Big Bill's struggles with alcohol have been well documented and played out in public as he's gone through some of his tougher times at wrestling events.
In December 2018, Big Bill suffered a seizure at House of Hardcore. In September 2019, he got into a backstage altercation with Joey Janela. Big Bill had gone to rehab or through treatment following the incidents, but ultimately relapsed.
In the winter of 2019 and into 2020, Big Bill says he was a missing person in New Jersey, but cops found him on a wellness check and took him to a detox facility. That's when he started fully turns things around.
"January 2020, I went to rehab for the final time," Bill said on Talk Is Jericho. "Shannon Moore, works with WWE recovery, he is a Godsend. That guy has saved so many lives. He deserves all the credit in the world. He was huge and instrumental with me. He got me back into rehab a few times. This time, I was watching the Super Bowl, the one where Pat Mahomes finally won his first, I was looking around like, 'These people are all fucking losers. I'm not like them. I'm leaving.' I left and went back to my room. I told Shannon, 'I'm leaving. This is not me.' Little did I know, I'm just like these people. He said to me, 'You owe me. I've done so much for you. You owe me one more week. One more week. If you want to leave next Sunday, you can leave, but you owe me at least one more week after all the shit I've gone through for you.' I agreed, and that week, something clicked.
"I completely surrendered, as they say. Just gave up and gave in. I was told, 'Just stop fighting people.' Not mentally fighting people, but what you're told to do, just do it. 'Go clean up this trash.' 'Why? What is the purpose?' Stop asking what purpose does it serve and just go do it. Something clicked that week and that's when everything started getting better. I finally gave in to the program, which I thought was stupid prior to that and I hated going to meetings. I finally realized these people are just like me. Everyone's stories are a little different, but the blueprint is exactly the same for everybody in here. Finally, I started listening to people, got a sponsor, did everything I was told, and I guess that was the beginning of my next journey, which was coming back to wrestling. Getting sober was the hardest thing I've done in my life, but it was the best thing I've done. It's like I have a new lease on life now. I'm not killing myself with alcohol, and I have a second chance."
Big Bill is now coming up on five years of sobriety and has found a home in AEW as one of the featured talents on television.
If you or someone you know are struggling with alcohol please visit NIAAA for recovery resources or call 1-888-4AL-ANON (25-2666).
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