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Given their high-stress professions, wrestlers are known for seeking new and exciting ways to relax when they are not training or fighting in the ring. From hiking to cooking, these hobbies allow them to destress and prepare for their upcoming fights. More recently, a good number of wrestlers have turned to casinos for this. After all, with non gamstop casinos offering online services, wrestlers barely need to leave their homes to enjoy some downtime, and they can avoid the crowds. But life for wrestlers is not only about seeking new hobbies or prepping for more fights. If anything, there is much more to these professionals beyond these aspects, as we explore in this guide.
As wrestling fans, we see wrestlers at their best as they step into the ring and put on a good fight. Sometimes, they lose, and we feel their pain, and at others, they win, and we celebrate with them. But we rarely get to know the people behind those enviable belts and physiques. So, what else is there to these aspirational figures?
Did you know that many top wrestlers have gone through very traumatic experiences in their lives that have shaped the trajectory of their careers? Take Bruno Sammartino, for example. During the Second World War, he spent time hiding in the mountains with his mother. What’s more, as a child, he was so underfed and sick that his doctors did not think that he would live. But he did, and ended up becoming a WWWF legend.
Bruno is not alone. There are many other inspiring stories, including:
AJ Lee - This wrestler grew up in poverty and even details how they had to rewash paper plates as they could not afford new ones.
Booker T - As an orphan, he turned to crime and even served time before he turned his life around.
For many of the wrestlers you see in the ring, there is a heartwarming story about how they came to be so good at fighting. In many cases, it’s mainly because they literally had to fight their way out of tough situations.
Wrestling is anything but gentle. In fact, the average wrestler takes about 300 bumps in a year. As you can imagine, years of being hit take a toll on their bodies. In fact, the longer that one wrestles, the higher the chances of suffering significant physical damage that can pave the way for tons of health issues, including degenerative conditions.
But that’s not all. Wrestlers often ignore their own physical needs in order to make it to the ring, which exacerbates their risk of health issues. Kurt Angle, for example, has spoken about how his decision to wrestle while nursing a broken neck predisposed him to painkiller addiction.
Many sports have off-seasons, which allow athletes to take time off and take care of their personal needs. But wrestling does not. In most cases, stars find that they have to be on the road for almost 8 to 9 months every year. At the same time, with matches taking place across different regions, they often need to travel far from their homes and spend a great deal of time living in hotels. Over time, this isolation from their friends and families puts a strain on their relationships. And many are the times that wrestlers find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, where they must choose between their marriages and their careers.
Like people in any other career, wrestlers have to retire at some point. And as you would expect, walking away from the spotlight and brand deals is not always a walk in the park. However, many wrestlers use this time to transition into other careers. And while it may surprise you, they often gravitate towards ordinary careers, such as:
Teaching.
Real estate agency.
Pet grooming businesses.
While some of these career changes come down to necessity, many are a matter of preference, as they serve as a gateway into a rewarding life where they can care for their mental and physical well-being.
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