AEW Reportedly To Drug Test Wrestlers

AEW’s first official event takes place this Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW will have a drug-testing program for their roster.

“I don’t know the details but the full-time contracts the talent signed does include a drug testing provision and there are plans to implement a drug testing program,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

It is not clear yet if the program will be in place in time for Double or Nothing.

Cody has also said that any wrestler hurt in an AEW ring will have their medical expenses covered. At the press conference in Jacksonville earlier this year, Cody said the following:

“I can’t get too specific, but I can tell you straight out of the gate that a lot of concerns the guys have are ‘what if I get hurt in the ring?’ That’s the one thing WWE covers with the Palm co-insurance. We can confirm that anybody that gets hurt in an AEW ring will be 100 percent taken care of by AEW.”

In terms of providing medical insurance, however, AEW will not be in a position to do so, at least not right away. In April, the issue of AEW providing health insurance to wrestlers was addressed by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“I know from talking to people in AEW on this,” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio recently. “I asked about this thing and the reaction pretty much was ‘we looked into it, we looked into the cost and the cost is real high and the company is already going to be losing a tonne of money starting up’.”