WWE legend lays his troubled past bare, says he recovered only after his wife threatened to leave

Several WWE veterans have had addiction and substance abuse issues in the past. One such star who managed to pull through and get his life back on track recently talked about his experiences candidly as a warning to aspiring athletes.

Kurt Angle is undeniably one of the greatest names in WWE history. Besides being a legend in the ring, he also found success in the Olympics. He has been raising money for USA athletes in an effort to support their training.

As a warning to young athletes, the WWE legend outlined his issues with addiction in a recent interview with WrestleZone.

“I know people that are going to go through the same thing as me, and I don’t want them to do that. That’s why I speak freely about it. Because I want them to know how dangerous it is. Once you get caught into [sic] it, it is almost impossible to get out of it, unless you get help. And you can’t do it yourself,” Angle said. “That’s what I try [sic] to do for years and it didn’t work. And finally, I broke in. My wife said, ‘Listen, you either go to rehab or I’m leaving.’"

Angle further disclosed that he had been clean for the past 14 years.

"And I didn’t want to lose my wife and kids so I went to rehab. And it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve been clean and sober for 14 years now.” [H/T: WrestleZone]

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The WWE legend recently explained why he is helping aspiring athletes

Kurt Angle has been working tirelessly to secure donations for young athletes. He feels the USA does not have a proper government program to support their survival.

The WWE legend explained how he had to work multiple jobs to support himself. He said young athletes currently work eight to ten hours a day, which significantly affects their training schedule.

“We don’t have that luxury here in the United States. Our athletes for the most part, they have to get jobs,” Angle added. “They have to train around their work schedule. And if they are working around eight to ten hours a day, they are only going to train, two, three, to four hours tops. And that’s not enough to be an Olympic athlete.” (H/T: WrestleZone)

Kurt Angle is currently not active in the pro wrestling scene, and it remains to be seen whether he will ever appear in WWE again.