A regretful Glenn Kulka was spared a criminal record for assault Friday when a judge determined it wasn’t contrary to the public interest to give the former Rough Rider and professional wrestler an absolute discharge.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Bonnie Warkentin told Kulka she hoped he would use the opportunity to resume being a role model who speaks to high school students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Kulka pleaded guilty to assault Wednesday, admitting that he grabbed a much smaller spa owner Henry Nguyen by the throat and threw him to the floor after a heated argument over Nguyen’s unwillingness to call another man who was owed $35,000.

Court heard the 6-foot-4 and 255 lb. former defensive lineman in the CFL, World Wrestling Federation wrestler and mixed martial artist showed up at Nguyen’s Oasis Spa in July 2012 and insisted that Nguyen call David Touhey. Nguyen refused and demanded to know who Kulka was, leading to the physical altercation.

Nguyen had red marks on his neck and was sore but was otherwise uninjured, although a prosecutor said Kulka’s assault left him fearful. Nguyen is 5-foot-4 and weighs less than half of what Kulka does, the prosecutor said.

Kulka explained outside of court that he didn’t think much of it when his accountant asked him to stop by Nguyen’s spa on his way home and ask Nguyen to call as a personal favour. The spa was only a few blocks from the personal fitness studio Kulka and his wife owned at the time and he wasn’t told about the outstanding debt.

Kulka wasn’t expecting things to turn out the way they did, but accepted responsibility for his actions.

“I just regret that any of this did happen,” said Kulka.

Kulka was originally facing much more serious charges, including extortion, intimidation and criminal harassment, that were all dropped.

When Kulka plead guilty his lawyer argued for the absolute discharge.

Neil Weinstein argued the imposition of conditions on Kulka were unnecessary. Now a personal trainer, Kulka has spent countless hours volunteering with charities, including Home Runs for Autism, pizza-eating contests for the Food Bank, and poker nights for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his lawyer said on Wednesday. The former radio host at The Team 1200, who once battled addictions so severe they nearly led him to suicide, also now speaks to high school students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, Weinstein added.

Kulka suffered more than 20 concussions during his career as a professional athlete, brain injuries that have left the 51-year-old with significant neurological and psychological deficits that are expected to worsen as he ages, Weinstein told the court.

“Mr. Kulka has a variety of symptoms that are directly the result of the head injuries that he suffered as a professional sports athlete in a period of time when those issues were not in the public spotlight as much as they are now.”