Roman Reigns dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz on last night’s RAW 25 episode, causing some fans to speculate as to whether or not this was due to reports leaking out that “The Big Dog” was involved in a steroid ring scandal. Richard Rodriguez, owner of Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC (WFN), names Reigns (along with a few other celebrities) as a client of his. Rodriguez’s WFN was raided by the DEA last year after a year-long investigation.
Reigns released a statement denying any involvement with Rodriguez, and claims not to have even known the man:
“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Reigns’ Intercontinental Title loss to Miz is not related to these events. In fact, WWE sees this as a non-story. Reigns is reportedly still scheduled to main event WrestleMania 34 opposite Brock Lesnar and challenge “The Beast” for the Universal Title. Meltzer also reports that The Miz is actually receiving a big push right now as they have major plans for him at WrestleMania 34.
This could be part of the reason Miz went over on Reigns and recaptured the Intercontinental Title. Another reason could be to have Reigns focus on challenging for the Universal Title as we kick off the Road To WrestleMania. There is currently no word on whether or not Reigns is winning the Royal Rumble, but it would make sense to set up Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania.
