Pro wrestlers are far from exempt when it comes to dealing with the kind of pressure that accompanies the idea of being a celebrity. Being "famous" carries a lot of fantastic possibilities, but for a lot of people, it can all be a little too much! Incredibly, there are celebrities who are pretty uncomfortable in the limelight, whether that be because of insecurity about their future, the way they look, or just a general lack of confidence behind their public persona. Away from the cameras, a lot of wrestlers are very different people, but it's an interesting idea that a lot of them eventually find it difficult to differentiate between real life and fantasy, pretty much becoming their characters. It's possible that these people start to get addicted to the fame, and can't "turn off" their fictional personalities, even when the camera light isn't on. The industry is ripe for drug and alcohol addiction too, something which must be recognised as one of the major reasons why many wrestlers have served to pretty much ruin their careers. This article takes into account ego, losing touch with reality, substance abuse and other factors, to draw up a list of wrestling performers who spoiled their legacy and career.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
