WWE Rumors: Current Champion Reportedly In Doghouse Following Wellness Policy Violation
WWE United States Champion Andrade hasn’t been enjoying the most success on the red brand lately. Despite retaining his title against Humberto Carrillo at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he lost to Rey Mysterio on the latest episode of Monday Night Raw. According to Sportskeeda‘s Tom Colohue, the reason behind the superstar’s inconsistent record of late is partly due to his recent Wellness Policy violation, which resulted in Andrade receiving a 30-day suspension.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, the Monday Night Raw star was disciplined back in January after testing positive for a prohibited substance. However, considering that he was involved in a storyline at the time, the company decided not to take the United States Championship off of him, which is a rarity in these circumstances. While he was given a slap on the wrist since it was a first-time offense, his losing streak could be the result of him still being disciplined.
In a follow-up report after news emerged that Samoa Joe violated the Wellness Policy, The Inquisitr noted that the company is reportedly going to be more lenient on first-time offenders if they’re involved in a notable storyline at the time. While this doesn’t exclude them from being punished, their suspensions could be held off in order to make storylines flow better.
WWE’s plans to put the championship on a worthy challenger at a later date might be another reason for Andrade keeping his title. Furthermore, another reason for him not being booked strongly might be because the company is building towards a match. As highlighted by the Sportskeeda report, WWE is trying to build up challengers for the United States Championship, and superstars gaining wins over the titleholder is an ideal way to turn them into credible opponents for him.
You take the man's mask, you best believe it's FAR from over.#RAW @reymysterio @AndradeCienWWE pic.twitter.com/Q1EX2lZGXc
— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2020
Of course, with the company’s plans currently up in the air due to the coronavirus, it remains to be seen if Mysterio or anyone else will compete against Andrade in the near future. He was originally rumored to face Carrillo at WrestleMania 36, but due to the babyface superstar’s loss at Elimination Chamber, he doesn’t seem like a likely contender.
However, it’s also possible that the company will opt for a multi-man match, which might also feature Angel Garza, who’s been involved in the angle between Mysterio, Carrillo, and Andrade lately. The Mexican heel has been a standout superstar since he joined the red brand, and he seems like a viable option to win the title down the line.
