Treat Me For Just Who I Am: An In-Depth Look at the Life & Final Days of Chyna

For this article, WrestlingNewsSource.com got the opportunity to speak with one of Chyna's dearest friends, Rob Potylo. Mr. Potylo is a comedian, musician, and film producer, who was working with Chyna to produce her documentary, The Reconstruction of Chyna, at the time of her passing. He was one of her closest friends and actually lived with both Chyna and her manager Anthony Anzaldo at one point.

Rob has spoken with several media outlets regarding Chyna's passing and some of the details about the final days of her life, but now he would like the chance to go into more detail about what was actually going on with Chyna at the time of her passing and for the last few months of her life.

Tell us about your time living with both Chyna and her manager Anthony Anzaldo. What was their relationship like, and how would you describe the relationship between the three of you?

I lived with her and Anthony on the road, going back to his beach house in Redondo, and then on the floor of the living room of that house for two months (Chyna got the couch), while I helped film, produce, and upload video for the documentary. 90% of the time, Anthony was generally very pleasant. We all had similar senses of humor, and had a bunch of fun times.

I understand he had a plan to get Chyna back on track, but he also seemed to want to put her in a shit-load of Comic-Cons, get her back into porn, and generally get her plugged back into a crazy schedule without seeing that she needed rehab and counseling pretty much right off the bat. Anthony also had a brutal, brutal temper. When he didn't like the way things were going, or didn't feel he was receiving "consideration", he would go off like you wouldn't believe. I was at the receiving end of this once or twice, and heard Chyna on the receiving end of this too. I also heard this temper many other times with family, or on the phone.

In August of 2015, Anthony and Chyna went to Vegas for some weekend event. She had failed to meet her wake-up call at 8:00 AM on Sunday morning, and Anthony decided that he'd "had enough". He left her in Vegas for five days by herself. I was woken up that Sunday night to unearthly screaming; Anthony was on the phone with Chyna, shouting, "I don't care what F'ing happens to you! You are shit!" I was so scared, both for her and myself. I really was prepared to die at that point. The police got called by the neighbors, he was so loud.

Chyna finally got on a Greyhound to LAX, and Erik had to hook her up with an Uber to get back to Redondo. When she came through the door, she was F'd up as all hell with her pants hanging off her hips.

Back in the summer of 2015, WWE Hall of Famer Roderick Toombs, better known to the world as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, sadly passed away in his sleep at the age of 61. After his funeral, there were rumors circulating on the internet about Chyna's behavior at Roddy's funeral. More specifically, there were rumors that she allegedly "rushed over" to WWE Chief Operating Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, who Chyna had dated for several years back in the 1990's, and created somewhat of a scene during the funeral. What can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding Roddy's funeral? How did Chyna feel about Roddy's passing, and was it her intention to somehow "confront" Paul Levesque at the funeral or create any kind of a scene?

Chyna's lawyer Sam Perlmutter also represented Roddy. I remember having lunch with Sam, Chyna, and Anthony in Beverly Hills. Sam was talking to Chyna about possibly joining a wrestling company in Vegas with Piper. Piper wanted Chyna on his podcast, and had been talking to Anthony about getting that set up.

When Roddy died Chyna was very sad, not just for him, but for his family, who she knew and cared about very much. She was invited along with Anthony by the lawyer to attend his funeral up in Portland, Oregon. At the end of the service, Anthony told Chyna to go up to Hunter and say she was sorry for everything. She did. She even gave Hunter a hug. According to Chyna, Hunter said, "Me too", and they parted ways.

Somehow, Hunter's old best pal Sean "X-Pac" Waltman got wind of this afterwards (I wonder who could have told him). And even though he wasn't there, he blasted Chyna on Twitter for "bum-rushing" Hunter at the funeral, and almost being "taken down by security". I was sick to my stomach, and Chyna was also very distraught. We created a video of her defending her actions. She explained that she had been invited by the lawyer, and that she genuinely did have a tender moment with Hunter at the funeral, which turned out to be their last moment together. I'm very happy that there's footage of it, to show how blown out of proportion the whole thing got. It was filmed by her manager Anthony, in showing this footage there is no disrespect meant toward Piper's family but Chyna's name was dragged through the mud cause of the an event I can prove didn't happen.

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Paige Issues Statement On Her WWE Status And WWE Wellness Policy Suspension

Paige posted the following on Instagram:

First, I'd like to thank all my fans for their love and support the last few weeks. Let me begin by saying that the rumors that I'm leaving WWE are completely false! I certainly look forward to returning back to action at some point, once my injury is treated and on a healthy return. Although I was disappointed by my suspension, I respect the WWE's Wellness Policy. However, let me be clear that I was not suspended for failing a drug test, it was merely due to a procedural issue. I took the test, I passed it. I arranged said test to happen after I wasn't at my home when Aegis contacted me. So I drove 200 miles to do it. Unfortunately I didn't do it in time, according to Aegis. Once again, thank you for all the love and support.

Why Eva Marie Violated The WWE Wellness Policy, Eva Issues Statement, Plans To Appeal

TMZ reports that Eva Marie tested positive for Adderall, which caused her to violate the WWE Wellness Policy and receive a 30-day suspension.

Eva tells TMZ that she has a prescription for the drug, the same which caused Roman Reigns to violate the Policy earlier this summer. Eva says she's appealing the suspension.

TMZ says their WWE source claims the medication was not properly approved by the company but Eva insists she has a legit prescription from her doctor. She told TMZ:

"I am disappointed that this suspension has occurred, yet understand and respect that WWE upholds their Wellness Policy to the letter and won't compromise on its integrity. I violated policy by not turning in portions of required paperwork in the time frame WWE Medical deemed timely. I look forward to my return!"

I don’t think she has much of a case given that she admitted fault by stating that she failed to provide proper documentation.

WWE Suspends Eva Marie

From WWE.com:

WWE has suspended Natalie Coyle (Eva Marie) for 30 days effective immediately for her first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.

Eva Marie's husband, Jonathan Coyle, took to Twitter to comment on the suspension, stating that it was "unjust" and that people will be "absolutely outraged" when the public finds out why she was suspended.

WWE Suspends Paige

From WWE.com:

WWE has suspended Saraya-Jade Bevis (Paige) for 30 days effective tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 18, for her first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.

Alberto Del Rio Suspended

From WWE.com:

WWE has suspended Jose Rodriguez (Alberto Del Rio) for 30 days effective tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 18, for his first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.

Brock Lesnar: No WWE Punishment ... for Failed UFC Drug Tests

Brock Lesnar will NOT be disciplined by the WWE for his UFC 200 drug test failures ... and WILL perform at SummerSlam as planned ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A WWE spokesperson tells us ... only full-time WWE performers are subject to the organization's wellness policy, which prohibits PEDs ... but since Brock isn't a full-time performer, he's essentially exempt.

"WWE’s talent wellness program does not apply to part-time performers such as Brock Lesnar," the spokesperson said.

We confirmed with the WWE that Brock has only performed in 19 matches over the past 3 years (4 in '14, 8 in '15, 7 in '16) ... and that the average full-time WWE superstar wrestles more than 200 matches per year.

One well-connected source broke down the situation like this -- WWE is show business, not a regulated athletic competition ... and the wellness program is only designed to keep the "full-time" performers healthy.

Bottom line -- Brock will be in the squared circle on August 21st ... no matter what happens to him in the UFC.

UFC Will Not Fine Brock Lesnar For Failed Drug Tests, Bonuses May Not Be Touched

Fines Brock Lesnar potentially faces for reportedly testing positive for clomiphene in drug tests related to his fight at UFC 200 will have to come from the Nevada Athletic Commission, and not from UFC itself.

According to an article by Marc Raimondi on MMAFighting.com, UFC vice president of public relations Dave Sholler stated the MMA promotion will not be fining Lesnar. Any fines will be left up to the state athletic commission.

The Nevada Athletic Commission's guidelines state the penalty for a first violation of its drug policy related to the use of anabolic steroids is 50 to 70 percent of the participant's purse. Whether or not the NSAC categorizes clomiphene as an anabolic steroid, its guidelines state, "We will continue to follow WADA's Prohibited List, for both prohibited substances and prohibited methodologies."

Clomiphene is specifically named as a prohibited substance by WADA. None of the other three drug categories in the NSAC guidelines (sedatives, diuretics, stimulants) seem like a more accurate fit for clomiphene.

Lesnar's publicly-disclosed purse for fighting Mark Hunt at UFC 200 was $2.5 million. He's likely due even more in pay-per-view bonuses. MMAFighting.com says the money Lesnar made beyond his disclosed purse is likely to go untouched. A fine on 50 to 70 percent of $2.5 million would come out to $1.25 million to $1.875 million.

It's unclear yet whether WWE, which he's under contract to, will take any action to penalize Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar Reportedly Fails Second UFC 200 Related Drug Test

According to MMAFighting.com, in addition to failing an out of competition drug test taken by USADA from a June 28th sample prior to his UFC 200 fight, Brock Lesnar also failed an in-competition drug test prior to defeating Mark Hunt at UFC 200.

To clarify, in-competition is a window of 12 hours before and after a fight.

The report added Lesnar failed both tests for the same banned substance, and the name of the substance will not be revealed unless Lesnar first reveals it himself.

The second test will very likely be folded into the first one and be considered a single potential doping violation.

UFC’s anti-doping policy states two positive tests could be considered aggravating circumstances, potentially leading to further sanctioning.

Lesnar passed multiple drug tests before failing the one taken from a June 28th sample, and as we noted he was tested eight times in the month leading up to the fight and passed the first five tests. Lesnar has now failed at least two of the last three tests. As noted, Lesnar faces a possible two year ban from UFC.

New York State Statement On Brock Lesnar's Participation At WWE Summerslam

The New York Department of State, the body that governs the New York State Athletic Commission, issued the following statement to WrestlingINC.com in regards to questions about whether the NYSAC would prevent Brock Lesnar from performing at WWE Summerslam in Brooklyn, New York, on August 21. Due to a potential violation of USADA policy, related to drug-testing for his fight at UFC 200, Lesnar may be suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission. There have been questions about whether New York, which also regulates pro wrestling, would enforce that suspension at Summerslam.

In 2002, New York State passed legislation that scaled back the regulation of "professional wrestling" in many respects based on a recognition that the activity is entertainment rather than bona-fide athletic competition. Under current New York State law, "professional wrestling" is defined as wrestling "primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise a bona fide athletic contest or competition" (NY Unconsolidated Laws section 8928-b[1]). As such, the State does not license individual wrestlers, and Mr. Lesnar is not a licensee of the New York State Athletic Commission. In the context of "professional wrestling," as defined above, the State licenses only the promoter, such as the WWE. Per New York law, among other health and safety requirements that apply to the licensing of a promoter, the event promoter is required to have a physician examine each wrestler and determine whether each wrestler is medically fit to participate.

The question of whether Mr. Lesnar is fit to participate in a "professional wrestling" event is one that will be determined by the application of the professional medical judgment of the examining physician, the policies of the WWE, and the choices made by Mr. Lesnar with regard to his own participation leading up to the event date.

It seems the state is confirming it wouldn't prevent Lesnar from participating in pro wrestling events such as WWE Summerslam due to an MMA suspension, because New York doesn't license individual wrestlers, and his participation is merely up to the physician, WWE and Lesnar himself.

New York requires all pro wrestling events to have a medical physician present, who determines whether wrestlers are medically fit to participate. WWE provides their own ringside physicians, such as Dr. Chris Amann.

Brock Lesnar Comments On Possible USADA Violation, Other Tests Came Back Clean, Mark Hunt Ultimatum

As noted, the UFC announced Friday night that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency informed Brock Lesnar of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation from an out-of-competition sample collection taken on June 28, 2016. Lesnar issued a short statement to the Associated Press, saying, "We'll get to the bottom of this."

The Associated Press also reported that they received three letters from USADA to Lesnar informing him that he had passed tests on three other samples collected in mid-June, days before the sample with the potential violation was collected.

Lesnar's opponent at UFC 200, Mark Hunt, said that he wants UFC to "sort" the situation out or he wants his release.

"They say they are trying to clean up the sport, but it doesn't feel like it," Hunt told MarkHunt.TV. "The UFC is basically saying if you cheat you won't be penalised.

"This is the third time I've had to fight a cheater in my career. The other two times I didn't ask for compensation, but this is the third time and I'm sick of them getting away with cheating. I've told Dana that I want a release from the UFC if they don't sort this out."

WWE Issues Statement Over Possible Brock Lesnar USADA Violation, Lesnar Still Set For SummerSlam?

From WWE.com:

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Brock Lesnar of a potential policy violation, stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on June 28, 2016, according to a statement released by UFC on Friday afternoon and reported on by ESPN and other news sources.

Lesnar successfully returned to the UFC against Mark Hunt 12 days later on July 9 at UFC 200. The results of the sampling were received by USADA on July 14.

UFC released the following statement on the matter via Twitter

Statement by UFC on potential anti-doping violation by Brock Lesnar: pic.twitter.com/oydm46UzC5

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 15, 2016

"Brock Lesnar has not performed for WWE since WrestleMania and is not scheduled to return until Sunday, August 21."

Brock Lesnar Flagged For Potential Doping Violation; UFC Issues Statement

The UFC announced on Friday that Brock Lesnar has been informed of a potential anti-doping violation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

The possible positive test stems from an out-of-competition sample that was collected on June 28.

“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case,” the UFC said in a news release. “It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed in close proximity to Lesnar’s bout at UFC 200 in Las Vegas.”

The results of the test were received on July 14, five days after Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt in his return to the Octagon.

Lesnar will now await the results of a B sample to see if the positive test is confirmed.

Looking back, UFC 200 was supposed to be the biggest event in the history of mixed martial arts and has ended up being a complete disaster. Jon Jones was scratched from the card after he also tested positive for a banned substance. Jones’ fight against Daniel Cormier was supposed to be the main event, replacing the previous main event which was tossed out due to the embarrassing dispute between Conor McGregor and the UFC (read more about that here).

If Lesnar’s B sample confirms he tested positive for a banned substance, he’ll be suspended from future competition.

source: msn.com

WWE Sources Claim Roman Reigns’ Reported Locker Room Apology Never Happened

Earlier today a report from The Wrestling Observer claimed WWE ordered Roman Reigns to apologize to the WWE locker room following news of his 30 day suspension for violating the company Wellness Policy.

According to two sources within WWE, one of them being a talent on the roster, the apology never took place, and the timeframe for when the apology could have happened doesn’t quite compute.

Both sources noted the WWE locker room was informed of Roman Reigns’ suspension on Tuesday, June 21st, when talents arrived for the Smackdown tapings, and no one was aware of it during or after Raw the previous night. Sources added Reigns simply packed his bags and left following the June 20th Raw taping, and if some type of speech or apology took place, it was not in front of the WWE locker room.

Rumor Mill - WWE Reportedly Orders Roman Reigns To Apologize To Locker Room

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting WWE ordered Roman Reigns to go to the locker room and apologize to everyone after his 30 day suspension was announced.

According to a source, Reigns went to the locker room and apologized to everyone before flying home, and it came with mixed reactions. The Observer noted the source said there was no need to humiliate him, but other people disagreed. The request reportedly was made by Mark Carrano, which would mean it came down from Paul Levesque, not Vince McMahon.

On a related note, Reigns won’t get paid any wrestling pay during the suspension, which was guessed to be around $100,000, less than what he’d miss out on if he was suspended from any PPV’s too. Reigns will still get paid merchandise and royalty checks, but will miss out on live event, PPV and downside guarantee money.

Roman Reigns Suspended By WWE For Wellness Policy Violation

WWE announced Tuesday that Roman Reigns (real name Joe Anoa`i) has been suspended 30 days effective immediately for his first violation of the organization's Talent Wellness Program.

Reigns issued a statement on Twitter this afternoon regarding his suspension.

"I apologize to my family, friends and fans for my mistake in violating WWE's wellness policy," Reigns tweeted. "No excuses. I own it."

Brock Lesnar talks about prescription drug abuse during first WWE stint

Ahead of his return at UFC 200, Brock Lesnar talks about abusing alcohol and prescription drugs during his first WWE stint and a mid-flight altercation it led to.

Brock Lesnar's return has been far from quiet.

Lesnar, who has been entered into the USADA testing pool, has been controversially granted an exemption to the USADA provision requiring a four-month notice for athletes coming out of retirement. This exemption is a source of much ire for his UFC 200 opponent Mark Hunt who believes Lesnar has likely been using PEDS. But PEDS are not the only drugs to come up recently in discussions with Lesnar.

On Thursday, Lesnar went on ESPN's Highly Questionable with Dan Le Batard and Bomani Jones in a bit of promotion for his return to the UFC. The interview touched on an assortment of topics, including Lesnar's abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs during his first stint with the WWE and what led him down that road.

"That was the early years of me when I was a young performer in the wrestling ring. You go through things in life such as you become rich and you become famous and you're naïve and you're young and to top it all off you're travelling 360 days a year. The wrestling is fake but the things that go on in the ring - the ring is still a very non-forgiving environment to be in so you're dealing with a lot of different injuries at one time.

"Not only that, I'm not a man to be on the highway. I'm not a man to be in a hotel room every night. I'm not a man to be in an airplane every day and it took all that for me to discover that and to cope with all that was my best friends, vodka and Vicodin."

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Brock Lesnar Drug Tested By USADA Ahead Of UFC 200

We mentioned in a report this week that Brock Lesnar received a USADA exemption for his return to MMA, but the U.S. Anti Doping Association wasted no time in testing Lesnar when he became eligible.

According to Yahoo's Kevin Iole, Lesnar was tested by USADA Wednesday. The results should show up on the agency's official website next week. This comes after Lesnar's opponent Mark Hunt did an interview saying that Lesnar was 'juiced to the gills.'

It's worth noting that a first time failure of USADA's policies can result in a two-year ban from the sport.

Mark Hunt Accuses Brock Lesnar Of Being, “Juiced To The Gills”

In an exclusive and explosive interview with UFC FIGHT WEEK on FOX Sports UFC Fighter Mark Hunt accused his UFC 200 opponent Brock Lesnar of being, “juiced to the gills.”

Recently it was announced that due to the short notice of the fight Brock would be exempt from USADA testing.

Below is an excerpt from the full interview featuring Hunt’s response to Brock’s exemption. The full interview can be found HERE.

“I don’t think that’s fair. I think it’s load of bulls***, I think it’s rubbish,” Hunt told UFC FIGHT WEEK on Fox Sports in an exclusive interview. “I don’t think anyone should be exempt from testing. If they’re trying to clean the sport up — mixed martial arts — this is a bad way to do it. I don’t care who you are. It’s ridiculous.

“I don’t think it’s a great move. I think he’s juiced to the gills — and I still think I’m going to knock him out. So I don’t think that’s correct. I don’t think he should be allowed to get a four-month exemption otherwise everyone else should. Otherwise I should start juicing.

“How are you going to clean the sport up doing that s***? It won’t happen. I don’t think it’s fair.”

“I’ve already voiced my opinion to (UFC boss) Dana (White) about it but apparently he (Lesnar) has been getting tested but he’s probably been off a couple of cycles anyway.

“I think everyone should be tested equally and fairly. Make it an even playing field otherwise you might as well get everyone juiced up and have the juicing UFC competition and the non-juicing (competition).”

Hunt goes on to talk about his confidence going in to the fight and how he believes he is going to knock out Brock Lesnar. In one of his final statements in the interview he closes by saying:

“He’ll probably be super strong being juiced to the gills but it doesn’t mean anything, man. I’m ready for anything he has.”

Triple H Talks WWE Wellness Policy, Trying To Help People Who Make Bad Decisions After Leaving WWE

As previously noted, 98 FM Dublin recently interviewed WWE's Triple H to promote NXT's upcoming UK tour. Among other things, Triple H talked about WWE's Talent Wellness Program.

'The King Of Kings' said that the WWE Talent Wellness Program is one of the finest health and wellness policies in the world.

"We're a show, but the physicality of it is very real and we have a very advanced and probably one of the best in the world health and wellness programs for our athletes and our talent. And we're very serious about trying to keep them in the best shape possible and them staying in the best shape possible, but the physicality is real and you know that going in. You try to take the most risks possible. The thing about our business is the intent is to try to make it look as painful as possible and make it actually be as painless as possible and that's a fine line, but you do the best that you can."

Triple H added that while WWE tries to assist former talents as much as possible, those individuals are ultimately responsible for their own lives. 'The Game' went on to say that current WWE talents are subject to strict heart, concussion, and drug testing.

"It's tough when people leave WWE. What they do with their lives, how they live their lives, you unfortunately can't control that for everybody. And, unfortunately, lots of people in life, in any profession, make bad personal decisions. And we try to help people as much as we can, but, at the end of the day, people are responsible for their own personal decisions they make in their [lives]. But when you're working with WWE, when you are one of our talents and our athletes, you are part of a very stringent testing program, not only for drugs, but it's a wellness program, it's a health and wellness program that involves cardiac testing, concussion protocols, drug testing, every gamut of it. We want our athletes to be as absolutely healthy as possible at all times while they're working for us."

source: wrestlinginc.com