Kurt Angle Opens Up About Addiction

Kurt Angle said he was taking 65 extra strength Vicodin pills each day to manage his addiction to painkillers.

Kurt Angle is one of most beloved and respected superstars in professional wrestling. He is one of the few men who has actual Olympic-style wrestling credibility on his resume and even has the gold medals to prove it.

During a recent interview with The Dan Le Batard Show on ESPN, Angle was more than candid about his past use of prescription medication, telling the host that he was taking a daily dose of 65 Vicodin, spending $12-15 per pill. For those as bad at math as I am, that amounts to between $780-975 per day to maintain his habit.

"“I was on a lot – there was no way I couldn’t get out of it. The only thing I could do was eventually go to rehab and try to fix my life again. But I actually beat it on my own. I stayed in my house for about 10 days and didn’t leave, and I was able to get through the withdrawal.”"

Unfortunately, the cold turkey approach didn’t stick, but Angle credits both TNA and WWE for helping him to eventually overcome his addiction. According to Angle, TNA allowed him to take the time off necessary to take part in a WWE-funded rehabilitation program. He credits these opportunities with his success at being clean and sober for 3 years.

His problems with addiction began before his time in WWE when he fractured two of his cervical vertebrae at the national trials before competing at the Olympic Games in 1996. He required Novocaine injections in his neck to compete in Atlanta and would undergo neck surgery in 2003 after 5 years with the WWE. He left the company in 2006 because they wanted him to work full-time but his habit was already in full swing. He joined TNA that same year and his problems came with him.

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In addition to his pain management, Angle admitted that he was also abusing Xanex to deal with stress and mixing these pills with alcohol. He described the low point in his life as not just the DUIs he received but all of the times when he didn’t get caught because something much worse could have happened.

"“The thing is, everybody drank down there [in TNA], so I started drinking with my meds. And then I started manipulating my meds. I would save all of them until the evening, and drink it with alcohol. And it got me in a lot of trouble – four DUIs in five years.”"

Despite these shocking revelations, it is actually refreshing to see such a high profile star speak so openly about an issue that plagues so many wrestlers. While the WWE subjects its employees to random drug tests throughout the year, these health issues can linger for years after they have left the business. Angle parted ways with TNA in January and has been wrestling limited shows on the independent circuit to keep himself in shape, perhaps for another run in the WWE.

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Kurt Angle remains a fan favorite to this day for his versatility, technical proficiency and showmanship. I have little doubt that he would be welcomed back by the WWE Universe with open arms.