Former WWE Star Evan Bourne Recently Arrested In Japan

NikkanSports.com is reporting that Matt Sydal (formerly known as Evan Bourne in WWE) was arrested on Sept. 23 while entering Japan after officials found 2.12 grams of liquid marijuana in his possession for an e-cigarette at the Kansai Airport.

Sydal was convicted of the crime on Thursday in Osaka, although what the punishment is remains to be seen. The conviction likely means the end of his ability to enter the country, which has some of the strictest drug laws in the world. Japanese nationals could face up to five years imprisonment for the same crime. For foreigners, they are usually deported and banned from the country. It certainly means the end of him wrestling in Japan.

Sydal missed multiple shows for New Japan Pro Wrestling last month and noted on Twitter that he had an issue at the border, causing him to stay in Hawaii.

In speaking to one friend of Sydal this morning after news of the arrest came out, speaking under condition of anomynity, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com was told, “People are going to villify him for this, but before they do, they should take a moment to think about the fact that he completely mangled his foot in that wreck a few years back. He is in a state of near-constant pain because of those injuries. It’s amazing he’s walking on it, much less performing on it. People have no idea what Matt goes through on a daily basis with that foot. So, if they villify him, they are villifying him for trying to maintain the quality of life he had before the wreck.”

While under contract to WWE in 2012, Sydal was involved in a car wreck that left him with his foot broken in four places and five additional bones dislocated.

Sydal’s current whereabouts have not been made public. The former WWE star has not been active on social media since he said he was in Hawaii.