Brian Cage has been an AEW contracted performer since 2020.

So my question is this, for Tony Khan and the Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling… Do you have a drug testing and/or wellness policy with any consequences for failed tests?

First, I scoured AllEliteWrestling.com myself and also utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) to review the website as well.

Also performed various search engine reviews if any existing drug testing policies were out there. Nothing found.

Best I could do was many places alluding to the “right” of AEW to perform a drug test, on a wrestler, if desired.

I also reviewed AEW’s mission statement on their website. While they’ve always call themselves a “pro wrestling” organization, with various wrestlers balking at the term “sports entertainment”, AEW’s own Mission Statement says, and I quote: ”AEW is built to create moments of a lifetime – memorable, inspiring and spectacular – by providing our fans with the best wrestling matches and entertainment anywhere. We believe providing a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for all AEW events is central to that mission.”

The word “entertainment” is clearly there, and that’s important on the basis of how AEW is regulated in each state where it holds live events. Why? Because unlike boxing or mixed martial arts (MMA), they won’t be regulated by the State Athletic Commissions who often require testing of athletes for drugs and other health conditions (just saw a recent documentary where an athletic commission found that boxer Tommy Morrisson had HIV and denied him from fighting).

AEW’s trademarks are also marked as “Entertainment Services”, further described as “exhibitions” and “performances”.

Again, point being, as much as they boast about being wrestling, they are classified exactly like the WWE which means the ability to exploit wrestlers as “independent contractors” and to avoid State Athletic Commission required testing because they aren’t a sport but are entertainers. In other words, just as Disney on Ice performers aren’t drug tested as “entertainers”, neither are pro wrestlers.

So, what have other reports said about AEW having any drug testing?

RingsideNews.com transcribing Fightful.com Select’s Sean Ross Sapp from 9/15/26: ”in all his conversations with people from AEW, nobody has ever told him they were drug tested”. Note, he’s just saying that he never heard of it in all of his years reporting on AEW (or TNA).

WrestlingHeadlines.com transcribing Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer on 6/17/21 said, in AEW’s then 2-year and a half existence that “talent do have something in their contract about being tested” (confirms other reports) but that “it does not seem that anyone has officially been tested as of yet”.

But then, and get this… Meltzer talks about Brian Cage during June 2021: ”One person in particular named Brian Cage who people even write jokes about on their own show. So I guess if they write jokes about it I can mention his name since they freakin’ talk about him and needles and everything, but whatever.”

In the immortal words of Sealab 2021… We have UH OH!

We have Brian Cage admitting to PED usage and then you have a top news insider and someone who knows AEW intimately well (often cheering for them to succeed) with Dave Meltzer alluding to Brian Cage possibly using them 5 years ago.

Sooooo… Let’s ask this question with Brian Cage admitting to using PEDs and now TRT, no State Athletic Commission testing, AEW classified purposely as “entertainment” with “performance” and “exhibition”, and top news reporters being unaware if any testing has ever happened. Could AEW have a issue with Performance Enhancement Drugs (PED)?

I’m just asking the question…

After all, people in the press asked questions during the early 1990s, like Phil Mushnick of the New York Post, and that prompted the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the WWE and Vince McMahon for distributing steroids to its wrestlers. Further, after Chris Benoit died, WWE was subject to legal investigations due to its non-public Wellness Policy since early 2006 (following Eddie Guerrero’s death) that only made violations public after June 2007 when Benoit’s murders and then suicide happened. Oh, and that Florida online lab sting happened shortly after that.

WWE and its McMahon promoters were raked over the coals for (a) the 1994 federal trials alleging steroid distribution and (b) the Chris Benoit murders + Florida online lab sting of 2007.

Hell, any time that a former WWE wrestler died earlier than the normal rate of expectancy, it was always labeled as if they took some sort of drugs during their tenure with the WWE or had to remain dependent on them after leaving the WWE.

WWE took all kinds of arrows for allegations regarding PEDs and later, their loose testing on them that happened from during 1992 when the federal investigations began and through June 2007 when Benoit murdered his family. And again, any time that a wrestler died, their tenure with WWE was blamed.

And this isn’t a WWE column, so I’m not here to defend them… Because Vince McMahon is an admitted user of PEDs, it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t at least “looking the other way” when his wrestlers may have used them. After all, he has a track record of pushing and mostly signing very muscular and chiseled wrestlers.

My point is this: If you’re going to be a BIG BOY wrestling promotion like the WWE, then you should be ready for ANY criticism or allegations that come your way.

Including this very question: Hey Tony, Brian Cage recently admitted to PED use on a podcast. Are you able to provide evidence of drug testing and show documentation of punishment if anyone was in violation of abusing PEDs?

And let it not stop there… What about OTHER drugs or maybe any kind of substance abuse?

Only thing found is Jeff Hardy for a 2022 DUI and driving with a suspended license. However, AEW’s testing didn’t prompt that suspension. Hardy’s own arrest and it being made public did.

And I hate to say this in light of recently deceased wrestlers who were NOT found to be in any association with drugs… But if a current or former AEW performer does pass away in the upcoming years, do we start questioning AEW about their drug testing policies or any “wellness” policies like we did WWE for decades for any wrestler deaths?

I’m just asking questions, along with asking for consistency.

If you’re going to compete with the WWE and act like a top wrestling promotion on display, then you better be ready to answer a few serious questions, Tony and his EVPs.

At the very least, AEW needs to have a serious discussion and review of Brian Cage to what he’s admitted to publicly.

Again, just asking AEW to be consistent here if they are going to act like a big boy wrestling promotion.

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

The post MR. TITO: Brian Cage’s PED Usage Admission Should Raise Serious Questions About AEW’s Drug Testing Policy (or Possible Lack Thereof) appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.