Long-awaited video on steroids ring fails to provide evidence against Roman Reigns

The long-awaited “documentary” from Jon Bravo, a self-proclaimed “filmmaker” who entered the wrestling conversation a few months back after releasing videos of his telephone conversations with Richard Rodriguez, an accused steroids dealer currently jailed in New York, where they discussed WWE Superstar Roman Reigns and other celebrities as alleged clients of Rodriguez’s Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC... hit the web last night (Mar. 16).

Long story short - it does not contain evidence Reigns, or any of the other wrestlers and celebrities it mentions and features photographs of, purchased performance enhancing drugs from, or distributed them for, Rodriguez.

Instead, the 21 minute video is about Bravo and his search for “the truth”, something his opening monologue professes he “stands for”.

He does not stand for spell check, apparently:

Jon Bravo’s YouTube channel

“Steve Austyn” comes up a couple times. Rodriguez says he was introduced to Stone Cold - along with Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Roman Reigns, who became “advocates and clients” of his product - by powerlifter Mark Bell and his “filmmaker” brother Chris.

That evidence of WWE talent’s involvement Bravo’s been promising? It out there, he says, but it’s not on the laptop of Rodriguez’s he has in his possession. It’s on one of the three devices the DEA still has. The communication log Bravo has suspensefully ends with the accused dealer asking Chris Bell if he’s had “a chance to speak with the Rock and John Cena”, but there’s no conveniently no reply.

It’s all circumstantial, but there is information in the video that will be interesting to folks who care whether or not their favorite wrestlers are natural. Orders from trainers Chris Cavallini and Jesse Burdick (who ordered under the alias “Jesse Ventura”, which gives Bravo the excuse to use pictures of the WWE Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Governor) are documented in the video, and those men do have some connection to Superstars like Sheamus, Jinder Mahal and Cena. But there’s nothing close to proof Rodriguez’s products ever ended up in the wrestlers’ hands, let alone their bodies.

And it’s hard to give much credence to the claims of Bravo, who promised evidence for weeks and then delivered this on Friday night (where news goes to die). Especially if those claims are based on the word of Rodriguez, who offered this bit of a doublespeak when given a chance to defend “the accuracy of his statements” and explain why accuracy is important to his and his family’s “life”:

“One needs to understand that anyone’s statements, especially that of someone claiming that public figures or athletes who were once clients, whether they engaged in communications with them would always come into question regardless of who it is. The fact that those who know me would easily vouch and say that I’ve always been a person who’s approached everything in my life by being conservative and conscientious of what my reactions to my actions would ever be. Given the fact that false statements were presented to federal prosecutors and judged in my case by informants and people that have not been indicted, being a person that lies would only be following the same patterns as those individuals, hence why that’s never been my character, nor will it ever be.”

Clear?

So, to sum up... there is no evidence of Roman Reigns or anyone else in WWE buying steroids from Richard Rodriguez. Not even Steve Austyn.

And even though he swears it’s on one of those other laptops or phones, we won’t be getting it from Jon Bravo any time soon. In a comment on YouTube defending his work (and spelling), he left us with this:

“their [sic] IS EVIDENCE on Reigns but without some key texts to match the orders I WILL NOT DISCLOSE IT. Just wanted to tell everyone that I am going to be taking some time away from youtube to focus more on the WFN Film and other feature film opportunities that I have been given.”

Reigns has repeatedly denied being involved with or even knowing Rodriguez. And after this, it certainly seems Roman can move forward with his life and career - and WWE with their plans for WrestleMania 34 and beyond.