Chris Masters dealing with substance abuse

Mr.Nice Guy

I was wondering what had happened to this guy. According to PWInsider:

Due to personal substance abuse issues, Chris Masters has been taken off WWE television. Masters is also seeking help and treatment in regards to his problems. He has been off the road since late May.

The first victim of the WWE's wellness program?

Fozzy

There was a thread about this when he was first taken off all the shows: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054937900

I hadn't heard anything more since then. The terms of the wellness program are that if they're found to be taking something, they're suspended for 30 days

Hope he gets back alright. I've actually missed him on Raw. Definitely one of the more entertaining guys there

Vince135792003

I hope he gets better. But, I can't say I miss him on Raw. They brought him up too soon.

Stalfos

Was lookin forward to seeing him and carlito contuine with that feud but i havn't been missing him on RAW really.

Dickmcsavage

To be honest I didn't even notice that masters was gone until I read this. I don't miss him too much either really. The guy is alright on the mic, could do with a bit more charisma and also, he's not exactly capable of having a 30 minute classic is he?

Fozzy

I don't know. He's never been given the opportunity. Something I'll always remember about him is when he was in OVW, he was described by a lot of people as being like a younger Chris Benoit in terms of technical ability. I don't know if he's been told the style he has to work, or if that description of him was bollox

I thought he was great once the Masterlock Challenge was dropped. Much prefer him to Carlito

Vince135792003

Fozzy wrote:

I don't know. He's never been given the opportunity.

They pushed him pretty hard for 6 months, wrestled Micheals on pay per view and was apart of the Elimination chamber in January. You can't ask for much more than that as a newcomer.

And in the end he did n't get over. He was just another guy.

Fozzy

I thought he did well in those matches. He obviously wasn't told to wrestle a 30 minute classic in them. I thought he was over. Much better than a lot of new guys they bring up

Vince135792003

Fozzy wrote:

He obviously wasn't told to wrestle a 30 minute classic in them.up

Theres a reason why they did n't ask him to.

Fozzy

And I don't believe it was because he wouldn't be up to it. Take a look at this article for the view of a guy who'd seen him before he came to Raw. In the 4th article there, it's highlighted

Here's a piece of it (he's talking about Masters in OVW, after he was surprised at the way he debuted on Raw):

Long story short, I watched those tapes and found something very disturbing. Chris Masters is actually a damn fine wrestler. He’s got a lot of speed for a guy with his bulk, and he moves very fluidly in the ring. His repertoire is actually very broad, especially for a guy of his build, and he could hang with some of the more technically skilled guys I had seen on those tapes

I'd seen maybe two of Masters' matches in OVW, didn't pay too much attention to him, but he was impressive. He's obviously been made work a different style on Raw

My point is just that I know Masters is more talented than most people give him credit for, and I'm certain he could wrestle a "30 minute classic", if given the chance

Vince135792003

Fozzy wrote:

I'm certain he could wrestle a "30 minute classic", if given the chance

I look forward to it.

gimmick

^ I doubt you do, as you will probably go into watching it with total scepticism, and not give it the chance it deserves.

I was surprised when i saw the gimmick Masters was given, as I had read many reports is him being technically sound, and was due to come into WWE as a fued for Benoit.

Mr.Nice Guy

Reports of Masters having ability were obviously flawed then. I can't recall the guy having one decent match.

Carlito meanwhile is coming along really well and his match at Vengeance in the triple threat was arguably the match of his career.

Masters stinks. The only guy I've read him be compared to is Lex Luger and that isn't a good guy to be compared to...

Vince135792003

gimmick wrote:

^ I doubt you do, as you will probably go into watching it with total scepticism, and not give it the chance it deserves.

I was surprised when i saw the gimmick Masters was given, as I had read many reports is him being technically sound, and was due to come into WWE as a fued for Benoit.

Your right I am skeptical that Chris Masters at this point can have a classic wrestling match. I mean what reason or proof can anyone find in his run so far that Chris Masters is capable of having consistent four plus star matches.

But I like watching great wrestling matches. And if/when Chris Masters has a great match I'll enjoy watching it. My point was that he was brought up too soon and up until now he's shown very little to me. He's still young though.

Nailz

That was well put into words. There's nothing really wrong with his technical wrestling but it's the fact that he was brought up in the business as fast as an areoplane takes-off. He was put into matches with some of the great wrestlers thats still going, I guess they should have let him take his time.

Like what they did with Rey Mystirierio. Like he went from ECW were he spent very little amount of time at, then to wCw for a good long 4-5 year period, and finaly to the WWE to the present day and after all those years he then gets to win a world title. And they should have had that sort of pastions with Masters and then he wouldn't be brought down so quick. Probibly they just couldn't wait to use him like he was a champion.

Fozzy

I still think Masters is a lot better than he's being given credit for. I don't think you can really use that comparison with Rey, the reason he wasn't pushed to the top in WCW wasn't to do with them allowing him to get more experience. He would never have gotten to the top there

Dragan

Fozzy wrote:

I don't think you can really use that comparison with Rey, the reason he wasn't pushed to the top in WCW wasn't to do with them allowing him to get more experience. He would never have gotten to the top there

Bingo.....Rey had some unreal matches with Eddie and Dean while in WCW....literally matches that blew me away.

Hard to justify him not having gold at that point other to to say "he's small"

fatal

Dragan wrote:

Hard to justify him not having gold at that point other to to say "he's small"

thats the only excuse they have ever come up with when rey deserved the title and its GREAT to see him-a smaller guy with the heavyweight title at the mo

however i do not like the way the wwe make him out to be a fluke with the way he wins due to interference

Fozzy

The Wrestling Observer says this week that Masters did not test positive for steroids, it was something else. Might surprise some people! Hope he's back soon

WWEFreak666

...thought it'd be exciting to post my first post by replying to this with a treat...
...Introducing The New Chris Masters...







Yes, he has lost ALOT of muscle mass and thats his Girlfriend he is kissing.

---

After this Masters entered the hunt for the WWE Intercontinental Championship but Masters would soon be suspended by the WWE when he was tested positive for muscle-enhancing drugs, rumored to be anabolic steroids. Before being suspended, Masters was on the May 22, 2006 edition of RAW losing a match to John Cena by submission to the STF-U and would return to the ring during an OVW TV taping on August 6, 2006. He has lost most of his muscle mass and it is impossible for him to continue "The Masterpiece" gimmick. - Wikipedia.org

Fozzy

"Impossible"?! He's still a lot bigger than most wrestlers!

The last update on him by the Wrestling Observer said it wasn't steroids he was out because of, and that he had to go to rehab. Just speculation here, but maybe they didn't have a gym in the rehab centre?!

I might start watchin Raw again when he comes back!

the sunbabe wan

hmmmm, cant say i've been pining for him to come back to be honest.


although

Bounty Hunter

is it just me or is there a hogan vs HBK poster in the background suggesting this sint a post-wellness program picture

Stalfos

Maybe...... but he didn't look like that last year so i'd say it's an old poster left there. Plus he looks a bit older there. But still, where is all the muscle gone? I'd say he'll have a completely new gimmick when he returns, could actually be aloud to wrestle aswell.

Fozzy

I don't think he was as big as that first picture last time he was on tv. As for the poster, I'd say they just leave a load like that up in OVW's arena, IWW have posters from the 80's (possibly before!) up in their gym for example