Drug possession carries real consequences; it leaves you with a record and an unwanted reputation. For some WWE Superstars, it damaged their careers, while others had to work extremely hard to reclaim the spotlight. If anything else a drug possession charge taints careers and puts those involved in a bad light.
It is no secret that many people battle drugs, regardless of their status. You hear over time about musicians, who battle addictions and it’s no different in sport.
WWE has a strict Wellness Policy in effect, and for the most part, Superstars do adhere to it. But once in a while someone slips and they are the subject of scrutiny and shame for weeks, even months.
While some on the list aren’t that surprising, others raised some eyebrows. But one thing is for sure; these guys are not exempt from the law no matter how you look at it.
Here are five WWE wrestlers who got arrested for drug possession.
#1 Rob Van Dam
Van Dam is the least surprising on this list.
It is well known that he is an advocate of marijuana, but unfortunately, it got him in trouble. 2006 saw Van Dam capture the WWE Championship for the first time, and also the beginning of an ECW revival. Van Dam was enjoying the biggest push of his career, but it came to a screeching halt just a month after he won the WWE Championship.
Van Dam was pulled over for speeding in July 2006. Sabu was travelling with him, and the officer detected the smell of marijuana emanating from the car. After searching the vehicle and the men, 18 grammes of marijuana and five Vicodin were retrieved from Van Dam, while Sabu had drug paraphernalia and nine Testolactone.
Van Dam would end up suspended for 30 days and he was booked to lose both the WWE and ECW Championships after news of his arrest had broken.
#2 Brock Lesnar
Before making an impact in WWE, Brock Lesnar would almost not make it there. Back in 2001, Lesnar was arrested for being in possession of illegal steroids. He was charged with trafficking of a controlled substance. Lesnar had the substances mailed to him and was caught because the seller was under investigation and he signed for the package.
After four months, the case was dropped, because the substances were actually growth hormones and not illegal steroids. It was a stroke of luck for the Beast Incarnate, but controversy never seems to leave him. After his failed tests for UFC 200, the steroid controversy would surround Lesnar yet again.
#3 Jack Swagger
Swagger was pulled over for possession of marijuana back in 2013, which led to his push decreasing. Swagger had just returned to the company, and was en route to facing Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 29, when he was pulled over in February 2013, after Smackdown tapings. Swagger was charged with driving under the influence and drug possession.
He subsequently went to trial, and Swagger was found guilty. The marijuana charge was dropped after he paid a $500 fine.
However, Swagger ended up being fined over $1,500, in charges and court costs. Also, he was able to bypass the Wellness Policy suspension, which added to the controversy. The 2013 push was the biggest one of his career, and after the Real Americans disbanded in 2014, Swagger hasn’t seen much of a push since then.
#4 X-Pac
X-Pac would find himself arrested, just before Christmas in 2011. He was in possession of the cough suppressant, Hydrocodone, and Hydromorphone. X-Pac would end up with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of drug paraphernalia. He was released on a $2,150 bond shortly after his arrest.
The former 1-2-3 Kid had a lot of drug troubles over the years. He later admitted to using substances such as crystal meth and developed a drinking habit. He has been in rehab after Triple H tracked him down, and the company paid for his rehab. X-Pac would battle depression on top of his troubles for some time in the late 2000’s.
#5 Jeff Hardy
It’s no secret Hardy has dabbled in drugs over the years. His problem was magnified in TNA, and Victory Road 2011 comes to mind. However, he’s been arrested several times due to controlled substances.
In 2009, one of Hardy’s arrests came from his own home. The local police and narcotics department raided the former WWE Champion’s home and found hundreds of Vicodin, Soma prescription pills, and anabolic steroids. He had several felony charges against him as a result of it.
The case went to trial two years later, where Hardy pled guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance, with intent to deliver, and one count of conspiracy to traffic a substance containing opium. He was sentenced to ten days in jail, months of probation and a whopping $100,000 fine.
As I stated earlier, he seemed to haven’t learned much from the arrests, given his TNA mishap.
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