While it might not be the case today, at one time, wrestlers' lives were not unlike that of rock stars. They would compete hard, and in doing so would bask in the joy that came with success.
Wrestling has seen its’ fair share of performers who have engaged in substance abuse to the point that it has completely destroyed their lives, ended their careers and in some unfortunate cases, even their lives.
With time and education, wrestlers today are so committed to their craft that they wouldn't risk their careers by engaging in substance abuse. What fans today may not be aware of, though, is that for every case of a wrestler suffering from substance abuse, there are wrestlers that have come out the other side as better people.
In several cases, to overcome these personal demons has taken the support of people standing by them to ensure that they reach their goal. At times it even seemed likely that we would witness the death of these wrestlers who had otherwise been heroes to fans around the world.
Here are five wrestlers that turned their lives around after overcoming the personal demons of substance abuse.
#5 Del Wilkes
While the name may not initially ring a bell with fans, many will recall a man that wore a mask and stood up for his country. As The Patriot, Wilkes earned a name for himself as part of the tandem of Stars and Stripes in WCW alongside Marcus ‘Buff' Bagwell.
He left WCW and joined WWE, and while there he once again emerged as The Patriot, at a time when the company needed patriotic faces that would feud against the ‘evil Canadian' Bret ‘Hitman' Hart.
He always put on competitive matches, but it was also during his career that Wilkes endured a great deal of pain.
When he left the WWE in 1997, Wilkes did so because of a number of injuries that had plagued him after fighting a rather intense style in Japan. He has since shared his experiences on how after retiring, his life was spiralling out of control with an addiction to cocaine and other performance-enhancing medications.
It was reported that he was imprisoned for a number of months for forging a painkiller prescription. Wilkes has now been clean for almost ten years. Today, he wants the younger generation to learn from his mistakes and educate themselves in order to avoid their life being cut short.
#4 Jake ‘The Snake' Roberts
One of the most notable wrestlers of his generation was the menacing and dark Jake ‘The Snake' Roberts. His eerie promos and sinister nature were enough to make any child shudder in fear and any adult sit on the edge of their seat.
When Roberts was in WWE he could be counted on for four things; meaningful promos, meaningful matches, his snake Damien, and the DDT. After leaving WWE, Roberts spent a short time competing in WCW, but while it was brief it was meaningful as he feuded with Sting.
However, Jake had several very dark days both during his career and after it came to an end. He has often said that the only person he didn't cheat on was the ring. His countless struggles with drugs and alcohol have been well documented.
It could be easily said that Roberts' life, let alone wrestling career, was all but over. Then, just when it seemed its darkest, Diamond Dallas Page re-emerged in his life and helped him get his life back.
He didn't simply provide Roberts with the confidence needed to get his life in order but provided him with a new lease on life through the power of yoga.
#3 Scott Hall
During his time in the ring, fans said ‘Hello to the bad guy'. Scott Hall first began to earn a name for himself during his time in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association.
With short curly hair and handlebar moustache, Hall didn't appear much different from anyone else at that time other than being a bigger man amongst smaller wrestlers. When he went to WCW the first time, Hall became The Diamond Stud under the tutelage of Diamond Dallas Page.
After leaving, he emerged in WWE as Razor Ramon. He retained elements of the Diamond Stud, but had a much edgier look and feel to him.
As Razor Ramon, Hall captured the Intercontinental championship and was part of several meaningful feuds against the likes of Shawn Michaels, The 1-2-3 Kid and Goldust. However, in need of greater financial assurances for his family and himself, Hall left to return to WCW to earn money from a guaranteed contract.
Unfortunately, money couldn't necessarily buy happiness, and Hall's partying ways got the better of him. His long-time abuse of alcohol often put him in a difficult predicament professionally.
With the help of Diamond Dallas Page and his DDPYoga, Hall was able to once again get his life back on track.
#2 Jeff Hardy
He is known in TNA as ‘The Charismatic Enigma.' He is a multiple time tag team, Intercontinental and World champion, and on the surface, all has appeared well. He was always seen as the member of the Hardys that seemed best suited to succeed on his own.
Indeed, he showed that he was capable of having high calibre matches on his own as well. He left WWE in 2003 citing being burnt out as the reason for his departure.
However, his documented drug abuse and his history of refusing rehabilitation were the real reasons for his departure.
After a three-year absence from WWE, Hardy returned and reunited with his brother Matt. Since then, he has been arrested and jailed for trafficking controlled prescription pills and steroids.
It now appears that Jeff has gotten over his personal demons, and in doing so is thinking of more than just himself. As a husband and a father of two, Hardy is putting family first.
Above anything else, Hardy has continued to have success not just in TNA, but more importantly, in life.
#1 Shawn Michaels
Some fans thought he was cool and others thought he was sexy, but throughout the career of Shawn Michaels, no one could deny that he was the showstopper.
He initially rose to prominence when he was one-half of the tag team The Midnight Rockers, later known simply as The Rockers, alongside Marty Jannetty. The duo was eventually split up, and Michaels went on to achieve success on his own.
As the ‘Heartbreak Kid', Michaels claimed to be the best, and did everything he could in the ring to prove that he was. He faced some of the biggest and best wrestlers in the world including Triple H, Bret Hart, Steve Austin and The Undertaker during his career.
There has recently been some discussion that he may consider returning to the ring for one more match. Could it happen? Should it happen? That is a discussion for another day. What isn't discussed too often, however, is that despite Michaels' success, he suffered a great deal from drug addiction.
The use of drugs and alcohol caused his behaviour to be erratic, and his life continued to spiral further and further out of control. Michaels became a born again Christian and not only embraced religion but also surrounded himself by the love of his wife and children.
A reborn man now, Shawn Michaels has conquered all his demons. We wish him all the best for his future!
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