10-Time WWE Champion Left Wrestling To Stay Alive

A former multiple-time champion in WWE has admitted that they left the wrestling business so they could remain alive.

The wrestling business is not an easy one to navigate, with addiction issues plaguing many stars of the industry. Combine that with the fact that a single mistimed move in the ring could end a career or cause lasting physical damage, and it’s no wonder some are delighted to get out of the business with their body and life intact.

For smaller wrestlers in the past, they were often used for huge bumps or moments, as they could often be thrown higher and further than their bigger colleagues. One man who made a name for himself as the ultimate underdog in WWE was Spike Dudley.

Spike Dudley Won Plenty Of WWE Titles

Dudley held the WWE Tag Team Title with Tazz, was a WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and held the WWE Hardcore Title eight times, but will best be remembered as the little brother of The Dudley Boyz. While Bubba Ray and D-Von will be returning to the ring together for one last match, it seems Spike Dudley is glad to have called time on his own in-ring career.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Spike Dudley explained why he thinks if he were still part of the wrestling business, he’d no longer be alive:

If I were still in [the business,] I wouldn’t – I don’t think I’d be alive, I’ll be honest with you. I think I would have either drank myself to death or I would have taken some sort of crippling bump.

After leaving WWE in 2005, Spike Dudley continued his career on the independent scene and for a spell in TNA. Dudley significantly wound down his career in 2010, as he has only had 12 matches since that year. His last bout came in 2023 on a card that saw John Cena Sr. compete.

Also read: Why Taz’s AEW tribute in the 2300 Arena was not shown on Dynamite.