Big Bill looks back on his journey to sobriety and how professional wrestling has helped.
Between 2019 and 2021, Bill was inactive in the world of professional wrestling as he fought the grip of alcohol addiction. In March of 2021, he would return to the ring with a newfound motivation, signing with All Elite Wrestling in August of 2022.
Now, Bill is AEW World Tag Team Champion and successfully defended the titles alongside his partner Ricky Starks at AEW Full Gear on Saturday evening.
At the post AEW Full Gear media scrum, Bill discussed his journey to sobriety and how professional wrestling influenced it.
"In 2018, 2019, I was at the lowest point of my life. My addiction was in full force. I didn’t leave my apartment, I was drinking all day, from sun up to sun down, and I never thought I would be back in professional wrestling. I thought that I would just keeping existing a miserable existence like I was staring out my apartment window every day, as I just drank myself to death. I guess, the lightbulb went off, and I think wrestling was a big part of how I got sober. My first love in life has always been professional wrestling. From the times I was going to shows at Madison Square Garden as a young kid. There came a moment where I actually believed, if I got back on track, I could make it back to the world of professional wrestling and make it to the top of the world of professional wrestling. I really believed that in my heart. I know a lot of people say things like, ‘I believe I’m going to be the man and the world champion,’ but you can tell when you look in their eyes, they don’t actually believe it. I really believed it. I thought, if I could get back on track, I’m going to make it back to the top of professional wrestling. Now, I’m AEW World Tag Team Champion, sitting at this table as one of the top guys in AEW and I would say that’s the top of the wrestling world. I did exactly what I said I would do."
In a recent clip that Bill filmed for AEW Together, Bill discussed in further detail how he got sober and how The Herren Project helps save lives. You can read more here.
If you wish to donate to The Herren Project, you can do so here.
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