Posted on 07/03/2006 6:43:01 PM PDT by HitmanLV
HANGING ROCK — Two wrestling superstars from Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment may be tough in the ring, but they didn’t have enough muscle to escape drug charges after being stopped Sunday night by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Robert Alex Szatowski, aka WWE and ECW champion Rob Van Dam, and Terry Michael Brunk, aka Sabu, also a former ECW champion, were pulled over on U.S. 52, near Patrick Street in Hanging Rock at about 10:15 p.m. The two were apparently driving from their performances at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena earlier in the evening.
According to the OSHP, Szatowski was initially stopped for speeding. When troopers approached his vehicle, they smelled marijuana and performed a search. Troopers found the wrestler in possession of 18 grams of marijuana and five Vicodin, prescription pain pills. Brunk was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and also had nine pills that were not immediately identifiable, but were known to be controlled substances, according to the OSHP. Both were cited and posted bond at the scene.
Szatowski, of Battle Creek, Mich., has had a long, successful career with both the WWE and ECW. In addition to being the current champion of both, he has been intercontinental champion six times, hardcore champion four times and has been a part of several championship tag team duos.
He is scheduled to wrestle tonight on WWE Raw and is also wrestling Tuesday night to retain his WWE and ECW titles during the “Extreme Rules Match” on the Sci-Fi channel.
Brunk, who lists his hometown as Bombay, India, on the WWE Web site, has also had a successful career with the ECW, earning world heavyweight championship titles two times and tag team championship honors three times.
Both Brunk and Szatowski are scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. Thursday in Ironton Municipal Court. Both wrestlers won their matches last night in Huntington, W.Va. Van Dam defeated the Big Show and Sabu defeated Justin Credible.
EDGE!!!!!!
Perhaps west-coasters like myself shouldn't be on a wrestling thread during live east-coast RAW hours. :-p
I was figuring he would win the WWE title, anyway. Not a big shock!
Can he still wrestle despite the drug charges, or is this pretty much the end of him and the others charged in this case as well?
Edge wins the WWE Heavyweight title...there goes the option of moving him to ECW.
Pehaps they can pick up the Ring of Honor guys who've been leery of signing with TNA?
WWE has an aggressive new 'wellness' program which includes regular performance enhancing drug tests as well as cardio exams, etc. A popular wrestler passed away a few months ago and while the cause of death was heart failure, he had been a steroid user and drugs/alcohol abuser for years before cleaning up his act. The damage was done, sadly, and he passed away.
So conventional wisdom suggests that the WWE gets rid of both RVD and Sabu, at least for a while.
"RVD's Title Reign Goes Up In Smoke"
What time does it come on there?
I'm Pacific time and it comes on at 9PM, PST.
I agree, Hitman.
I know RVD has always been a big MJ booster, but I'm pretty disappointed in him. He's made such a big deal about getting his chance in the WWE, and rightfully so--- and now it comes, and he blows it.
As far as who the belt can be dropped to credibly, if Vince had pushed people who were skilled workers and good talkers like Val Venis instead of making them look like complete losers because they weren't seven footers, the roster wouldn't seem so thin.
Having said that, I think the Big Show is always a good choice to put the belt on, although you're absolutely correct that Edge is the best choice.
I think Ric Flair could run with it, too. A short while back, Flair was having great matches with 3H, Edge and Angle. I'd like to see him get one more run, even though I don't appreciate the whole 3H backstage clique he's a part of... What about Carlito?
I guess we shouldn't have turned this into a live thread then. Molina looks good in any time zone though. ;0)
It's no biggie, really. I was 99% sure Edge would win - he is the smart choice, and deserves the chance.
And we knew RVD had to go.
I agree with you about Carlito. He's just a clown.
Big Bossman died? Where have I been? I knew about Eddie Guerrero and Earthquake, but not the Bossman.
Massive heart attack a couple years back.
I think the reason Carlito is a mid card comedy act isn't his fault. As with so many heels who show charisma, the WWE turned Carlito face way too soon, before Carito had established he was capable of genuine evil. Before the Rock turned face, he did some terrible things--- he left Stone Cold to drown in the Detroit River, for instance. Faces need to have done those kinds of things as heels to have an edge.
I disagree as far as RVD-- I think his high spots are better than most other high spot artists and he can chain wrestle as well as do high spots, and that he has a fairly unique mix of agility, strength and odd skills. But I know where you're coming from, I think--- RVD has never been a master of ring psychology. I still think a lot of his matches, such as those against Lesnar and Lance Storm to name two, were pretty good.
The thing is, when RVD was in ECW, he was pushed as being an almost unstoppable heel. In the current WWE, the only people who get that kind of push are Cena type faces, 3H and the big, big men. Look at Mysterio's "run"--- he's been made to look far weaker as champion than he was leading up to his championship.
Back in the Attitude era and before that, it was well established that there were different ways to be at the top of the game--- thus the great Final Four ppv with Vader, UT, Stone Cold and Bret Hart, none of whom were dominant in the same way as any of the others, but each of whom were at the top.
I don't think it's the roster that's thin--- I think it's their creative juices.
howdy cib I didin't know you was into wrasslin!
AND WHEN DO WE WANT IT?
"WE WANT HEAD!"
note to mods: When Al Snow wrestled, he would often bring in a dummy head to the ring.
How is Al's back and neck?
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