In a recent episode of the podcast “The Snake Pit,” hosted by Jake Roberts, WWE Hall of Famer Buff Bagwell candidly opened up about his journey to sobriety. He also touched on the controversy around David Arquette’s surprising conquest of the WCW World Title.
Here are some of the key points raised in the podcast:
When discussing his sobriety journey, Bagwell states, “I’m sure I’m one of the individuals thought would never sober up, probably even in the top 10. My story might not have been the worst trainwreck, but it was quite a wreck.” Bagwell still feels sorrow for those struggling with addiction, citing his own path to sobriety as evidence that life can improve post-addiction. He outlines his intensive plan which consisted of 30 days in rehab, followed by a 90-day program and 90 meetings in 90 days. He asserts, “Your life is going to improve, even if it’s just by 1%. Again, it’s up to you to determine the extent of this improvement.”
“My life has improved immeasurably,” he declares. His advice to others trying to combat addiction revolves around daily work and perseverance. “Nobody completes the kind of program I went through and ends up saying their life worsened. Sobriety enhances your life,” he says.
He also regretfully recalls the decision to crown David Arquette the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, admitting, “It wasn’t a good call. The decision to make David Arquette our World Heavyweight Champion was widely considered to be a disaster.” Bagwell emphasizes that he was unable to voice his concerns around it, saying, “It was above my paygrade, I wasn’t in a position to challenge it.” He remembers his discussions with fellow wrestlers Lex and Sting, who were similarly baffled, and heard reports that echoed the sentiment, describing the situation as “out of control.”
You can listen to the entire conversation in the episode of “The Snake Pit” below.