Jon Moxley, an outlaw in every sense, sat down with his wife Renee Paquette to discuss his battle with alcoholism, rehab, and becoming a father amid a personal low point. I highly recommend a full-listen to the podcast, but here are some highlights.
This is Jon’s first time speaking publicly about his sobriety, going to rehab, being almost 8 months sober. I am so proud of him for doing this for our family and for himself. Give the whole episode a listen to get a better idea of what the last year has been like for @jonmoxley pic.twitter.com/YJJ5qcctju
— Renee Paquette (@ReneePaquette) June 23, 2022
What Stopped Moxley From Getting Sober
Besides the constant touring and the physical demands of being a hardcore wrestler, Moxley worried that quitting cold turkey could kill him because he was such a heavy drinker.
Moxley admits to being a near-constant drinker for the better part of 18 years, but old age and the birth of his daughter began to change his mind about drinking.
So, on Halloween, Mox got loaded and flew home to Las Vegas after wrestling in Iowa. At home and still drunk, Moxley handed out candy bars to trick-or-treaters while on the phone with rehab.
In an interview with ESPN, the former WWE and AEW champion said he “could feel the world closing in on me.”
That night, Moxley checked into a rehab facility in Las Vegas, where he stayed for months, drying out and working on a plan to get and remain sober.
Moxley Still Drinks (Fake) Beer
Before Moxley got sober, he was primarily a whiskey drinker. He tried to quit cold turkey, but it didn’t take.
“The best way I can describe it is crushing physical anxiety. It’s not like you have anything to be nervous about, but your hands are shaky and twitchy.”
Moxley eventually moved on to drinking beer, but the binge drinking continued. Moxley says he drank enough beer at his peak to “kill a horse.”
Like many addicts, the ritual is almost as important as the substance. Moxley now drinks near-beer Atheltic Brewing beer. Renee also noted that the way of having a drink in her hand was missing when she became pregnant.
Taking Its Toll
As Moxley got older, the drinking caught up with him. He describes having to wake up every morning in a fog and often coming to AEW tapings dizzy and disorientated.
Friends and his wife began to notice that Moxley was drinking earlier and earlier in the day. Fellow AEW Eddie Kingston began asking Moxley if he needed help. Throughout his time in rehab, Kingston would be there for Renee and check in regularly.
Paquette admits the drinking was hard on her as well.
“It’s hard to watch your partner going through something like that and trying to point out to them like, ‘Hey, it does not have to be like that — you don’t have to drink like that.'”
Jon Moxley’s Road to Recovery
Moxley left rehab in January, but the struggle to stay clean is ongoing. He still deals with mood swings and has problems sleeping. Drinking near-beer helps, as does the feeling of not waking up hung over.
“I don’t have to chug water or sit in a sauna or take a bunch of aspirin? I feel like I’ve got a cheat code. That’s still kind of like a novelty for me.”
Jon Moxley is back full-time at AEW and will wrestler New Japan icon Hiroshi Tanahashi at AEW’s Forbidden Door PPV this weekend.
You can watch the full interview here.
Share your thoughts on this story in the comment section below.
Next, Read This: Why Jon Moxley Used F-Bomb On Dynamite, WWE Superstar Re-Signs
More About:Ringside Intel Sports Wrestling