Fueling wild rumors that WWE may part ways with Randy Orton as a result of his second violation of the Talent Wellness Program, former WWE wrestler Kenn Doane (a/k/a Kenny Dykstra) said on Twitter that he believes John Cena is among those within the sports entertainment organization lobbying for the SmackDown wrestler’s termination. Doane’s belief is based on Cena admitting to him in 2006 that he wanted Orton fired for his first Wellness Program infraction.
“When I was there and Orton got suspended for the first time, Cena told me he wanted Orton fired. So now I’m sure it’s probably him trying for RKO’s release,” Doane wrote Friday. “Regardless, hopefully he don’t get fired since he has a young child and is the best story teller in WWE. They do still tell stories in the ring right?”
Cena admitted in WWE’s 2011 Randy Orton video release, The Evolution of a Predator, that he was not fond of the “old Randy.”
“I always joke around there’s old Randy and then there’s new Randy,” Cena stated. “Old Randy was an asshole.”
Orton was quietly suspended for thirty days without pay in August 2006, before WWE publicly announced suspensions for Talent Wellness Program violations. He tested positive for an anabolic steroid that he did not have a valid prescription for. Orton missed live events but continued to appear at televised events—including SummerSlam for a match against Hulk Hogan—for the duration of the suspension. He privately claimed he was taking time off from live events to remodel his home, but it was later confirmed that he was, in fact, suspended.
Cena has expressed strong support for the criminalization of the non-medical use of anabolic steroids by athletes. He has advocated the incarceration of athletes found to be using anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. “They should send the guys to jail,” said Cena during a February 2009 interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in response to a question about New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez admitting to using steroids and Major League Baseball’s anti-doping efforts. Cena elaborated on this belief in an interview with the New York Daily News.
“[Steroids] are the personal choice of the athlete,” said Cena while promoting 12 Rounds. “And [Rodriguez] got defensive, saying he used because he felt he needed to. If there was a set of [legal] stipulations set in place, he may never have even considered it.
“The government should take the initiative, and if you get caught using drugs, then you should go to jail. A criminal record will hurt your endorsements and long-term contracts.”
According to SuperLuchas.net, the nine-time world champion’s suspension reportedly stems from a positive drug test for the anabolic steroid Dianabol, which is banned by the United States Congress under its Controlled Substances Act. However, that is not confirmed. The only person in WWE who commented on the matter believes Orton actually tested positive for a tainted supplement.
