Rich Swann recently opened up about his departure from TNA Wrestling, which followed a public intoxication arrest earlier in 2024. Swann’s contract with the company expired at the end of that year, but he had not appeared on TNA programming since the summer, when he voluntarily entered a rehab program in the wake of the incident. He discussed the situation during a guest appearance on Konnan’s “Keepin’ It 100” podcast.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his TNA exit: “So this is the thing, I wasn’t released (from TNA). The thing was I got suspended and everything like that and afterwards, I didn’t hear anything from the management but, what I had found out was, you know, later, basically the management was being shuffled around and the guys that I had dealt with, when they told me the 30-day suspension and afterwards, we would talk about my contract because it was coming up at the end of that December and it was going to be a rollover decision on if they would want to keep me for one more year or, you know, if I wanted to leave or anything like that, and it was gonna be a bump in pay. But the one thing that I was told by the person that was released from IMPACT was that they were switching the way that they were doing their business and their contracts and models and they didn’t want to have anybody on a guaranteed contract.
“At the same token, I’m somebody that’s going to take responsibility for my actions and for myself. As a company, you don’t wanna have somebody that has on their — as a stain. Oh, he’s being arrested. The alcohol and everything…”
On the public intoxication arrest: “Oh, so no, I did not drive… Literally what happened, I was coming back from a party and I went into my next — I tried to get into what I thought was my house but it was my next-door neighbor’s house. We’d done that multiple times. My neighbor pulled out the gun on me… He did, he did (recognize me). I’m trying to get into the house. Yeah, yeah (he thinks I’m breaking in) and I don’t hear anybody from the other side and then as soon as they opened up the door, he’s got it to my dome. He’s like, ‘Oh! Rich!? Oh man, you’re hammered.’ So, what had happened beforehand, I get dropped off at the apartment complex that I lived in. It was gated. So, the Uber just dropped me off at the gate. I was looking for my keys, I’m doing the whole gimmick, and I finally find my key for that gate and when I open up that gate but so, as I’m looking for my keys, there’s some lady in the neighborhood and at the time, you know what I’m saying? I’m slobbering, I’m all hammered, I got my dreads all up my (*inaudible*) and everything like that, it’s at night and this lady, she thinks that I don’t live in the neighborhood so she calls the cops. She calls the cops and freakin’ — and then it doesn’t look good on me and I’m trying to get into another house. But it’s right next to my apartment.
“The officer comes around and he says, ‘Ah, I know you’re right by your door but, we gotta arrest you for intoxication in public…’ That’s life but, I’m here to say that was the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me because I’m now, almost next month will be a year I’ll be sober. I’m in the best shape of my life.”
On First Class: “He’s (A.J. Francis) one guy that I feel like in the back, people, you know what I mean, they give him the side eye but, if I could just be one hunnit for a minute, you know what I’m saying? He’s somebody that I think could be a world champion that I think he really does get this business. K.C. Navarro, I’ve known him since he first started as well and me and him, we just got to wrestle on Homicide’s last show, on his retirement show. He’s another level. He’s somebody that I feel like if he came out back in the day, he would get it… He be going off. He’s on point. He’s good.”
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