The life of a pro wrestler can be a pretty chaotic affair. With the constant travel and action, it’s easy to lose yourself and stray off the healthy road. It is a life filled with partying, alcohol and drugs which a number of wrestlers over the years have fallen victim to today.
Today, the WWE has done a better job in ensuring that the Superstars in its employ are healthy for the most part but this wasn’t always the case, especially during the Attitude Era. As young wrestlers lost themselves in the booze and the drugs, a number of them left this earth well before their time.
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But, there are also those Superstars who were able to escape the clutches of their addictions and lead a healthier life. Today, we celebrate these strong souls and their inspiring stories.
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So, without further ado, here are 5 WWE Superstars who went to rehab:
#5 Kurt Angle
Probably a surprising name on this list when you look at the life of Kurt Angle and how much he values discipline. The former Olympic Gold Medalist, though, has had a history of alcohol abuse that nearly derailed an amazing career in the world of pro wrestling.
Angle, a 2017 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, had a drinking problem which can be traced back to his days with the WWE. He was arrested for a DUI during his time with the promotion but declined to enter rehab as he opted to join up with TNA as his next job.
Also read: 5 WWE Superstars who were arrested for drug possession
During his time in the Impact Zone, Angle’s alcohol troubles only got worse. He was arrested a further three times before he finally admitted that he needed help and checked himself into a rehab facility.
Coming out clean after learning to deal with his demons, Angle can now rest easy knowing that he has a healthy mind to go with his incredible body and he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year with no black marks on his record.
We certainly hope we can see him wrestle inside a WWE ring one final time before he rides off into the sunset for good.
#4 William Regal
Today, William Regal is known as Triple H’s right-hand man in NXT – the man who has helped The Game make WWE’s developmental territory into the phenomenon it is today.
What is easy to forget, though, is that Regal enjoyed an outstanding career as a wrestler as well. All of this very nearly didn’t happen due to his problems with alcohol and drugs.
In the 1990s, Regal had a huge booze and pills problem which came to the fore when he ended up urinating on a waitress during a plane ride which landed him in a jail cell. Even this wasn’t enough to make him quit, though.
Regal’s heavy usage of drugs almost got the better of him and the Englishman finally agreed to check himself into a rehab facility after ending up in the hospital and nearly dying. It ended up being the best decision of his life.
Regal would then go on to have a storied career culminating in the amazing work that he is doing with NXT today. A decision not to go into rehab would definitely have robbed us of an amazing talent.
#3 Goldust
One of the most endearing Superstars to ever set foot into a WWE ring, Goldust has been making a name for himself with his creepy gimmick and longevity since back in the 1990s. Things almost ended very differently for The Bizarre One, though.
Following his release from the WWE in the 2000s, Goldust turned to a life of drugs which started during his run with the rival promotion, TNA. In his autobiography, Goldust admitted to working for $1000 a night just to go spend that money on drugs and alcohol.
As his life spiralled out of control, Goldust found the strength to reach out to his father – The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes – and ask for help which proved to be the best decision he could’ve taken.
He immediately went into rehab and came out as a new man. He would revitalise his personal and professional life as he rejoined the WWE and was part of a memorable family angle involving him, his brother Cody Rhodes, and their father.
#2 X-Pac
X-Pac has always been one of the most over guys in wrestling due to his infectious personality, his incredibly successful run with DX, and his cruiserweight style of wrestling.
Nowadays, Sean Waltman (X-Pac’s real name) hosts a podcast and remains a well-respected figure in the world of wrestling. Things could’ve been very different, though.
Waltman lived a life fuelled by drugs and alcohol and even reached the point of suicide during his time with AAA wrestling and we were this close to losing one of the world’s great talents too early.
Despite the best efforts of his long-time friend, Triple H, to persuade Waltman to join rehab, it was the efforts of Kevin Nash which finally made the difference. Big Sexy apparently even flew down to Mexico to get a hold of Waltman and brought him to a rehab ability on the other side of the border in Texas.
X-Pac exited the facility with a new lease on life and he has made the most out of it since.
#1 Scott Hall
If there was a quintessential troubled wrestler, it is Scott Hall. The man who made a name for himself as Razor Ramon has led such an incredibly difficult life riddled with alcohol and drug abuse that it is a miracle he is still alive, let alone doing as well as he is right now.
Just like fellow Kilq member X-Pac, Hall has had a constant battle with addiction and despite numerous stints at rehab facilities, it is only the incredible work of the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Diamond Dallas Page and his patented DDP Yoga that has helped bring Hall back into the world of the living.
Scott Hall is now clean and has been so for an extended period for the first time in decades and it is truly heartwarming to see him doing so well after having gone through such a troubled life. Well done, Mr Hall.
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