10 Mind-Blowing Real-Life Wrestling Reinventions
6. Kurt Angle
The Olympic Gold Medallist had a complex relationship with drugs and alcohol that peppered his illustrious career with a series of unfortunate events.
Acrimoniously parting from WWE in 2006 due to alleged concerns for his health, Angle quickly signed for TNA and his problems continued to mount.
Multiple arrests would follow over a seven year period, with Kurt caught several times driving under the influence as well as facing drug possession charges and a (dropped) Protection From Abuse order filed by ex-girlfriend and fellow TNA talent Trenesha 'Rhaka Khan' Biggers.
With his body continuing to deteriorate thanks to an unrelenting in-ring style, Angle faced his (to date) final charge in 2013, when another vehicular arrest lead him to enter a new rehabilitation programme.
Overcoming his addictions may have been his biggest victory. Setting up his 'AngleStrong' app, Kurt has used his experiences to help those in similar peril, and celebrated several years free of his demons with a 2017 Hall of Fame induction and full time return to screens as the Monday Night Raw General Manager.
He has taken every opportunity to share stories of his struggles and looks, talks and acts like a completely different man that gamely fought through personal problems for the majority of his TNA tenure.