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| Swagger, with Zeb Colter Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Jack Swagger has been arrested in Biloxi, MS last night driving under the influence, speeding, and possession of marijuana after leaving Smackdown tapings. Police pulled him over for speeding outside the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and found the pot as well as the fact that Swagger was under the influence. They did not specify what substance he was impaired by however. All three charges are misdemeanors. WWE responded to the incident that Swagger "is responsible for his own personal actions."
First and foremost, I expect Swagger to be disciplined by WWE for the incident. Marijuana is part of the Wellness Program, and wrestlers have been whacked for it before. The most famous example was Rob van Dam, who was summarily defeated for his WWE and ECW Championships in 2006 before being suspended 30 days. Randy Orton and Evan Bourne are other famous Wellness violators who have been rumored to be popped for weed. My personal feelings about marijuana are that it should be legal anyway, but at the same time, it's company policy.
The most disappointing thing out of all this is the fact that Swagger got behind the wheel of a car impaired. Scratch that. The most disappointing thing is that DUI is a misdemeanor in Mississippi. Drunk driving is taken way too lightly in this country, and it's especially galling when the offenders can afford transportation to and from venues where alcohol is being served/consumed. Obviously, Swagger getting popped coming from the arena raises questions about him doing drugs/drinking on the job or at least at the workplace. No matter how much I enjoy his new gimmick or him as a wrestler, I wouldn't be sad if he was put on the sideline for Mania after this to teach him a lesson.
