5 WWE Superstars who got suspended at the worst possible time

The WWE is an employer unlike any other.

In what other profession are employees expected to perform rigorous physical acts in the name of performance, whilst travelling around the world to entertain a global fanbase, and though the company aims to keep a clean image in today's PG era, things aren't always that simple.

Some Superstars have run afoul of the company's Wellness Policy, which was put in to stop Superstars abusing their bodies with banned substances

There have even been some stars who got suspended at a terrible time when it came to the booking.

Whether it meant changing the booking or even re-writing months of stories, these Superstars seriously messed up.

Here are five WWE Superstars who got suspended by the company at the worst possible time imaginable.

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#5. Alberto Del Rio

Del Rio and Paige were suspended by the company in 2016 whilst in a relationship.

When Alberto Del Rio got suspended in 2016, fans didn't think much of it.

The former World Champion was doing little on TV, so the prospect of Del Rio being gone for 30 days (admittedly without pay), seemed more like a vacation than a punishment.

Unfortunately, during his suspension, the toxic relationship between Del Rio and the company came to light. Leaving the company before his suspension was finished, rumors quickly came out that WWE had demanded Del Rio and Paige break up, though it was never confirmed.

Whether true or not, the pair did split, but only after Paige was suspended, twice around the same period of time. With all these backstage issues coming to light following the suspension, it's clear why the company seems in no hurry to hire the former World Champion back anytime soon.

#4. Edge, Mr Kennedy. Randy Orton and others

Edge was just one of several Superstars who were suspended.

Though only a few fans would have heard of 'Signature Pharmacy', the company is actually responsible for one of the most shocking real-life moments in modern WWE.

Following the actions of Chris Benoit in June 2007, the company clamped down hard on Superstars using substances, and found several stars in violation of the relatively new Wellness Policy.

This included Edge, Mr Kennedy, Randy Orton, William Regal, The Hurricane, Johnny Nitro and many more stars. As you can imagine, this was a huge blow to the company.

Forced to suspend some of their top stars, WWE was left scrambling to write out characters, with many losing matches during the same episode of RAW. Though they returned 30 days later, the damage had been done by the scandal, as Superstars learned you can't beat the system.

#3. Randy Orton

Orton has been able to work off one of his suspensions.

Randy Orton's career has always been marred with controversy, as despite the Viper's incredible work in the ring, stories of inappropriate conduct backstage have continued to haunt him.

In 2012, Orton was suspended for 60 days for his second violation of the company's Wellness Policy, and according to the 'three strikes you're out' rule, this meant that the former World Champion was just one policy breach away from being fired.

Following this, the company introduced a new redemption policy, that allows a Superstar to have a strike lifted if they remain clean for 18 months after returning from suspension.

Flash forward 18 months later, and Orton was back on top of WWE as the World Champion, though his 2012 Suspension was obviously a very worrying time for WWE and one of the company's biggest ever stars.

#2. Rob Van Dam

RVD as WWE Champion and ECW World Champion shortly after his One Night Stand win.

For years, Rob Van Dam was regarded by many as the greatest Superstar to never become World Champion.

That all changed when Van Dam won Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 22 and announced he would cash in on John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006. Defeating Cena, RVD finally won the Big one and things got better days later when he was awarded the ECW World title.

Then, everything fell apart.

RVD was traveling from West Virginia to Philadelphia with best friend Sabu when a traffic stop led to cops finding 18 grams of weed and five Vicodin tablets. As a result, RVD was suspended for 30 days, which means he had to drop both the WWE title and ECW title in the same week.

And thus ended RVD's main event push.

#1. Roman Reigns

Reigns was suspended whilst WWE World Champion in 2016.

When Roman Reigns got thrust into the main event scene in 2015, fans were quick to turn on the Big Dog. After the company pulled the plug on crowning Reigns as WWE World Champion at WrestleMania 31, the company did pull the trigger at next year's event.

As the top dog in WWE, Reigns was riding high, but was infamously suspended for 30 days during his reign in June for his first violation of the Wellness Policy.

The backlash was immediate as the company quickly took the title off Reigns, and relegated him to the mid-card. Despite being prominently featured, it would be over two years until Reigns captured a World Championship, toppling Brock Lesnar at Summerslam 2018.

As the new hero of the WWE Universe (especially younger fans) Reigns' suspension couldn't have come at a worse time.