Michael Hayes has already been through several major surgeries, and the WWE producer isn’t done yet. The 67-year-old wrestling veteran revealed that he needs more operations after undergoing multiple joint replacements over the past few years. He’s also getting tired of dealing with the painful recoveries that come with them.
Speaking on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Hayes opened up about his ongoing health problems and the surgeries he’s undergone since 2020. He explained that he’s had several joints replaced, but those procedures haven’t completely solved his problems.
“I had the hip replaced in ‘20, I had this replaced in ‘22, I had this replaced in ‘24. I’m so sick of surgeries, and I need more.”
Hayes admitted that the operations themselves aren’t even his biggest complaint anymore. It’s everything that comes afterward that has worn him down.
“I’m really sick of the recoveries. The recoveries are the sh*ts.”*
The conversation then took an unexpected turn when Hayes discussed his history with drugs and alcohol. He said he never relied on pain medication after his surgeries, explaining that prescription pills were never something he enjoyed taking.
“You know what’s funny? I would never take pain medication when I had all those surgeries. I was never a pill guy. I liked cocaine. The only reason I liked cocaine was so I could keep drinking. I hated cocaine without drinking.”
When Stephanie brought up the fact that he still needs additional surgery, Hayes confirmed that one of his shoulders is causing him serious problems.
“Oh, I do. Yeah. This shoulder’s really bad.”
Despite everything he’s been dealing with, Hayes has made some major changes to improve his health. He revealed that he started taking Wegovy and using Diamond Dallas Page’s DDP Yoga program, which helped him lose 50 pounds and improve his mobility.
“So I got on Wegovy about a year and two months ago, and I started doing DDP Yoga, and man, I’ve dropped 50 pounds, and my mobility is so much better now. So much better. It’s not the hardest thing in the world to do but you get results from it. It’s hard at first. It’s very hard at first. But once you get into the routine… Dallas has made me my own workouts.”
Unfortunately, losing weight and improving his mobility haven’t eliminated his joint problems. Hayes admitted that even his previously repaired shoulder still isn’t where he wants it to be. He also revealed that his left hip, which was replaced in 2020, has started giving him trouble again.
“My shoulders are horrible. Even the one that got fixed ain’t great. It’s better than it was. I think my expectation level was way too high for all my surgeries. The only one that really worked for me was my hip, because it’s a lot better, yet I feel the left one starting to do the little twinges so that’s probably another thing that I got to look forward to in a couple of years.”
Hayes has spent decades in professional wrestling, first as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds and later working behind the scenes in WWE. While he continues contributing to the company as a producer, his latest comments make it clear that his physical health remains an ongoing concern.
For now, Hayes is doing what he can to stay active and avoid letting his physical problems slow him down. Dropping 50 pounds has made a difference, but with another shoulder operation potentially ahead and his repaired hip starting to bother him again, the WWE veteran knows he could be facing more time in recovery.
What do you think about Michael Hayes revealing that he needs more surgeries, and how do you feel about his comments on the toll his years in wrestling have taken on his body? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
