13 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Zach Gowen
1. There’s A Happy Ending!
WWE saved Gowen’s life by implementing the Wellness Policy.
They sent him to rehab years after he’d been on the roster, and that's something Gowen just didn't think would ever happen. After opening up to Coleena, his mother showed him the letter they'd sent about Wellness after hearing her son admit that he had a serious problem. Within minutes, Zach was booked in for rehab and WWE sorted out flight details for the family.
After cleaning up his act, Gowen went on to become a public speaker to try and help other people with his story, and he loves being a father. He’s proud of the fact that he’s present for his family every single day, and that he got to live the moment in front of them by wrestling Ricochet for AEW in 2025. It's genuinely lovely to see a ‘Dark Side’ episode with such a happy ending.
You don't get many of those. Again, this could be why VICE handpicked Zach's tale to close out the seventh season of the show. It was a much cheerier ending than The Renegade or Paul Orndorff would've been, put it that way. Gowen is still alive, he's loving life, and he's reclaimed inner peace. Good on the guy.
What else did you learn from VICE's 'Dark Side Of The Ring' episode on Zach Gowen? For more wrestling, check out 12 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Saving Paul Orndorff and 11 Things You Didn't Know About WWE's Tatum Paxley!