Former WWE Superstar Bull Nakano Was Hospitalized With Liver Disease Last Year

In a recent interview with Oricon News, Japanese pro wrestling legend Bull Nakano described in detail how she was hospitalized last year with liver disease after years of alcohol abuse.

Nakano, a former WWE Women's Champion, was hospitalized with cirrhosis of the liver in July 2020 after experiencing symptoms such as hair loss, flaky skin, and her abdomen swelling with ascites. According to Nakano, she was forced to wear diapers at work after she coughed up excrement.

"I was actually told a long time ago that I would have to be hospitalized for treatment," Nakano said. "However, I couldn't stay in the hospital for a long time due to my work, so I stopped going to the hospital. Eventually, though, I started coughing up excrement and had to wear diapers at work."

The Japanese article noted how Nakano would empty three 750ml bottles of shochu a day during her years as an active pro wrestler. Nakano went onto explain how her health has drastically improved since she quit drinking.

"Until now, I couldn't imagine a life without drinking," Nakano admitted. "But after I was hospitalized and didn't drink for about two months, I didn't have the desire to drink anymore even after I left the hospital. Quitting drinking made my body healthier and I was able to live a more regular life. I can make good use of my time from morning to night, and that's just a good thing."

Nakano continued, "I thought to myself, 'If I continue like this, I will become an alcoholic.' There was not a day that went by that I didn't drink, and I had no intention of quitting, so if I hadn't had cirrhosis of the liver, I would still be drinking. I quit drinking when my health deteriorated, but I still love to drink... (laughs). (laughs) Even if I had become an alcoholic, I probably wouldn't have known it myself."

Nakano then seemingly blamed peer pressure from fellow pro wrestlers for drinking alcohol at an underage.

"I was underage when I started, so I couldn't drink, but there were times in my life when I was forced to drink, and there were also times when I was forced to drink because I was under pressure, so that's how I was trained and became stronger."

(H/T to Reddit user nsm1 for translating the article).