A SmackDown! Superstar came under fire this week when speculation suggested he either faked or overplayed an illness to get out of doing a clean job at Tuesday's SmackDown! taping.

While most with an understanding of the situation felt the speculation was off base-as a midcard wrestler, one is conditioned to expect to do jobs from time to time and would be very unlikely to pull such a political stunt-it nonetheless did appear intriguing that a wrestler who showed up in good condition Tuesday afternoon had to leave for flu-like symptoms after learning about the match plans.

That wrestler, Shad Gaspard, took to MySpace to explain his side of the story; the statement is posted below. As an additional note, F4WOnline.com says that Shad has been in touch with colleagues explaining that he has no problem doing jobs and that he was not, in fact, fine upon arriving at the show and must have been doing a good job of acting like he was in a position to perform.

Here is what Shad said:

Ok before this thing gets out of hands let me set the record straight. This past Monday I got sick while traveling from Mexico to the US. On Tuesday my symptoms increased drastically to body pains, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. I tried several over the counter medicines that temporarily worked, but didn't help in the long run.

Finally I went to or WWE doctor who prescribed to give me a shot of Phenergan, which should have worked. Unforchantly it made me drowsy and brought on cold chills. The office thought it best I leave than try to perform. I spent Tuesday night in my hotel room vomiting and dealing with bad diarrheaa all night (Trust me no one ells was near or around me). When I got back home I dealt with the same symptom all day as my girl helped me get better bye taking what our family physician prescribed, and getting rest.....

I've never let being sick ever keep me from performing, I've worked sick, hurt, and injured before on live events, TV tapings, and Pay Per Views, I just never let no one excluding my partner know how I felt or what I was going through. I apologies to my tag team partner, the participants in my match and the WWE universe, I should have found out all the information about what was given to me before I took it, and prevented my self from getting sick in the first place.

I take full responsibility for what happened and I'm sorry. In our industry there is a tradition that the show must go on no mater what, and I feel I have betrayed that tradition bye not performing last Tuesday. The greatest joy in my life is performing in the WWE (Win, Lose or Draw), I love what I do, and I will never let something like this happen agene.

- As hype for his book "The World According to Dutch," Dutch Mantell took to his theworldaccordingtodutch.blogspot.com blog to discuss some of the contents. One story involves Mantell and Undertaker getting pulled over at gunpoint: "this is about a wild night that the Undertaker and I were riding peacefully back home and were stopped and detained by 3 Kentucky Highway Patrolmen and 5 county deputies on Interstate 65 North at GUNPOINT. Another true story and one that I'll never forget."

Sincerely
Shad Gaspard

 -- As hype for his book "The World According to Dutch," Dutch Mantell took to his theworldaccordingtodutch.blogspot.com blog to discuss some of the contents. One story involves Mantell and Undertaker getting pulled over at gunpoint: "this is about a wild night that the Undertaker and I were riding peacefully back home and were stopped and detained by 3 Kentucky Highway Patrolmen and 5 county deputies on Interstate 65 North at GUNPOINT. Another true story and one that I'll never forget."

Transcript Source: MondayNightMayhem.com

WWE RAW Superstar, 1/2 of The Legacy, & former three-time World Tag Team Champion, Cody Rhodes, was the special guest on this week's "Countedition (10/21/09) of Monday Night Mayhem (presented by ReelWrestling.com), hosted by The Big Mosh, Blade, & "The Chairman Of The Board" Todd Vincent. You can feel The Mayhem live & in streaming audio every Monday night (at 8PM ET/7PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.ITunes.com. www.AudioWrestling.com, www.Facebook.com/MondayNightMayhem, & www.MySpace.com/MondayNightMayhem).

Cody's return to The Mayhem (as part of the "MNM Fall Tour '09") is now available for free in Windows Streaming Media, or via The Mayhem's official Podcast on ITunes:

Cody Rhodes/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Streaming Audio): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfil...

Cody Rhodes/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Podcast On ITunes): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/oct09/...

Here are some of the highlights of Cody's exclusive interview, provided by The Mayhem's official correspondent, Paterson From New Jersey:

Join The Big Mosh, Blade, & "The Chairman Of The Board" Todd Vincent for a special edition of Monday Night Mayhem (presented by ReelWrestling.com). It's a new day for "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio," as Legacy's Cody Rhodes, stepped back into The Mayhem's squared circle for a special return trip to the MNM airwaves.

Cody was welcomed back by The Mayhem Crew in the midst of Cody trying to figure out of all things...Facebook, and if it's legitimate enough for him to join. "It isn't legitimate yet. That's what I was trying to figure out. I searched myself on Facebook, and I found many me's on Facebook, and they're not me. I'm trying to figure out if I can make one of these myself, but at the moment, it seems like I'm well covered on the social networks."

This coming Sunday night brings us the first-ever Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View & the big seven-on-seven tag team match between RAW & SmackDown. Despite some problems we have seen on-camera between Team RAW, their team has officially been set, but the SmackDown team has gone through a complete overhaul. Based on this, Team RAW must now change its game plan of attack. "They loaded their gun with the same type of bullets. They don't have the firepower that WWE RAW has. I think that makes for an interesting match up when you talk about The Hart Dynasty, Matt Hardy (along with R-Truth & Finlay). When you say Bragging Rights, that is what we are fighting, and you don't know how many people take that seriously. I love Monday Night RAW, and I don't want to be on a different show. But they have an outstanding product, I watch, I have friends on it."

With the aftermath of the resignation of Shane McMahon still ringing at Titan Towers, the last time Cody was on the show, there was some issues between Legacy (led by Randy Orton) & the McMahon family (with Shane in particular). Mosh asked Cody for his comments on what Shane did for him during his time in the WWE to this point, and what his candid thoughts are on Shane's WWE departure. "If your last name is McMahon, you are always a part of the WWE. And yes he is stepping down to pursue other things in his life & career, and I wish him the best of luck. The way that guy comes in the ring and does the shuffle & brings it, that's the same you'll get anywhere. Whatever field he enters, he'll bring that same passion, and they'll be better for it."

Since his debut in the WWE, Cody has faced big names on a weekly basis on Monday nights. But is there someone that the wants wrestle that he hasn't on-on-one? "If you're asking me who I would like to compete against, it would still be Shawn Michaels. I'll do anything I can to get that match, and I'll do anything I can to let the fans know I want to get his attention, because I want to wrestle Shawn Michaels, I need to wrestle Shawn Michaels. It would prove a great deal to me. On the other side, I would very much like to wrestle my brother Dustin, I'll love to wrestle Goldust. It would be a real treat to me plus to be on ECW On Syfy, I would greatly enjoy that."

The role of the Guest Hosts on Monday Night RAW has truly evolved over the last several months, and even more names are reported in the pipeline for the months of November & beyond (including Ozzy Osbourne, Dennis Miller, along with Ice-T & his wife, Coco, which The Mayhem broke at the end of last month). Cody was asked about this coming Monday night's RAW in Buffalo, and if there is anyone he would want to see guest host. "I am very interested to see what the WWE brings to Joey Logano & Kyle Busch, and what they bring to the WWE. One guy & one girl I would like to see is a tough one. I like people that no one else likes. I'll like to see some repeats. I'm sure that's not so appealing at first, but if you had a really good host, you have to bring them back. I wouldn't mind seeing Bob Barker again & certainly Seth Green. There was just something about Seth Green that they really dug."

More is contained in this exclusive interview Legacy's Cody Rhodes, including his best wishes to Jim Ross (who is recovering after his third bout with Bell's Palsy), along with his uncensored thoughts & comments on who he would like to wrestle at WrestleMania XXVI in Phoenix, his takes on how NASCAR & the WWE are similar, the possibility of War Games making a return (the event that his father, the legendary "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes created), & so much more!