The Dark Reality: Wrestlers Who Lost All Their Money

Let's get your boy Ross back at it again with another video. So, I'm going to check out WWE wrestlers who unfortunately went broke. There are times where wrestlers making some good money. They may be at the top of the card, one of the main event attractions, and they're bringing in the bag, and maybe an injury happens. Maybe they end up getting released, whatever the case may be, and they're not making as much money as they once was. And it happens not only in the professional wrestling business, it happens in a lot of entertainment business. When you're at the top, you're making some good bread, but if something happens, and you're not at the top anymore, you're not one of the sought-out sought-after stars, you may end up not making as much money, and you may end up trying to keep up with that lifestyle, and it's hard to do that, especially when the income's not coming in. But we're going to check this out. Appreciate all the love and support you guys shown on the channel. I forgot to switch the screen over, so you guys have been staring at me in the nebula, but let me switch the screen over. Let's get right into this video. >> [laughter] >> The wrestling business, while fruitful, can be quite costly on the human condition, depending on what decisions the wrestler makes. >> But I went broke in those three years. I went broke. My house got foreclosed on. I lost everything. I was in debt again. I was broke again. I was selling things here and there. >> Talent who make their fortune back in the day can lose it all in a relatively short time. >> I mean, I went from, you know, having two houses within probably 12 10 months, and I had lost all of it. >> Perhaps due to a divorce, addiction, or simply fading away from the spotlight, never to return. >> Dog, forgot [music] one thing. You can't do what the white man do and keep your job. >> there is light at the end of the tunnel, while for others, it's a tragic end amidst personal and financial downfall. >> took the gun, pointed at himself, and said, "Do you want me to die? I'll shoot myself." And in anger, she goes, "Yeah, shoot yourself." >> And he brought the gun to his head, and it went off. >> video, we're highlighting those who were earning hundreds of thousands per year to then struggling to make ends meet. >> I can tell you that it absolutely ruined my life and I I went from having everything to having nothing. >> Today we're looking at wrestlers who went broke and lost all their money. Dave Bautista is not someone you would have thought ever went broke following his wrestling career. However, the six-time world champion has been very open in how he lost it all shortly after quitting WWE [music] in 2010. To set the scene, Dave was in debt when he started wrestling and wasn't in the clear until winning his first world title in 2005. The animal has said '05 was his first true money-making year. He discussed these struggles on the Live Feeds podcast. >> When I was wrestling, they pretty much provided you with airfare. >> That was it? >> That was it, man. Like you're paying >> They didn't cover your stay? They didn't cover your food? Nothing? It was >> No. No. No. Not food. Not cars. Not hotels. Like none of that. You know, so like my first few years of wrestling were I was broke, man. I was [music] until 2005 when I became world champion and started to make some money. I was still borrowing money from people. You know, I was living in a tiny I was living in a tiny apartment when I was world champion. Cuz I just became world champion and hadn't started >> That is crazy to think about Bautista was living, you know, in a small apartment. And this is Bautista that was around Evolution and you know, they had the persona of living a nice and lavish lifestyle and then he became world champion. And to know that entire time, for the most part, he was living in an apartment, which there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with that at all. It's just It's crazy to know that him being at that top of the card around that time was still trying to, you know, make ends meet and figure it out. >> start making money yet. And so I was still like borrowing money. I used to go to like those check-cashing places and get like a $300 loan. >> Yep. [laughter] >> And then you come back and then come back next week cash it back. Come back, pay it and borrow another 300. Like do that week after week. and I was like that around 2005 is when I you know, didn't have to do that anymore. And I started to make money, but until then I was I was crying. >> Batista spent lavishly over the next few years establishing a large car collection. He also went through a divorce in 2006. Shortly after this, Dave wanted to pursue other ventures including acting. The problem was WWE wouldn't let him, instead giving such opportunities to John Cena. Cena and Batista were the top stars of Raw and SmackDown respectively during this period, but John was always seen as the tippy top guy compared to Dave. [clears throat] >> Company had taken this really PG turn and there was nothing [ __ ] PG about me. Like nothing. Not the way I wrestled, not the way I looked, not my background, not my upbringing, nothing. >> Yeah. >> You know, John Cena and that way couldn't be any more opposite. And so I was like you know, if I can't have these opportunities here and I understand why I can't, well I should be able to go and have them outside of the company. And they said absolutely not. >> [music] >> They said no, yeah, I mean we need you here. We need you doing this. You're intellectual property. You cannot work outside of the company unless it's approved by us. >> Mhm. >> And I said, oh, [music] well then I'm going to let my contract run out and I'm going to leave. And they said, no, you're not. Watch me. >> That's not That's not really how this works. >> That's why That's why I left and that's why I didn't go back until I got when I landed Guardians of the Galaxy. >> After quitting wrestling in 2010, Batista >> When you really think about it, when you really think about it, that makes sense. That definitely makes sense, especially since he was never really the guy they wanted to supersede Cena. Like he Cena was there, Batista was there, but you knew there was there was levels to it and John Cena would get the more opportunities to kind of venture if he wanted to and Batista was wasn't going to get that. Because they viewed him as a star, just not the star. And then once they went PG and Batista was like, ah, this doesn't fit me. Once again, it's like, well, hey, John's doing it, so why can't you? And then I'm willing to bet once he was like, I'm a I'm I'm going to leave once my contract end, they like, no, you're not. All right. And then he finally did, I'm willing to bet they didn't think he was going to succeed. I don't think WWE actually thought he would be one of the bigger movie stars. And he ended up being one of the bigger movie stars that are now, you know, that has some pretty good solid acting chops, you know, so and ended up being one of the bigger Marvel franchises. Like, I don't think they ever anticipated that happening because for them, WWE feels like, nah, you need us more than we need you. And then sometimes, certain situations, that can kind of be wrong. Sometimes it's you they need the talent more than they want to admit. So, it was it was dope for him to take a leap of faith, but I know it was definitely probably tough financially, too. >> He struggled to find [music] movie roles. He would have seen himself as a failure if he went back to WWE. >> But I went broke in those three years. I went broke. My house got foreclosed on. I I lost everything. >> Yeah. >> You know, I was in debt again. I was >> What were you doing for work in between? Just trying to get jobs as an actor? >> trying I worked a few times as an actor, but they weren't I mean, I didn't get paid much. I think he did a like a couple films that paid me like 50 grand each, you know, but when you go [music] from making millions in wrestling to making 50 grand a year. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> When you got all the same bills and you got people to support cuz I think a lot that's a lot of people lose sight of that. It's like, you know, supporting family, as well. >> Yeah. >> And so, I got, >> [music] >> you know, a house that I owned or that was back when our the real estate market crashed. You know, and it's god damn balloon mortgage >> Yeah. >> that went from 2,500 a month to like 7 grand a month. >> Yeah. >> And so, yeah, my house got foreclosed on. I just lost everything. I was broke again. I was selling things here and there. >> But finally in 2013, he landed a part in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. And from there, his career in Hollywood excelled to where Batista is now considered the greatest wrestler turned actor. In the summer of 1995, >> I'm not going to lie to you. He's pretty good. >> [laughter] >> He He from the ranges of movies that he's done, he's pretty good. And I ain't going to lie to you. Also, I got to put this out there. I think he's better than The Rock. I think The Rock has his certain roles that work for him, but they're more or less the same. Even when he tries to get in some of those serious bags, it doesn't really work. At least with Batista, he from what I've seen in his catalog of films, he has different ranges that work better for him. So, I In my personal thing, I think Batista may be one of the better ones. John Cena is solid, too. I think seeing him in more different roles could definitely help, but I think Batista may be one of the if not the best wrestler turned actor we've had in quite some time. Cuz I think he does really good in his roles, and he has different great ranges, too. So. >> The Renegade Rick Wilson was thrust [music] into the spotlight in WCW as a rip-off of The Ultimate Warrior. The Renegade was an ally of Hulk Hogan, with many believing this Warrior copycat gimmick was a way of enticing the real Warrior into WCW also Hogan could get his win back on the Warrior from WrestleMania VI. But once it became clear Warrior wasn't coming in, The Renegade became obsolete. He'd gotten a push out of the gate, winning the Television Title, but his poor ring work and lack of personality when he couldn't hold a position. As such, he fell down the card after September 1996, but stuck around until the end of '98, where he was used exclusively as an enhancement talent. >> I think he was thrown to the wolves. And you know what? I shouldn't even blame that on Rick, because even if Rick would have done the best job possible with that Renegade character, I don't think the audience would have ever bought into it. >> Wilson averaged around two matches per month, making $500 per appearance. Rick was released at the end of 1998 after testing positive for steroids. this was the company's way of getting rid of him, since others higher on the card below refused to be tested. Wilson was strapped for cash, having been on so little at WCW, [music] he worked with horses and as a bouncer thereafter, since he couldn't get booked for wrestling. >> Unable to escape the fallout, Wilson descends into self-destruction. >> He was in a lot of financial [music] debt. And he didn't know how to talk about how he was feeling, so he just internalized it. >> I think self-esteem played a huge factor in this and the obsession with becoming a star. But far more will fail trying to become pro wrestlers and some of these performers, they are not equipped to be able to handle that realization. >> Rick spiraled into depression and tragically took his own life aged 33 following a domestic incident with his girlfriend in February '99. >> And and it's funny after that I talked to I can't and I can't remember the girlfriend's name to save my life. But uh I talked to her one night and uh I was at a club she was working at. She told me that she did pull the gun on him cuz he was beating her up and he took the gun and uh pointed it at himself and said to her, "Do you want me to die? I'll shoot myself." And in anger, she goes, "Yeah, shoot yourself." And he brought the gun to his head and it went off. >> Perry Saturn was on television every week during the Monday Night Wars. His highest earning year was in 2000 and saw him net a downside guarantee in the region of $250,000. He stopped wrestling in 2003 due to injuries. Then by '07, he was illegally homeless living in a crack house. For years, Saturn's whereabouts were unknown as he was hooked on substances, waking up with tattoos on his face he didn't remember getting. Perry discussed his struggles while speaking into Kayfabe Commentaries. >> I got shot and I was all screwed up and my wife had overdosed and then I started dating this chick and she introduced me to meth and that was it. >> Perry was a functioning addict for a large portion of his career. In WCW, he went on wild benders with Raven. In WWF, Dean Malenko helped keep Saturn in check on the road, but then when Malenko retired from the ring, Perry began to spiral, but was able to hide his issues from the office because he wasn't being tested for substances. >> I was a WWE superstar for whatever that means. One day and the next day I'm eating out of trash cans trying to figure out how I'm going to steal money so I can get high. I got myself into it. I don't think anybody can help you out of that. You know, cuz I had a tons of friends [music] who would have helped me, but I was until I was ready to make a change, no one else could help me. >> However, constantly being high meant he couldn't forge the relationships required backstage to get a push or gain a foothold in his career. >> Probably the [music] last 10 years of my career that I was a severe drug addict. Amazing that I made it was able to make the work as much as I did. And first time my life's my adult life anyways, I've been clean, you know. So dealing with all that caused a lot of drugs, took everything from me. It took me a long time to get it together. >> Then after being released, Saturn did a bit for TNA before retiring and eventually getting strung out on hard substances. I can tell you that it absolutely ruined my life and I I went from having everything to having nothing and to this day barely getting by. You know, I barely survive now. Still a lot of times I get my food at the Salvation Army because I just don't have any money. I have nothing. At one point he was ready to end it all, but kept going for the sake of his dog who he didn't want to leave all alone. Perry resurfaced in the 2010s. He'd gotten clean and began to do more appearances in the wrestling space. Saturn even returned to the ring at one point, but mounting injuries meant he required a double hip replacement. Though it took a long time to finally get the surgery. Perry has documented his journey back to health on his YouTube channel as he seeks to walk properly again and get back in the gym. >> I worked a factory job after wrestling and that's a real blow to your ego having to come back and do a normal job which maybe people are not going to understand, you know, but uh everybody you meet at this new job, they don't want to talk to you about you or they want to talk about wrestling and or why are you doing this job when you used to wrestle cuz they think we're all billionaires, you know. >> Another ex-wrestler who documents themselves [music] on YouTube today is Maven Huffman. At the peak of his career, Maven headlined the Survivor Series during a year in which he made $430,000 once all royalties and bonuses were factored in. [music] Believing the big checks he never saw coming, Huffman spent freely. He continued to make a good living after wrestling as a host on the Home Shopping Network. >> I knew I wasn't going to be able to make a lifestyle or career out of wrestling in the Indies. [music] It just wasn't going to happen. So, I had to find out what's next for me. >> One thing from his in-ring career that followed him was an addiction to pain medication. Maven was consuming up to 50 pills a day and obtaining numerous scripts from different doctors. This ultimately led to his arrest for doctor shopping in 2012. Huffman lost his position at HSN and with the majority of his money being spent on legal fees and reducing his criminal charge, Maven had to start over at 35. [music] >> I mean, I went from, you know, having two houses, house in Virginia, house in Florida on the water, you know, and I mean, within probably 12 10 months, I had lost all of it. >> He moved up >> And when you really think about it, man, those those pain meds, they're addictive. To the point where even when you're done wrestling, you know, you're addicted to the feeling. Like, they're going out there popping the pills and then going out there wrestling 10-15 minute match to avoid the pain that they're dealing with because if you get if you got to go to the doctor or go get some surgery done, you're going to be out for a while. And especially if you're not like one of the top stars, you're not trying to miss any TV time cuz you're trying to make as much money as possible, be seen as possible, push as much merch as possible. And if you, once again, not one of them top guys, that's [snorts] like a you you're just saying, "Hey, I I'm I'm be missing out on a lot of money." So, instead, you just take painkillers, get addicted to them, and now you go out there, do what you need to do, you're feeling good. But now you want to keep that feeling going. So, it it's a it's a thing that's been going on in professional wrestling for a very long time and is really unfortunate because people tend to lose their livelihoods and and the things that they care about because of their addiction. >> with his partner and the parents were working security at a bar in New York. Hoffman would be ashamed when people recognized him from wrestling [music] given how far he'd fallen. Maven has said that he hated looking in the mirror during this time period because he didn't like the person he'd become. >> I had everything that I owned in this world loaded up in the back of my truck and I moved up to New York. >> Maven eventually got a job working an entry-level position on Wall Street. As he began to rebuild his life then after starting up a YouTube channel in 2023, Maven quickly became a viral star amassing a huge following which continues to grow strongly to this day. Hoffman was now more famous and popular than he'd ever been as an active wrestler. This was the final step in his redemption arc. [music] >> What took everything away from me probably ended up saving my life in the long run and although I know the damage has been done to my body and that's something I can't undo. >> Just Incredible was someone Maven gave a platform to [music] on his YouTube channel. Incredible was given a chance to respond to the litany of claims against him. He had a history of scamming fans out of money by not shipping merchandise they'd paid for. These people would be left empty-handed while Incredible pocketed the cash. In the video, Justin only buried himself further by trying to justify his scams while also making it clear how [music] much of a dire financial situation he was in. >> With the merchandise stuff, I would sell the stuff very cheap and for example $40 and then by the time you get $40 on Cash App it ends up being $37 or whatever. And then, you know, I get the stuff ready and then, you know, by the time I buy food, I don't have the money to send it. >> Following this, Justin continued to seek monetary aid from fans and friends with many believing he was using any money he got to buy substances. This now circle back to how Incredible got to this point by examining his track record. Like when he was released from WWE in 2003 for smoking meth in a hotel room with Jeff Hardy. Justin told the story in an interview provided by Kim Credible. >> extreme. >> And uh there was a charter flight, private flight, you know, just the WWE guys with Stephanie and Hunter on it. And we held up the whole plane. We didn't even, you know, our manager is calling us on the phone. "Where the [ __ ] are you guys? You're late. You know, you're holding up Stephanie and everybody. You know, we're we're waiting to get on here." "Oh, we're right around the corner. We'll be there in 5 minutes." We're supposed to be in a hotel room with the [ __ ] button. Get on the next day, JR pulls us aside and suspends us both. And eventually, after that, we both get our release. And I wanted to You know, it's just a downward spiral. >> Well, he and Jeff absolutely. I think it was Laredo, Texas, somewhere in Texas. We were waiting for them on in the plane. And it took them a good 30 to 45 minutes. People were calling Jeff's cell phone. >> Credible was released from WWE again in '06 for no-showing events. >> After a while, after doing continuous jobs to people like Kevin Thorn and other [ __ ] jabronis like Mike Knox and pieces of [ __ ] that don't deserve to be in business. Um you know, I just stopped showing up. Plain and simple. I just couldn't do it anymore. I stopped showing up. Johnny Ace would call my [music] house. I wouldn't pick up his calls. And finally, you know, we got a FedEx in the mail saying, "Your fired." >> Justin mostly worked on the independent scene thereafter. Reports of him scamming fans date back as far as 2012. Over the years, Credible continued to go off the rails. He got arrested three times in 2018 due to being drunk and disorderly, as well as for violating a protection order. He's also apparently gone through WWE-sponsored rehab multiple times. While struggling for money, Justin continued to scam fans and even stiff wrestling promoters. >> He wanted to get paid. Even though he couldn't perform. And he actually went out into the crowd and asked the fans for money. >> Addiction and health issues have made wrestling proper matches off the table. Plus, given his track record of scamming and no-showing, promotions should be very wary of booking Justin. In recent times, he spent 45 days in jail at the end of 2024 [music] and claims to be sober since December of that year. Credible began to get himself together at the end of 2025. He dropped weight and stayed out the news cycle on his road to recovery. In 2026, Justin was inducted into the Indy Wrestling Hall of Fame, looking unrecognizable compared to his previously medicated state. Like Justin, Virgil was known for his shady practices towards fans, though they would actually get something in return when dealing with the former Million Dollar Champion, as he'd infamously hustle people out of money at conventions by signing pictures without asking, and then expecting a payment for it. >> Same man here says, "The guy basically saw me at a convention, told me to come over to him. I did, and we chatted. He saw my WWE Encyclopedia and said, 'I have three photos in there. I will sign your book for 30 bucks or something like that.'" >> it. >> "And he would not give back my encyclopedia till I agreed." >> Wow. >> Virgil would also set up shop at events he wasn't even booked for. As it would turn out, the reason Virgil did things like this was because he didn't have much money left over from his career. >> You would recognize it more if it was on his back like that. >> It would be great if I could still make appearances with him, but he's done so many just dumb things that make it so like if if if if now if I allow myself to be seen with him, it makes me look like an idiot. >> Virgil got into wrestling quite late, aged 34. Having spent time in prison during his younger days, the former nWo member got two big breaks in wrestling and was making over $100,000 annually while working for WCW. Although by the 2010s, most of his fortune had dried up. He wasn't a drinker or smoker, but did like to gamble right up to his final years. Over the next decade, Virgil embarked on a career resurgence, [music] where he fully embraced his money-loving persona. This earned him some viral recognition, as he became a hilarious meme character in the wrestling social media space. >> Look at that guy. I feel like he's showing his tight ass right here. >> Yeah, all right. He's showing off his ass again. >> I wrestled with guys that called Dwayne Johnson "The Rock". >> You never wrestled >> I wrestled with Steve Austin. >> Yes, he did. He wrestled The Rock. >> You never wrestled The Rock. >> Yes, he did. >> You rolled that ass like that, right? >> That's crazy. >> Not closer, he's saying. >> Did you make a horse noise? >> I will put my foot, my my size 14 so deep in your ass and I'll put my size 14 inch thick in your mouth. Gobble, mother [ __ ] gobble. >> [laughter] >> Your shoe size is 14 and a half. >> Yeah, but >> And length of your penis is also >> Hey, yo. Same size. >> So you can get that foot in your ass [music] or that penis in your mouth. Which one you want? >> See, this is how tragically befell Virgil in 2022. [music] He suffered two strokes and was diagnosed with dementia and colon cancer. Plus having only received limited bookings in the previous two years due to the pandemic, Virgil was at his lowest point financially. In a video provided by the Hannibal TV YouTube page, Virgil documented his sparse living space. >> But we got him the bed here. That was thanks to donations. He didn't have a bed. >> Um and then if and then this is his [music] This is This is what he has. And if you look in the closet, just so people know, cuz anybody can say anything. But this is This is all he has. >> He'd been surviving on social security checks with all the money and donations he made going towards medical [music] bills. Virgil sadly passed away in February 2024 age 72. Fans remember him fondly as the former Million Dollar Champion and NWO head of security. Not to mention his hilarious antics online. >> [music] >> Let's continue the list by highlighting two separate wrestlers who were topics of Dark Side of the Ring episodes. The first being the Junkyard Dog. His career took a downward spiral amidst a dependency of substances. >> I remember JY showed me a jar that he had over a thousand hits of speed in it. >> Despite a successful early career, JYD wasn't able to reach the main event in WWF. He was ultimately fired for missing events while trying to score his next [music] fix. >> Why was he let go from WWF? >> No shows. The way I understood it. >> Virgil didn't care what you did on the drugs. He had you to go, go, go. But you'd miss shows, you you scare me to do that. >> How could Vince McMahon put everything on JYD? Cuz you don't know if he's going to show up or not. You're not dependable, untrustworthy. >> Dog [music] forgot one thing. You can't do what the white man do and keep your job. >> Fired from WWF and struggling to make ends meet, JYD turns to the independent circuit, performing in small high school gyms for diminishing [music] crowds. In just over a decade, JYD goes from headlining the Superdome to working a part-time job at a local Walmart. >> Damn. >> I can't go buy groceries. He don't have any money. He ain't even seen your family. It's disheartening. >> Tony Atlas summed up his career as too much, too soon. He was one half of the WWF Tag Team champions with Rocky Johnson in 1983. Then by the end of the decade, the man who was once Mr. USA was homeless and sleeping on a park bench. >> homeless for a year and a half. I slept in the park. Didn't shower or bathe or brush my teeth or comb my hair for a year and a half. >> Atlas had gone through a tough divorce and was now strung out on substances. Tony was about to end it all until his eventual wife took him off the streets. >> This here was my home, right here. It's where I slept. >> Atlas got a second opportunity with [music] the WWF in 1990. He had an 8-month run there that kept him going for a while. However, by the end of the '90s, Tony was struggling to make ends meet once again. He wasn't hooked on anything this time. It was merely an example of what can happen when the pop fades. In modern times, legends of the past can make a decent income working the convention circuit and via merch deals with the big two companies. None of that was possible back in the day, though. If someone didn't work for WWF or WCW, there was a ceiling on how much they could make on the independents. WWE gave Tony another [music] call in 2006 for the Hall of Fame. Then in '08, he became Mark Henry's trainer on the road and manager on the show. Following his release in 2010, Atlas went back to working on the indies. In fact, he still wrestles several matches a year now, age 72. [music] >> I'm not uh financially secure. I'm not that well educated. The only thing I got left is my health and dream. >> Tony is doing better today compared to the past, but his career remains a cautionary tale. When wrestlers fall on hard times these days, Diamond Dallas Page is someone who picks them up when they're down and gets them back on their feet. One of these incredible turnarounds DDP facilitated was that of Scotty Riggs. Fans remember Riggs from WCW in the 90s and ECW in the early 2000s. However, once both companies shut, Scotty would begin to struggle. He went through a rough divorce, then both his parents battled illnesses, which would ultimately lead to their passing. Scotty's mother passed away in 2020 [music] and 3 years later, his house had been foreclosed on and he was living in his car ready to end it all. >> I just became the biggest introvert, really texted, really kept up with anybody. I wasn't attaining any goals. And just slowly the darkness, my depression, anything that that could really bring >> And I don't think people understand that depression is a real thing and it can it can literally end your life. It can consume you so much when bad thing after bad thing after struggle after struggle is hitting you over and over and over, eventually it can [snorts] consume you, especially if you don't have that support system, especially if you've lost your faith. It it can take over your life and you'll start thinking about, you know what? I don't want to deal with this no more. I don't want to be here no more and a lot of people end up losing that battle. So, I can definitely see why someone that was wrestling and making so much money and then everything switches. They're no longer the talk of the town. They start losing people they care about. They're dealing with substance abuse. They're dealing with so many things and it you just spiral out of control, man. >> [snorts] >> me down, I just let it bring me down. In fact, I had to live in my car after being in the house, [music] being in the family home and we put we basically lost our family home where all the money I had saved up to take care of my mouth, to take care of the house, to take care of this. It was gone. And I was just pretty much was had checked out on life where I had no light in my eyes. I wasn't working out. I wasn't doing this. I wasn't doing that. And I was just existing. >> That was until DDP and Riggs, former tag partner Buff Bagwell, offered a helping hand. Scotty moved into Page's accountability crib, which had previously seen the likes of Buff Bagwell, Jake "The Snake" and Scott Hall completely turn their lives around. Riggs bounced back in sensational fashion. With Dallas and Bagwell's guidance, he got in tremendous physical shape, which allowed him to return to the ring for the first time in 15 years. Scotty also received brand new teeth, which he'd been without for over a decade. Not because of substance abuse, but due to the lack of money to pay for dental work. This led to most of his teeth falling out over time. However, now Riggs look like an actor or someone who was still wrestling full-time. >> It seems like you've done >> [music] >> the work, brother. We want to give you a smile. >> Man, that's awesome, man. I finally smile. >> Wow. >> That's awesome. >> It's been an amazing success story for the former WCW tag champion. >> Scotty Riggs is still a work in progress, probably will be forever, but you know, coming through the transition stage that you were a part of, with my mouth getting in shape, my body getting in shape, my mind getting in shape, I'm still growing. >> It's all come full circle for Scotty, as he's back now working for a major promotion again. Today, he works backstage for AEW, providing logistical support, which includes driving talent to and from venues. >> And you know, DDP always told us you find a purpose and pursue that purpose. I'm like still hunting what my purpose is and just taking each day as a chance to keep growing. >> Now, if you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out our some >> [snorts] >> That was actually nice, bro. I I like how this video ended with someone going through hard times and being able to overcome that with the right support system. Shout out to DDP for doing this. Taking this upon himself to help out some of these guys that have fallen on hard times and you know people don't know or people don't even really care but he cares cuz he understands what it's like to go through that and I mean he's a godsend man. That's awesome. I love when stories somewhat have a a better happier ending man and I'm I'm I'm glad to see people are trying to make it work you know and trying to improve on themselves no matter how old old they are they want to improve on themselves and keep improving on themselves man. This is why they say man you know especially in this type of business the money may be coming you know may come fast but you know you got to be able to realize it may not always last forever. Some people are fortunate to be in a situation where you know they won't have to worry about running money for the rest of their lives and some people that may not be the case man. But I comment down below let me know some other wrestling related videos you guys want me to check out I definitely will. Appreciate all the love support you guys show on our channel. Road to 20k I don't know I I lost I lost track of where where where the sub goal is road to 200k and I'll see you on the next one peace.