Are WWE wrestlers secretly violating the wellness program?

Since Randy Orton's 60-day suspension in May 2012 due to violation of WWE's Talent Wellness Program, only one WWE superstar - Ricardo Rodriguez has been officially punished in July 2013. Even though there is no suspension occurred in over a year, that doesn’t imply a completely drug-free roster.

On Tuesday, UFC announced in a statement on its website that fighter Cung Le, 42-year-old, tested positive for an excess level of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) following his fight at UFC Fight Night in Macao, China on August 23. He was being suspended from competition for nine months, but after revisiting the evidences against Le, UFC suspended him for a year. Dave Meltzer reported on the story on Wednesday in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, where he again addressed the subject of drug usage in WWE.

Meltzer is doubtful on the WWE talent roster being completely clean. Back in March on his radio show, he was asked whether the lack of drug test failures in recent years means the WWE locker room is now substance-free. His response was "You shouldn't believe the roster has been clean for two years...I wouldn't even believe two weeks."

Although non-medical use of HGH is banned by WWE, there is no testing of talents for it. Athletes in most sports use HGH with impunity because it can only be picked up in blood testing, not the standard urine testing. According to Meltzer, this possibility can be in WWE also as some talents circumvent the drug testing policy by using high dosages of HGH combined with low dosages of Testosterone (also prohibited). This methodology of taking two or more supplements at the same time in order to increase their overall effectiveness (compared to the effectiveness of one supplement alone) is known as stack in the world of bodybuilding.

Meltzer stated that “For those who are using PEDs to beat WWE testing, the standard stack is to use low doses of testosterone and higher dosages of HGH, because HGH, as far as enhancing a physique and gaining strength, works far better in synergy with a steroid to enhance its effects, and low doses of testosterone can keep one below the 6:1 T:E ratio,"

Meltzer received this information from sources within the company after attending the February 7 live event in Oakland, California headlined by John Cena vs. Randy Orton. He noted on the F4WOnline.com message board that he was "struck at how obviously enhanced more guys were than I had noticed on TV." He further added "Then asking around, I was told exactly how they beat the system (GH with low dosages of test, usually taken on Wednesday, that's out of the system within a few days to beat the tests)."

WWE quietly changed its policy last year to allow therapeutic use exceptions for banned substances and introduced a redemption program that would enable performers who have violated the policy twice to get one of their two strikes removed. Apart from Orton, currently employed talents who have been suspended due to a violation are Booker T, Darren Young, Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater, Mike Chioda, Rey Mysterio, Ryback and William Regal.