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Evan Bourne Suspended For 60 Days Due To Second WWE Wellness Violation

Richard Gray January 17, 2012 WWE News 68 Comments

Evan Bourne’s backstage heat just got hotter. WWE just released the following statement:

STAMFORD, Conn., January 17, 2012 – In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE (NYSE:WWE) has suspended Matthew Korklan (Evan Bourne®) for 60 days effective Tuesday, January 17 for his second violation of the company’s policy.

Bourne was suspended on November 1, 2011 for 30 days for his first violation of the company’s Wellness Policy. It was later learned that Bourne was suspended for smoking Spice, a brand of synthetic marijuana.

He was said to be upset that he was suspended while R-Truth, who was smoking with him, was allowed to work Survivor Series. I reported exclusively here on WrestlingNewsWorld.com Premium on January 2, 2012 that Bourne had “nuclear” backstage heat for “ratting out” R-Truth and had meetings with Triple H and Vince McMahon over it.

On a lighter note, here is a photo of Bourne with Mr. Belding at last night’s Raw Supershow.

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Richard Gray

Richard Gray is the owner and editor of WrestlingNewsWorld.com. Covering the professional wrestling business since 1999, Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia University. He is also the owner of Gray Internet Technologies, LLC. and should be contacted with all business matters. You can friend him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. Email him directly at [email protected].

Josh

Here comes the next person to be futured endevoured
Owen

Just fire him already.
Fernando

I'm afraid he'll be fired before the suspension is over.
MsMojoRisin

This doesnt suprise me honestly its ashame that hes putting fake pot over a sucessful career he can have if stops smoking that crap i feel bad for kofi
- The Cowboy
  
  Punctuation. Please.
  - MsMojoRisin
    
    i dont see why that matters to you. its an opinion, if you have a issue with how i type don’t read what i post.
    - The Cowboy
      
      I'd like to read what you post – that's sort of the point of posting to begin with. Punctuation makes that easier, as you've just demonstrated above.
    - Abe
      
      We tried to read it, but we just couldn't. I kid I kid. Seriously though, you have no idea what you are talking about.
Phil McManus

I think he'll go after Wrestlemania, He'll and Kofi will drop the titles then he's a gonna!
- Matt Scott
  
  The titles they already dropped?
  - Chris
    
    Yea, those ones!
    - Matt Scott
Charles

Instead of "People hate me right now, better keep my nose clean and work hard."

He decides "Guess I may as well carry on breaking the rules, that's best for my career!"

Oh wow, what a moron.
Matt Scott

Oh for Gods sake. Just as Jeff Hardy gets clean Matt Sydal takes the reigns!
Misha

Huh so at this point he just doesnt care I guess. He probably is gonna get himself fired and go to TNA to play in the X-Division. It's interesting to see that while Truth also smoked the drug, and was suspended, he is now on the hottest streak of his life. I get about bourne's ratting out being a low blow but hey he did was he thought he had to do because he probably was though Truth was gonna get scout free and not suffer the suspension because hes working at the top of the card. Well Bourne, good luck in your future endeavors! tna tna tna tna lol
Patrick Baker

They should do the following: Kofi gets a new tag team partner, someone like Curt Hawkins, and they have a good run in tag-tournaments, working together in the Rumble, etc. Have Kofi having a conflict of doing the right thing/whatever is necessary to win matches. Evan comes back from suspension hoping to 'get the band back together'. Kofi completes his shift to being a bad-ass, drums Evan out of the WWE for being a druggie. Future endeavour Bourne, have Kofi split up his team deciding he only needs himself and start hunting singles Titles again. Et voila! PASS ME THE BOOK!
- HATER
  
  Kofi sucks thats a dumb idea
  - Patrick V
    
    That is the best idea I have hears in a LONG time
Matt Brown

Had a feeling somthing like this was in the works when Air Boom dropped their tag team titles at the house show in Oakland CA this past sunday. Bourne is an idiot, we should just fire him already. He's undersized and his mic skills are terrible.
Patrick_Peralta

When he gets fired and futured endevoured he will be on radio show on the internet and say what happen to him was wrong. and WWE wa unfair he will bitch and moan about it or he will just say he doesn't care and what he smokes is his buessiness.

If he has that additude he will not be working with WWE again.
- MsMojoRisin
  
  exactly, and its sad because bourne has so much talent but he rather get high and smoke fake pot than care about his career and spice kills.
- Van
  
  there could be a chance that he didn't do it and was framed.HHH doesn't like him so he probably suspended and said that was the reason.who knows?
  - Zach
    
    Patrick, you just put words in his mouth, we do not know what he will say when/if he is fired. You can not form an opinion of someone by what you THINK he will say. Let’s wait until we find out exactly what’s up with him before we pass a judgement.
Dave L

I wonder how much talent would have gotten "wellness Violations" back in the 80s early 90s…
- Me.
  
  Hulk Hogan would have been fired within 4 months of being hired for having 3 strikes, as would many of the talent from the 90s.
  
  (Yes, I do realize that the first two strikes add up to 3 months of suspension. I stand by the 4 month time frame.)
Rosey

What a bafoon, your ruining your career d.f. I hope u like TNA, if they even take u….
- Matt Scott
  
  “if they even take you…” hahahahaha!! Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Rob Van Dam…
  - Rosey
    
    Ha ha ha ha ha. What, those other guys can draw a crowed, and gave fans. Yes Bourne can wrestle, but does he have what it takes to sell a show
    - XKonn247
      
      If booked right, yes. The guy can still wrestle. Unlike Matt Hardy and Rob Van Dam who phone(d) it in!
LRB

Just getting to be a joke now please fire him
Stuzy

now we know why the tag belts were dropped at a non televised house show , so tbh i can't see him being there much longer which is a shame as i feel he is a great wrestler , i just feel sorry for kofi
- HPK
  
  AirBoom lost them last night on RAW !!!
  - GODSENT83
    
    No they lost t the rematch last night, before correcting someone know weird you’re talking about
  - Matt Scott
    
    Agree with godsent, as usual. If you’re gonna try jump on a mark don’t be a bigger mark.
- Alex P
  
  Yeah, I really feel bad for Kofi…here you have a guy playing it by the book and now has been derailed from a decent tag team run twice in a 2 month span
The Dave

matt sydal shd return to roh. The wil actually give him a chance to win the roh title. Neva in wwe
havoc525

Why not just drop the fake stuff. Go RVD and smoke weed, no suspension, just a fine.
michelle punk douglas

Give him one more chance guyz he iz talented and gifted but he did the crime serve his time y everyone. Can’t b like punk
- Chris
  
  I might possibly give him one more chance….however, someone who can't find the 's' key so resorts to a 'z', probably not so much
Paul w

Seems like the b squad or some folk call it tna will be getting another wwe reject
ted

of course tn will hire evan bourne because tna has no drug policy that is ever enforced. jeff hardy never went to rehab and tna never punished him. jurt angle gets arrested and tna does noting. all because they want their precious 1.1 cable rating each week.
Chapel Of Ghouls

Didn't he come back from the first suspension a little over a month ago? What a huge disappointment.

Sigh, I am a huge fan of Evan Bourne as a wrestler, but in the wrestling business, some of those people to enjoy, turn out to do personal things that makes one think over their stance on the wrestler. It just so happens that the past year or so have certainly made that a prominent thing today. Kurt Angle, Gail Kim, some people who showed their personalities through Twitter and such, sacrificing some fan interest from me at least. Now Bourne does that with getting suspended, again.

I would want him fired, if he actually hit strike three. At strike two, the least he's going to receive upon coming back is a major burial. If it's Spice again, it will be worse, because it shows the guy just can't learn. Recently there was a picture of all title holders in WWE, with Air Boom and Ryder still as champions. CM Punk after TLC tweeted about change finally happening in WWE with that crowd of champions being young and great wrestlers. Now with this news, I have to wonder what Punk thinks of this. Never mind his straight edge lifestyle, just the fact he's pretty much the leader of the "revolution," and Bourne screws himself up like this. At least the new titleholders are young as well, but man.

I would be disappointed and angry if he got on the interview circuit and blast WWE, thinking he was a victim or whatever, forgetting to mention the fact he violated the Wellness Policy, therefore made mistakes in certain choices in life. This isn't a debate of whether Spice, or whatever is bad, should be illegal and such. Rules are rules, sometimes breaking them are fun, necessary, smart. In this case, so soon after returning, is…

stupid. Furthermore, what will happen to Kofi? Goodness, that guy is someone to really feel for. My immediate hopes is for him to return to the midcard singles role. Since Swagger is US champion now, Kofi and Swagger could work together for the title. I think it's not beyond the realm of possibility to say that Evan Bourne isn't going to be a part of Wrestlemania, again. He will return before it, but definitely won't be used in a position to warrant a spot there. Unless they bring back MITB there.

In conclusion, *facepalm*
- Matt Scott
  
  As usual you ramble on, copy the opinions and ideas of others then pretend to know what you mean.
sforester

This means of course that Bourne is required to go into rehab…unless I haven't read the Wellness policy correctly. And people wonder why the tag-team division will never be taken as seriously as the 80s and 90s? Look no further kids: One of your (now former) tag champions getting his second strike after just barely returning from the first one.
- Rosey
  
  You read the wellness plan, man someone has allot of time on their hands….WOW
  - sforester
    
    I prefer being thorough. While it doesn't specifically say that the talent MUST go into rehab, I know that Carlito and Umaga were released for refusing to go into rehab.
- Patrick_Peralta
  
  I agree he barely got back from his first suspension a little over a couple weeks ago and he hasn't learned his leason..
Ricky

Well, there goes any chance of a push Evan had. It's a shame because for awhile he had top guys like Cena, Edge and Jericho all backing him. But because he decided to rat out Truth and AGAIN got a wellness violation. Saddley I would not be shocked to see him get fired before the 60 days is up.
H.M.

I'm really saddened by this because I'm a big fan of Bourne and I was finally hoping that Air Boom would pick up lost steam as a tag team.

There must be more to this story then meets the eye. No way someone could just break the wellness policy RIGHT after returning from the first strike. I mean, something must have legitimately happened IMO.

Who knows? I hope he remains with the company and doesn't adopt the embittered-former-WWE-star route, we've all come to know and hate.
Rosey

I think TNA would be a good brand for him. He would rule the x division… TNA rules… Rosey out
- HATER
  
  LAME!
  - Rosey
    
    Hahahaha . Coming fr hater that means allot D.F….. Rosey out
    - Alex
      
      If he's got a drug problem yeah he would make a good fit in TNA. If he gets an actual criminal record he could be champion in no time.
Rosey

I think TNA would be a good brand for him. He would rule the x division… TNA rules… Rosey out.
BrianHall

If he keeps this up he’ll get a shot at the World Title his first week In TNA
Jordan

D'oh! Nice knowing you, Evan.
spikewestphal

first superstar/diva to be supeneded off 2012 let the list grow for this year
HPK

WWE and TNA have taken so many blows to their credibility in the past few years , it is hard for anyone to even care anymore…cause none of the stars or higher ups seem to take their professions serious , which is the reason for their downfalls !!! Evan Bourne is a talented , "High"- Flying…LOL…wrestler with loads of potential , but He is getting like the Hardy's and other former WWE stars that are fucking up with the drug and alcohol shit !!! Yes…people make mistakes , but cmon'…He fails a wellness program after only 2 months ?!? Honestly don't think Old WWF really had a stable Wellness Program in place until way after the Steroid Scandal and the Attitude Era , cause I know most , if not all of the Legends (Hogan , Macho Man , Hennig , Hart , Steiners , Scott Hall and whoever else from that class would have been employed very long !!! On a bright note , I see him in TNA like REAL SOON , which would be awesome for the X Division to get more exposure !!!
Alex

Evan bourne and matt hardy.. Both have a couple things in common.. Both are doped up on drugs, wanted to get fired from WWE, and Want or did go to TNA thinking they will make it big and get away with doing drugs..
What a shame..
- HPK
  
  Really…You know for a fact that is the reasons ???
Charmen

keep Bourne..he's a great asset to the WWE.
Ubereem

A suspension just isn't enough. He should be sent to rehab & if he refuses then he should be fired.
Dangerous Lee

I don’t get, why not just smoke real weed? Or why not just quit altogether? I quit smoking weed to get a better job and haven’t smoked since. If I can do it anyone can!
rkodmr

Evan Bourne = One of my favorite wrestlers a week ago. Now an idiot who doesn’t realize he is living the dream that I (and many others) would love to live and he is just throwing it away
Clint

Pressure got to him, Triple H being on his ass probably didnt help him, but he still should have known better, and so should have triple h, anti bully campaign my ass
PhilT81

Evan Bourne is a spot monkey and his work rate doesn’t suit the WWE where it’s a marathon more than a sprint. Being in a tag team has been beneficial for him by forcing a speed change, but it seems he needs an attitude change.

WWE are obviously very embarrassed about this and that doesn’t bode well for Mr, Bourne. If they were ok with it then they would have run an angle where Bourne offered drugs to Kofi and assumed he would be into it because he looks like a ‘Rasta’ and that was his old gimmick – and Kofi would refuse.

What is going to happen, instead, is that he will serve out his suspension and at the end of it be released meaning he will be off TV for at least 150 days with the hope being that this makes him disappear into obscurity. Of course, this could backfire and such a layoff could make the debut of yet another TNA spot monkey a big deal.

Whatever happens, I’m sure Johnny ‘Ace’ Laurinitis will wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.
Sebastian

What an idiot, that's all I got to say on this one, poor Kofi!
TheSco

Im in the process of signing with FCW and have read the wellness policy very carefully and I’m also quite good friends with Evan , known him for a few years. He is cut up about what happened but knows its completely his fault. He has taken full responsibility and requested of his own back to go into a rehab programme. The likelyhood of ever returning to WWE tv? Well that depends of his attitude over the next few weeks but I would be seriously surprised. As for TNA this will never be discussed all the time Evan is still contracted to WWE. The problem he has is the fact they are so close together, of this would have happened 18 months on then it would have been better. But WWE official persona are seriously angry and upset that a performer with this potential would throw away what is a growing career. There was a big push planned for Evan and kofi towards mania to bring the tag team division back to life, now they have to re-write stories which costs time and money. Let’s hope he changes his ways and stop this nonsense. Wherever he is performing in the future I know I’ll be watching!