AEW's Dustin Rhodes Reflects On His Sobriety

Dustin Rhodes has achieved a lot in the world of wrestling, from creating unforgettable characters to winning various titles. While they might be things that fans will always remember, he admitted to Sports Illustrated, "My sobriety, that's my legacy,"

"I understand it's OK to have bad days. There will be better ones. Life has been an incredible teacher," Rhodes said. "I've learned a lot, and I plan on being clean and sober for the rest of my life." Rhodes has been open about his struggles with addiction in the past, taking up to 40 pills per day at one stage. However, after a conversation with his father, Rhodes entered WWE's rehab program as he began to turn his life around. That's something he was able to stick to, with the "Natural" commemorating the 15th anniversary of his sobriety last year.

"I wasn't seeing clearly back in the day, and I paid for it heavily. Sometimes, I'm still trying to prove myself, even when I don't need to," he admitted. "I came out the other side. The devil is still sitting here, right on my shoulder. All's I need to do is walk with him. But each new day, I tell him, 'No, I'm going to be good today.' So I'm not going to drink. I'm not going to do drugs. I have my sh** together, and I'm fixin' to get on with my life." Rhodes admits his journey to sobriety has been a long road, but he has been able to get back a lot of what he lost. At 54 years of age, he is one of AEW's elder statesmen, but he is still able to perform at a high level, such as his recent TNT Championship match on "AEW Dynamite," which he credits to his clean life. "It's the reason I have my career, too," he said. "Being clean, it's the reason I'm still here. And it's the reason I can still entertain."