Kurt Angle was in the pro wrestling business for around 20 years before retiring in 2017. During that time—most of which was spent with WWE or TNA (now Impact Wrestling)—Angle captured 12 world titles and a slew of injuries: broken necks, busted knees, and concussions, to name a few.
Before that, he won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling in 1996. He’s also an actor, brand ambassador (Küribl Active), and business owner (Physically Fit).
I’ve always been a fan of his work, especially in the ring—the guy was incredibly strong and athletic. But his candor during our conversation about things like his opiate addiction, the reasons he did a 180-degree turn on the use of THC and CBD, struggling to find his place in life after retiring from WWE, and how depression was a nagging anchor that hindered the path to finding happiness were an eye-opener.
You can also take a look at some highlights from Kurt’s M&F Reps interview below:
Highlights from Kurt Angle on M&F Reps …
Becoming addicted to opiates and taking 65 Vicodin per day …
“The second time I broke my neck, in 2003, I was introduced to painkillers. Those things made me feel energetic. They masked the pain. I couldn’t feel a pain in my neck, any pain in my body. And the crazy thing is, you take one for a while and your body builds a tolerance. Then you have to take two and that leads to four, and before I knew it, within six months, I was taking 65 extra strength Vicodin a day. My life spiraled out of control. I was in deep trouble.”
Depression …
“I was depressed for a while, retired from amateur wrestling, from the Olympics, and then retiring from WWE. I felt like I didn’t have a place in life anymore. And I felt out of place. And don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my wife and kids. But from a career standpoint, I thought what could I do next?”
Finding happiness after retirement …
“Unfortunately, the pandemic occurred right after I retired. … And the whole world stood still for a long period of time. And I’m just coming out of it right now. I had a lot of depression, and it set me back for a little bit. But I realized now that there are other things in life that I can enjoy … things I never did before because my whole entire life it was always about Kurt Angle. … And it’s just really sad that you get to that point, you realize that you are a selfish son of a gun.”
Refusing to quit …
“I’m so proud of the accomplishments I’ve made in my life—winning the Olympic gold medal, winning 12 world titles, doing the movies I did, everything like that. But what I’m most proud of are the ruts that I pulled myself out of. It made me feel like I was a fighter, not a quitter.”
