Sin Cara update: WWE star denies steroid use, reason for delay reported

Sin Cara is in damage control mode over the news that WWE has suspended him for 30 days for violating their Talent Wellness Program by testing positive for anabolic steroids in June, something that has reportedly put his job in danger.  He gave an interview to Record in Mexico (in Spanish of course) that featured some tremendous spin.  Thanks to both LuchaBlog proprietor The Cubs Fan and his informative Twitter account for the translation and information.

EDIT: Cubs has a blog post up now, too.

For starters, Record posted audio of the interview so he couldn't claim to be misquoted like Rey Mysterio did when he gave an interview in Mexico after his suspension in 2009 for improperly using painkillers.  Anyway, Sin Cara is saying that it's all a mistake, as it was an injection for his knee that could cause a false positive.  This is all a load of crap, and Kurt Angle tried to use basically the same excuse to explain the suspension he served a couple months before he was fired by WWE.  Angle claimed that WWE flagged him for a cortisone shot because it's a "steroid" that was injected by his primary care doctor instead of a pain specialist.  In fact, he tested positive for nandrolone.

Cortisone is a corticosteroid that is commonly injected directly injured injured areas as an anti-inflammatory agent.  It is NOT like nandrolone (brand name Deca-Durabolin),an anabolic androgenic steroid, the class of drug colloquially called "steroids" when talking about bodybuilding and performance enhancement.  They're different animals.  One could not cause a false positive for the other.  Nandrolone is indicated for treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and aplastic anemia.  Which anabolic steroids do in fact make the joints feel better, none are indicated for musculoskeletal issues and no legitimate doctor would prescribe them for injuries.  It's common for wrestlers and other athletes to try to confuse the general public's lack of understanding of the different types of drugs referred to as "steroids."  When someone says "I used anabolic steroids for treatment of an injury," he's full of it.

He then resorted to another typical defense used when someone is accused of steroid use.  Sin Cara is saying he's too small to be using steroids.  Different steroids do different things and have different results in different people depending on their genetics, diet and exercise habits, etc.  Some steroids are used to put on muscle, some are used to burn fat, etc.  Plenty of wrestlers and fighters who you wouldn't expect to be on steroids have either admitted use, tested positive, or been caught buying steroids and/or human growth hormone.  Look at Josh Barnett, Sean Waltman, The Sandman, Tammy "Sunny" Sytch, Umaga, etc.  Hell, not long after WWE first announced the Wellness Program, a wrestler whose gimmick was based largely on him being a normal looking chubby guy shrunk dramatically.  He was using steroids and/or growth hormone to get fatter.

Sin Cara also promised that he will be meeting with Vince McMahon tomorrow to discuss the suspension.

Meanwhile, as far as the delay between the positive test (some time in June on or before 6/20) and the suspension, Bryan Alvarez reported an explanation for that in the newest issue of his Figure Four Weekly newsletter for paid subscribers on F4WOnline.com.  He said that it is believed that he told those involved with the drug testing program that he could provide an explanatory doctor's note, was given plenty of time to do so (I couldn't find a time limit in the policy), and either didn't give them one or he did and it was unsatisfactory.

Alvarez added that it the company's dissatisfaction with Sin Cara is believed to be why they released his real name, which is incredibly inappropriate in Lucha Libre.  In Mexico, masked wrestlers give their real names only after losing their masks.  There may also be more to all of this than just a drug test failure, as the first strike doesn't usually lead to a firing, especially on steroids (as opposed to pills).  Meanwhile, if he's gone, he's likely heading to AAA in Mexico (his brothers are there and there's no way CMLL will re-hire him) or TNA Impact Wrestling (needs a Mexican star, works with AAA).

So, even though Triple H has made two great moves in theory by signing and pushing Sin Cara and Kharma since taking over talent development, both have turned out badly.  Sin Cara has had trouble adjusting, quickly failed a drug test, and done who knows what else, while Kharma got pregnant before even working a match.  After having to pay a settlement when they fired Dawn Marie after she got pregnant, it looks doubtful that anything will happen to Kharma, though.