Shannon Moore Says WWE Saved His Life

In an interview with The Tampa Bay Times, Shannon Moore spoke about being sober for six years and credited WWE with saving his life. He noted that at the time, he put guns and heroin into a truck with the intention of killing his ex-wife, then either killing himself or going to prison. Before he did, he called Road Dogg and WWE put him in Tampa rehab facility, covering all the expenses. Here are highlights from the interview:

On how a hiatus in 2012 led to his addiction issues: “That was the worst thing I ever did. I was just sitting at home. I had time. I had money. And what do you do? You just party. I think that’s the point where physical addiction really set in.”

On how addiction to heroin led to divorce: “The first thing an addict does is start blaming people. So, for me, there was a lot of resentment and blame, putting everything on my ex-wife. It was all my fault. I just wasn’t taking ownership.”

On working as a counselor at a rehab facility now: “I never had any interest in working in this industry. When I went in treatment, I’m like, ‘Man, this is pretty amazing. People are getting a second chance.’”

On working in counseling over wrestling: “There have been plenty of offers. But Riverside has an amazing team. I believe in what we are doing. I’ve got a taste of being in service. My whole thing now is just trying to do my part and hopefully use my platform and use my career to hopefully help somebody.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can get help by calling or texting the 24-hour 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.