WWE won't punish Brock Lesnar for UFC drug test failures

Ever since UFC announced that Brock Lesnar had been flagged for a potential anti-doping violation by USADA, WWE fans have wondered whether he would also be punished under the auspices of their Wellness Policy.

Pressure on WWE to take action increased when it was revealed that Lesnar had also failed a second in-competition drug test on the night of UFC 200, where he had decisively defeated Mark Hunt. Both drug test failures were for the anti-oestrogen agent hydroxy-clomiphene, according to our sister site MMAFighting.com. Such agents are also banned by WWE in their abuse and drug testing policy:

J. Anti-Estrogens

The non-medical use of drugs belonging to this class, including, but not limited to, anastrozole, letrozole, aminooglutethimide exemestane, formestane, testolactone, raloxifene, tamoxifen, toremifene, clomiphene, cyclofenil and fulvestrant, are prohibited.

However, TMZ reported today that Lesnar won't be disciplined by WWE for the infraction due to the loophole that their Wellness Policy does not apply to part-time performers like him:

A WWE spokesperson tells us ... only full-time WWE performers are subject to the organization's wellness policy, which prohibits PEDs ... but since Brock isn't a full-time performer, he's essentially exempt.

"WWE's talent wellness program does not apply to part-time performers such as Brock Lesnar," the spokesperson said.

This also presumably means that the Wellness Policy doesn't apply to Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE's Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, as well as ageing veterans like The Undertaker.

In a rather damning quote later in the article, a source to TMZ indicated that WWE doesn't really care if their part-time performers are "healthy", i.e., drug-free:

One well-connected source broke down the situation like this -- WWE is show business, not a regulated athletic competition ... and the wellness program is only designed to keep the "full-time" performers healthy.

This is a ridiculous stance to have when WWE’s top priority is supposedly the health and wellness of their Superstars. If that really is true, then their Wellness Program should also apply to all their part-time talent too.