Darren McCarty may not have come up in the wrestling business, but he knows plenty about the trials and tribulations of life and being an entertainer.
McCarty has experienced the ultimate high in hockey as a four-time Stanley Cup champion and he's been involved in plenty of heart-breaking losses. He's been in battles on the ice, played banged up, and lived the life of a rockstar as one of the most charismatic hockey players of his era.
In the wrestling world, McCarty has done multiple spots with IMPACT Wrestling, including being the special enforcer at IMPACT Slammiversary. He's also competed at ICW No Holds Barred.
Speaking to Jeremy Lambert and Joel Pearl on In The Weeds, McCarty was asked if he's given any advice to wrestlers about dealing with the highs and lows of sports and life.
"I'm very fortunate that I have great relationships with a lot of the different wrestlers, so it depends on who they are. I'm an open book. I wrote a book in 2012. I've been through bankruptcies, divorces, gambling, alcohol, everything like that. My sobriety date is 11-11-15, and by the grace of God, and by finally being able to love myself. It's all about self-awareness. I'm willing for a conversation. The one thing I know, DMac is the wrestler. I've been playing a wrestler my whole life. I've been playing a character that I've known who DMac was since I was six years old. It took me to be 46 until I realized who Darren McCarty was. Even though I'm not a wrestler, I've lived a character. DMac the hockey player that you [Jeremy] as an Avalanche fan hated. When the puck dropped, there is a certain level of wrestler that comes out of DMac. Today, I'm Darren McCarty. In the ring, I have to pull out DMac again, but I'm prepared for that. I'm here for anybody that has questions about life and wants to be better, didn't know they had options, and just looks for my perspective. I'm very grateful because I get some great perspectives from people who have lived the wrestling life. It's all about surrounding yourself with good people. At the end of the day, you're either an asshole or you're not," he said.
McCarty got involved in the action at IMPACT Slammiversary, helping Scott D'Amore chokeslam Bully Ray through a table.
Elsewhere during the interview, McCarty discussed his rivalry with Bully Ray. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
Fans can find results for IMPACT Slammiversary by clicking here. Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of all the action by clicking here.
Watch the full interview with McCarty in the video above.
