Jon Moxley Reveals All About Drug Use In Professional Wrestling

During an interview on the Dan Le Batard Show, AEW’s Jon Moxley spoke out about drug use in professional wrestling. While it’s a big taboo subject, Moxley was not afraid to cover all bases.

Numerous professional wrestlers struggled with substance abuse in the past. Now, Moxley speaks out about the controversy.

The Impact Of Drug Use On Older Generations

Moxley stated that the older generations suffered the most because of their drug use. And Moxley is not wrong, as there are countless wrestlers who have a history of addiction.

Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, and countless other wrestlers have been honest about their struggles with illegal substances. There are undoubtedly many others with a similar story.

However, Moxley did bring a message of hope during his interview. He claims that pro wrestling has now evolved past the misuse of illegal substances.

Moxley also stated that pro wrestling history with illegal substances is understandable, considering the harsh sport it is.

“A lot of athletes, football players and people from other sports, think ‘I can just walk right in there and do that. It’s not a real competition. Anybody can do that right?’ That’s not the case at all. It’s one of the hardest things to master on the intellectual side and the physical side.”

The Problems With Pain Medication

Pain medication has been a serious issue for numerous wrestlers. In fact, even legends such as Kurt Angle admitted to have struggled with a pain medication addiction. 

Drug use in professional wrestling is not just limited to pain medication though. Steroid abuse is also a serious problem.

Some of the nicest wrestlers fell victim to steroid abuse in the past, including Rey Mysterio. In 2007, the WWE legend struggled with illegal drug use.

Mysterio was suspended twice from the WWE for violating the company’s wellness program. A Sports Illustrated article later accused him of using two steroid medications in the form of Nandrolone and Stanozolol. 

Drug Use In Professional Wrestling

It is no secret that drug use is prevalent in the wrestling industry. WWE has been plagued by such rumors for ages, and some admitted their addiction openly.

At one point, Vince McMahon stood accused of distributing performance enhancing drugs among his athletes. While nothing was ever proven, that stain remains on WWE wrestling.

As AEW is a new promotion, the brand is not plagued by stories of drug use. For now, the company maintains a steady and healthy course in the world of professional wrestling.

The older generations provide the ultimate lesson. Illegal substances can ruin your life.

One in particular comes to mind in the form of Chris Benoit. For him, a combination of concussions and illegal drug use caused him to kill himself and his family.

There are lessons to be learned for the future, especially for new wrestlers. Hopefully, wrestlers will put their own body and their health before maximum performance. 

Wrestlers gain nothing by taking illegal substances to enhance performance. Moxley certainly made the right decision to make that clear.