Eddie Guerrero's Hall of Fame induction and the introduction of the Wellness Program

[Ferbian]

Now I would like to start off with saying that I know some of the things I'm going to be writing in this thread is gonna come off a little odd, quite frankly because I'm a little struggling to find ways to explain it so it actually sounds appropriate and to get out the meaning behind this subject myself.

Secondly, this is not a thread to degrade the legacy of Eddie Guerrero and whether I question how quickly Eddie Guerrero was inducted into the Hall of Fame, because I'm a fan myself, and it's just something I've been wondering about, especially with the Chris Benoit Hall of Fame discussion going on.

Anyway, onto the subject of this topic.

As we all know, Eddie Guerrero died in 2005, only to be inducted into the 2006 Hall of Fame, after alot of media circulation around the death of Eddie Guerrero, and whether it was from the long history of Eddie's drug related issues, and if WWE should've been better to notice his drug problems, stop it, and most importantly, notice the heart failure he was moving towards.

As a follow of Eddie Guerrero's death WWE also introduced the Wellness Program, as solid way to make sure we wouldn't have another Eddie Guerrero incident (which we did all thou, with Chris Benoit, all thou alot worse than Eddie's scenario of death)

My question is all thou.
Do you think WWE introduced the Wellness Program and Inducted Eddie Guerrero into the Hall of Fame so quickly solely because it was a way of showing the respect that Eddie so truly deserved, and to avoid that we'd have any future incidents of all time greats, or wrestlers in general, suffering such devastating fate in an way too early age.

Or did WWE also do this as a way of calming down all the media concerning the death of Eddie, and to show the world that they actually care about their wrestlers, and show them their deserved respect, rather than the many opinions that started circulating the media and internet saying WWE doesn't care about their wrestlers, and that WWE aren't doing enough to stop the drug related issues that smaller wrestlers like Eddie suffered?

 

[vampirek]

To be fair to the WWE on this matter, they DID help Eddie with his drug problems. Eddie was taken off tv and sent to rehab, which is where he cleaned up his act. In that respect you can not fault the WWE here. However, you did redeem yourself by mentioning the WWE should have checked for heart conditions etc. In any sport, everybody should be checked regularly for such things. It has happened in soccer, a rare heart condition being undetected and then killing the soccer player. So its not just unique to the wrestling world. More could have been done granted, however how much did the doctors know? Thats the main question.
However thankfully, the WWE now does these checks and I believe it was MVP who discovered something that will now save his life.

As for Eddie's introduction to the WWE HOF, was it a media thing or was it the WWE saying a final goodbye. Eddie was much loved and friends with the likes of Rey and Batista. If anything, his introduction was part of the grieving process and really nothing to do with the media. People have to remember the WWE created the HOF to pay respect and grieve for Andre the Giant, the same applies here. If the HOF was active in 1999 and Martha gave permission, Owen Hart would have been inducted into the HOF in 2000 for the same reasons.

 

[Ferbian]

To be fair to the WWE on this matter, they DID help Eddie with his drug problems. Eddie was taken off tv and sent to rehab, which is where he cleaned up his act. In that respect you can not fault the WWE here.

Thats right, but he had drug problems anyway, I'm not saying WWE didn't do anything to get him off it, but I'm saying that WWE could've been better at discovering it because he had been doing it for years.
Hell I even believe they made a DVD with him explaining a close to death incident involving drinking and drugs, and I believe after that DVD, there was an incident where he went back on the drugs (note: "I believe" so forgive me in case I'm wrong)

 

[oderushumungus]

this topic has me wondering what about Umaga? please correct me if im wrong but didnt he have 'problems' as well? how could he have slipped through the system if he was on drugs or what not. makes me wonder how well is the wellness program.

 

[Ferbian]

this topic has me wondering what about Umaga? please correct me if im wrong but didnt he have 'problems' as well? how could he have slipped through the system if he was on drugs or what not. makes me wonder how well is the wellness program.

Umaga was caught a few times, released from WWE and while he was doing the Hulkamania tour down in Australia he was again on the drugs

Umaga wasn't looked past by the Wellness Program, and when he was caught for the last time before released, he was offered rehab and didn't accept it, thats why Umaga "slipped through the system"

 

[Nerf4]

I think Eddie should have been inducted in 07' as to not just completly jump start the death of him thing. like, there have been alot of wrestlers died and werent put in the HOF until YEARS after their deaths, and i dont believe Eddie deserved any different.

and the WEllness Program is crap. is wa just a way to stop any bad press. it was the begining of the end for the glory days of WWE

 

[Grizzly0u812]

Its a double edge sword, some will think putting Eddie Guerrero into the Hall of Fame after his death so quickly was to show they cared others say to honour him.

The Welliness Program should of been put into place years before, with all the bumps and shots they endure, all the drugs that are being taken to keep them going, they should be checked like every month, hell one bad head shot could cause bleeding in the brain.

Eddie being put in following his death, this year next year he deserved to be in and yeah people question it, the good thing out of all of it is they have a program that hopefully will keep the people who entertain us healthier and living longer.

 

[jmyers19]

As far as Eddie'd induction into the HOF goes, yes, he does deserve but he was inducted to quickly.

As far as the Wellness Policy goes, personally I think that WWE are simply doing the right thing. To many wrestlers have died, many of which have died regarding drug issues or the drug issues have been apart of the cause of death. Recently I read that Adam Birch, more commonly known as Joey Mercury, was helped by none other than Vince himself and credits this with him beating his addictions. As far as the Eddie 'Umaga' Fatu death goes, he was offered rehab but turned it down, but was released by WWE because he failed a drugs test. Now just because they're released doesn't mean they'll simply be told to 'get the f out', WWE will more than likely provide drug rehabilitation for them. Jeff left in 2003 due to his drug problems, I don't know if they offered him rehab, and I don't know if he was offered rehab. But as far as the 30/60 day suspension goes, it sends a message to them, they obviously want to be there but theres strict rules and regulations they must abide to, and its worked considering the last big name to get caught, but apparently he wasn't entirely at fault was Mysterio.

 

[Tastycles]

One thing was a means to each end. The talent wellness programme was to appease the media. The proof of that is that they didn't actually impose it until after Benoit died, which is why people were suspended all of a sudden in the wake of that. They inducted him into the hall of fame because he was a popular wrestler, and to respect his contribution, but also, cynically, to capitalise on his popularity one last time. For the same reason they had Rey Mysterio win in his name. There's something morally unsettling about that, certainly, but when push comes to shove, the WWE did both things to make the most out of a really shit scenario.

 

[Hombre Malo]

One thing was a means to each end. The talent wellness programme was to appease the media. The proof of that is that they didn't actually impose it until after Benoit died, which is why people were suspended all of a sudden in the wake of that.

Bret Hart's book would beg to differ. There were suspensions back when it was 1st put in way before the Benoit tragedy.

 

[maar130]

Like someone else said, the two things worked out to be solution to both issues.

The Induction of Eddie was to show the appreciation to a guy who actully turned his life around and became the best he could be at his chosen profession and the Program to ease the media and to actually help some performers and find about a few health issues with the roster, like MVP's heart condition.

Now you can say what you want aboutt he program but it has helped lot of guys also with them sending former employees to rehab.

Also, with the WWE being more carefull into check Eddie's condition, well, they could have but none it was a very weird case, why? Because most of the deaths of young wreslters were related to the use of substances a the time of the decease, like with Brian Pillman, who mixed medication, or Test or Umaga. Sorry but if you see a guy can go for 40 minutes in the ring every night it does not scream "Heart Condition".

At least the program helped to find out about the condition of others like MVP mentioned above so they can continue with their careers.