Former WCW star Konnan was recently hospitalised with serious kidney issues and Covid-19, but now thankfully seems to be on the road to recovery. Speaking on his Keepin It 100 podcast, Konnan has opened up about his recent health problems, revealing the full severity of his situation which saw him arguing with doctors and by his own admission not understanding the full extent of his health issues.
Konnan said that he felt “-1000” on a scale of one to a hundred, adding that he was “looking at death” during his time in hospital. He went on to describe himself as “very fortunate and I do not over-dramatize this to be alive” divulging that ” “It’s not a script … I have no problem telling you that I cried.”
The former WCW World Television Champion then lifted the lid on conflicts he’d had in hospital explaining how they stemmed from him refusing to acknowledge how ill he truly was.
“So, let me tell you what happened. I wake up, there’s six doctors in front of me … a kidney doctor. An infectious disease doctor and they’re very, very mad. They’re angry with me because I’m not taking my pills, I’m being very rude. I’m not listening to instructions. This is in the hospital. [I wasn’t taking my pills] because I didn’t want to believe it was as bad as they were telling me. I didn’t want to hear bad news. Now the bad news means I can’t work and I can’t make money as if that’s everything in life and it isn’t.”
Konnan added that doctors realised that he wasn’t taking the situation as seriously as he needed to. Telling him there was a chance his heart was going to stop, going as far as bringing in a chaplain to see him.
“They’re talking to me and one guy just gives me a kick right in the nuts. They go, ‘Well, Mr. Ashenoff, since you don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation, I’m gonna put it to you in black and white. There’s a very good chance, and I mean over 60 percent that your heart is going to stop. What would you like me to do with that heart?’ The other guy goes, ‘Obviously, that didn’t seem to elicit a response with you.’ Of course it didn’t, motherf***er. I’m in shock. ‘Your kidneys are failing. What would you like to do with that? Donate it to science?’ They gave us [several options]. Then a chaplain came in, and you know I hate religion, and he wanted to pray with me. I almost threw him out the window.
Then you just survey your life and you go, what have I done? Had a lot of fun. Did a lot of drugs. Travelled the world. Told a lot of people to go get f—ed, but I did it my way … I don’t want to lose that essence for nobody … At the end of the day, bro, I just want to live whatever I have left.”
Konnan is best known for his work in WCW, winning a handful of honours for the Atlanta based promotion. He also enjoyed a stint in the NWO Wolfpack in 1998 alongside Kevin Nash, Lex Luger and Sting.
Everyone at Inside The Ropes wishes Konnan a full recovery.