Brigham Buhler, a stem cell clinic operator and healthcare entrepreneur, claims that WWE wrestlers have more beat up bodies than MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. This surprising assertion came during Buhler’s appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
“We’ve had the opportunity to work with several big WWE wrestlers and they have put their bodies through hell,” Buhler stated. “I would say even more than Jiu-Jitsu and MMA guys and NFL guys. Out of everybody we’ve worked with, the wrestlers are the most beat to ****.”
Buhler, who operates a stem cell clinic that has treated numerous professional athletes, drew a stark contrast between the long-term physical toll of professional wrestling and other combat sports. He noted that while MMA and BJJ are undoubtedly grueling, the constant travel and nightly performances of WWE wrestlers lead to unprecedented wear and tear on their bodies.
The healthcare entrepreneur highlighted several examples of WWE legends who have suffered severe long-term consequences from their careers. “Jake The Snake, Hulk Hogan – his back’s ******, he’s got to walk with a cane,” Buhler explained. “He’s all banged up and you see him shrinking. He’s shorter and smaller than they were from all the back and spine surgeries. He’s lost like 4 inches of spine being compressed.”
Buhler attributed much of this damage to the repetitive nature of pro wrestling moves, citing Hulk Hogan’s iconic leg drop as an example. “He said it was from that leg drop. We do that all the time. Every time he did it, he’s compressing his spine. Just ruined his back doing that.”
The conversation also touched on the use of PEDs in professional wrestling. Buhler mentioned that during the production of a Netflix docuseries about Vince McMahon, there were discussions about anabolic use and previous attempts to indict McMahon for selling PEDs to his athletes.
However, Joe Rogan did note one notable exception to the trend of beaten-down wrestlers – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. “The Rock, that’s crazy. I mean, he’s got his little injuries and **** like that. The guy looks like a ****** superhero. He’s 50 years old,” Joe Rogan marveled.
WWE’s Kurt Angle broke his neck so much his arms are permanently 3 inches shorter
In Episode 2036 of the Joe Rogan Experience, Kurt Angle shared a candid reflection on the long-lasting physical toll of his wrestling career, revealing that he broke his neck four additional times while in WWE, after initially injuring it during the 1996 Olympic trials.
The WWE Hall of Famer opened up about his current struggles, including severe nerve damage, loss of feeling in his fingers, and significant muscle atrophy in his arms, which has left him with greatly diminished strength. Angle also discussed his unsuccessful attempt to undergo stem cell treatment in Colombia, as the damage to his neck was too severe.
Despite these challenges, he remains determined to seek solutions, with plans to consult a doctor in New York soon. Angle’s journey highlights the immense sacrifices he made for his career, including competing in the Olympics with a broken neck, a feat that has left him facing lifelong consequences.
Hulk Hogan once tried to claim he only took PEDs three times
Hulk Hogan’s reputation for exaggeration and fabrication is well-documented, with one of his most audacious lies involving his use of PEDs. In 1991, amidst a growing scandal in wrestling, Hogan appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show, claiming he had only used ster*ids on three occasions for sports therapy.
Fellow wrestlers, including Superstar Billy Graham and David Schultz, quickly debunked this, with Schultz claiming to have personally injected Hogan over 100 times. In his 2002 autobiography, Hogan admitted to long-term ster**id use, likening it to a daily routine. This evolving story highlights Hogan’s tendency to distort the truth, with his fabrications extending beyond PEDs to other aspects of his career.
