This TNA star details life-saving moment behind bars.
Appearing on Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo’s Boots To Boots podcast, former TNA World Champion Rich Swann recalled a turning point during his last arrest. Swann said he woke up disoriented in a jail cell and realized someone had placed him on his side, a move that may have saved his life.
“Hey, you know, I’ve been very open about it. Everybody knows I’ve had my troubles. The last time I was arrested, I’ll never forget it. I woke up on a cot in a cell and had vomited, but I was on my side. I didn’t put myself there,” Swann said.
He described the man as a heavily tattooed former Aryan Nation member who had since changed his ways. A guard who recognized Swann had been talking to the man, who turned out to be a wrestling fan. That connection ultimately led to the man looking out for him.
“I turned over and saw this guy, probably around 6’5”, 265 pounds, a former Aryan Nation skinhead, covered in tattoos from head to toe. We were in Orlando.
“The crazy thing is, what saved me was that he had changed his ways. Also, the guard who brought me into the cell knew who I was, even though I had no recollection because I was completely out of it. The guard and the guy had been talking, and he turned out to be a wrestling fan. That guy ended up saving my life.”
TNA’s Rich Swann on the experience being a walk-up call
Reflecting on the experience, Swann called it a major wake-up call that pushed him towards self-improvement.
“I sat back and realized this was a wake-up call. This was the moment that needed to change me. It motivated me to become a better person. Seeing someone like him, who had completely changed his life, really stuck with me. I mean, he even had his eyeball tattooed black.
“It takes a lot to completely change your perspective like that, so something must have happened in his life.
“I also found out later that he wasn’t even supposed to be there. There had been some kind of mistake. They ended up holding me longer than necessary, even after I posted bond. They put the money in commissary because they were going to keep me there, but that’s a whole different story.
“In the end, we got it all sorted out.”
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