.

As the report states, Adam Rose is one of the harder-working wrestlers in the company and generally does what he is told and never questions authority. Never had Rose been known to be a distraction or cause any issues when it came to his role, character, direction or otherwise. Clearly, the result of the suspension because of the failed drug test lit a fire under him that required him to vent and be heard.

And as for one-half of The Ascension, Konnor’s failed drug test did not come as a result of taking anything illegal. That will be interesting to keep an eye on as to what supplement triggered the positive test, but so far, Konnor has kept quiet and is serving his time. It’s probably his only move considering how another strike would likely mean the end of his run with the company. And not only his but his partner Viktor’s as well.

Viktor is suffering just as much as his Konnor, seeing how unlikely it will be that he appears on television without The Ascension fully intact. The Inquisitr reported last week that WWE was toying with the idea of inserting Viktor into the Social Outcasts as a temporary replacement for Adam Rose. But that appears short-lived as he only represented the group on one stop on the European tour.

In Rose’s tweet that was highlighted above, he promised a follow-up that would include more information from his doctor. That has not come to light as of yet, but that too will be interesting to follow in case any member of management encourages to keep quiet or if Rose simply wants his version of the truth to be revealed.