Ex-WWE Star Ricardo Rodriguez Details Struggles With Substance Abuse During Pandemic

Ricardo Rodriguez embarked on an epic journey after leaving WWE in 2014, traveling around the world and running various wrestling schools. However, when a facility's growth in Cairo, Egypt, was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberto Del Rio's former personal ring announcer moved back to the United States. But during this period, Rodriguez struggled with his own personal battle.

"I fell on hard times with substance abuse," Rodriguez said on "Under the Ring." "So I ended up going to a rehab center out here in Lancaster for alcohol. And when I got out, I spoke to my now-business partner, who is also the owner of the rehab I went to, and we decided to open [Three Legacies Wrestling]." Three Legacies Wrestling is a wrestling training facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, run by Rodriguez. TLW also holds monthly shows, attracting around 500 people for each event.

Rodriguez noted that being around other people in recovery has been beneficial to him. He also revealed he had been struggling with alcoholism for some time, but it became more serious for him during the pandemic. In a previous interview, Rodriguez said he got heavily involved with alcohol while "on the go" traveling from country to country post-WWE. Last February, Rodriguez posted on X that he had been filming his recovery process for a documentary, which is currently in post-production, per IMDB.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Under The Ring" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).