Ryback Talks Prior Steroid Use, TRT

Ryback has admitted to usage of both steroids and TRT during his years as a pro wrestler.

The former Intercontinental Champion spoke on the matter during the latest edition of his podcast, Conversation with the Big Guy.

"I had a very negative reaction to testosterone and different steroids where it shut me down tremendously. And when I say, 'shut me down', my natural testosterone did not come back or it was not back to what was perceived to be the normal limits, which is not uncommon, but everyone reacts differently. I never abused them as far as, when I say 'abused', compared to what other people were doing. It was always very mild, but everybody reacts differently to them. But for me, my body, it shut me down, so for the five years before WWE, and I was tired at times, but you just kind of get used to it, I guess," said Ryback.

Despite confessing to use, Ryback claims that he never abused the system or steroid.s

"I never abused them as far as, when I say 'abused', compared to what other people were doing. It was always very mild, but everybody reacts differently to them. But for me, my body, it shut me down, so for the five years before WWE, and I was tired at times, but you just kind of get used to it," Ryback said.

Ryback stated that he thinks that the WWE is getting away from bigger wrestlers because they're too close to the steroid era. He put over WWE's drug testing methods as well.

"That's one thing with WWE, I will say, and from my experience, I was tested all the time and they did a great job. And I love that that was implemented because, and not to say that steroids were the only thing contributing to people dying early. It was a lot of things." Ryback added, "for whatever reason they did it, who cares? They did it and it's a good thing, and, I've always, from day one, that's one thing I am proud of them for, that they did implement that because, for me, it, like, put restrictions on me, where, like, it challenged me. Like, and I feel like I've been able to look the way that I have by making those changes and adjusting. It makes me even more rare," he said.

Credit to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.