Professional wrestlers have often been quoted as saying that in the good ol days they lived like rock stars or better yet, rock stars lived like wrestlers with lives of hard partying and debauchery that would end most normal men. Many of these guys lived hard and fast, while their scripted battles inside their ring mirrored their battles with the rigours of the demanding life of a wrestler outside of it. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s the shoot interview industry exploded, with retired or non-contracted wrestlers sitting down in front of a camera to answer questions, tell stories and air personal grievances and dirty laundry. Like any other form of media, the content ranged from outlandishly enthralling to excruciatingly dull and proved that being a charismatic performer within the settings of pro wrestling might not equate to having those same characteristics outside of it. In this article I'm going to take a look at some of the craziest tales from behind-the-scenes in the industry of sports entertainment, a world that can be so bizarre its sometimes difficult to believe. And please keep that last point in mind when reading this, because these are all merely stories recounted by those that either witnessed them or heard about them through the grapevine. All parties remain innocent until convicted in a court of law although in some of these stories they actually have been!
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
