“I was hiding it from the company,” Joe Rogan shocked after Kurt Angle reveals he was taking 65 painkillers in a day

Joe Rogan was in awe after hearing Kurt Angle's story behind painkiller overuse in WWE.

“I was hiding it from the company,” Joe Rogan shocked after Kurt Angle reveals he was taking 65 painkillers in a day

Joe Rogan and Kurt Angle (via X)

The American Hero Kurt Angle has been a big draw for his nation as well as the WWE. He won a gold medal in wrestling at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. However, his victory was especially celebrated due to the condition in which he walked into the event, as he had a broken neck.

The WWE Hall of Famer discussed this incident and compared it with the time he broke his neck whilst in WWE. While speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Kurt Angle explained to Joe Rogan that he became addicted to painkillers during that time to get relief.

YouTube video

Kurt Angle mentioned them as extra-strength Vicodin and not the powerful OxyContin, but that too in massive quantities. He stated that he had taken 65 Vicodins in a day. “It masked the pain, I couldn’t feel the pain. It kind of gave me an energetic feel. That’s how out of control I got, and I was hiding it from the company,” he said.

FS Video

As a result, Joe Rogan was completely shocked. Kurt Angle cited it as an extremely rough period of his life, with painkillers being his biggest regret. Rogan then asked about the need for painkillers, considering his excruciating pain. Kurt stated that there were times when he needed it, which became the reason why he used it.

The WWE legend entered rehab after overdosing on painkillers, experiencing withdrawals, and occasionally passing out. The company was aware of his issue and mandated treatment for him to continue. He later joined Impact Wrestling (then TNA) but struggled with additional addictions, worsening his situation. However, he eventually turned his life around after undergoing intense rehab for a month.

Related: Kurt Angle reveals why Tony Khan’s AEW can never compete with $9 billion worth WWE

Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar on SmackDown happened despite Kurt’s trauma

On September 18, 2003, episode of SmackDown, an Iron Man match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar was scheduled. However, there came a time on that day when it was not sure whether this bout could happen or not. Kurt Angle’s sister had passed away the day before and he had overdosed on painkillers.

Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (via Wrestlezone)

The WWE Hall of Famer cited the story in The Joe Rogan Experience to explain the trauma he received. Angle heard the news of his sister’s death due to a heroin overdose which made him contemplate their broken relationship. Kurt then chewed up 20 painkillers and slept while mourning the death of his sister for an entire day.

The next day, he woke up at 5 p.m. and remembered that he had to appear on an episode of SmackDown. WWE considered him and told him not to compete and to attend the funeral instead. Despite that, Kurt Angle decided to compete because his sister would want him to do it, and he delivered a classic match with Lesnar’s victory in it.

In case you missed it: