Anthony Ogogo Reveals He Came Close To Suicide In 2019

In an interview with The Independent, AEW wrestler Anthony Ogogo revealed that he was close to committing suicide back in 2019 after his career-ending eye injury. He suffered a fractured eye socket in a boxing match and was left legally blind as a result. Here are highlights:

On 2019 as his low point, considering suicide: “I’d like to think I was half-articulate but I can’t start to articulate the feelings that I felt. I retired on March, 11 2019, I remember it like the back of my hand, my last fight was basically three years before – October 2016 – and there was no conceivable way that I was thinking I’ve walked to the ring as a 27-year-old, as a baby, entering my prime, for the last time. I spent £100,000 on surgeries in America, that was everything I earned in boxing, and much more beside. I sold my car, remortgaged my house to pay for surgery that didn’t work. Then I had an injection in my eye, it was a Botox injection to weaken the muscle to try to bring the eye to a better position – it missed the intended muscle and permanently paralysed the nerve in my left eye. If my wife wasn’t home that day, I probably would have ended my life that night because I was beyond the brink I gave my life to boxing and I had nothing to show for it other than bad vision; no money, no belts and no titles. I lost my career, I lost my passion, lost my livelihood and I’ve had to sit and watch people who have half of my ability grow and become world champions and multimillionaires. No exaggeration. I was generally suicidal and there’s one night in my life, it was December 2019, if my wife wasn’t home that day, I probably would have ended my life that night because I was beyond the brink but thankfully my wife and I were able to address my life. She literally saved my life – that was my ground zero and I’ve built up from that.”

On what turned his thinking around: “My best friend, during the Covid lockdown, he died from bladder cancer. He had a really horrible nine-month battle with this cancer and it took him, 30 years old with a beautiful kid, a lovely young man. So funny, so vibrant. It took that to happen for me to go ‘f***ing hell, yes I’ve a little bit of bad luck but I’m still alive’. I could still do things I want to do. There are things I want to enjoy and, as cheesy as it sounds, it gave a second lease on life.”

On hoping to add legitimacy to wrestling: “If people see this guy who won a medal in boxing at London 2012 they think ‘there’s got to be something to it’. It’s the lack of respect that we get from the outside world that is the frustrating bit because it’s a really, really, really, hard sport but I think I do add some legitimacy to it. When tough guys like me say it hurts to take a bump, people realise wrestling is a serious industry.”

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or others, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US (800-273-8255) or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the UK (0800 689 5652).