WWE Universe rooting for Roman Reigns as he faces the fight of his life against leukemia -
27th October 2018

Profiles

Australia Wrestling Bitcoin Business Entertainment Sports Pop Culture

Advertising Promotions Contact Us

Roman Reigns opened up Monday Night Raw to reveal that his leukemia has returned and announced he’s taking an indefinite leave from wrestling to battle the disease. WWE Photo

By Mike Mooneyham Special to The Post and Courier

“He became our hero tonight.” – Jim Goolsby, wrestling fan

For the past several years, Roman Reigns has arguably been the biggest, yet most polarizing, figure in the wrestling business.

Justly or unjustly, Reigns has been criticized by a sizable portion of the WWE fan base for being the company’s “chosen one,” a tag he never asked for but lived with just the same.

Unlike Brock Lesnar, his predecessor as Universal champion, Reigns has fought hard for everything he has achieved in the wrestling profession, has been a fighting champion, and loves the business with a passion. A member of one of the industry’s biggest and most respected families, wrestling is in his blood.

Two months ago Reigns ended Lesnar’s 500-day reign as Universal champion. The victory signaled a changing of the guard and was a seminal moment in Reigns’ career. It gave validation to Reigns, who officially proved what a valuable commodity he was to WWE.

And with the most recent reuniting of The Shield, one of WWE’s hottest acts of the past decade, Reigns was winning over a legion of fans that had previously jeered him.

It finally seemed as if Roman Reigns, the man who was presumably John Cena’s heir apparent as the public face of WWE, was in the position Vince McMahon and the company had envisioned all along.

But things changed on Monday night. The fantasy world of professional wrestling took an unwelcome detour, giving way to the stark reality that sometimes bad things happen to good people.

On WWE’s flagship Raw show, the 33-year-old Reigns, wearing a black T-shirt, a gold chain and dark denim jeans rather than his usual Kevlar ring attire, took center stage with heartbreaking news. There was no storyline to advance, no angle to get over. On this night he talked about a much bigger opponent than his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman.

What was to follow was as real as it gets.

Roman Reigns leaves his Universal title belt in the ring after revealing that his leukemia has returned and he will take an indefinite leave from wrestling to battle the disease. WWE Photo

Breaking character and dropping the persona of Roman Reigns to address the WWE Universe as Joe Anoa’i (his real name), he made a stunning announcement that had life-and-death implications.

“I’ve been living with leukemia for 11 years and unfortunately it’s back,” he told a shocked and silent crowd at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., along with millions of other fans watching from home. Few apparently had been aware of the fight he had bravely waged outside the wrestling ring, but now it was something that couldn’t be avoided.

Apologizing to the crowd for not being the fighting champion his character aimed to be, he announced that he was relinquishing the title immediately.

“Because the leukemia is back, I can’t fulfill my role. I can’t be that fighting champion and I’m going to have to relinquish the Universal championship. I’m not going to lie, I’ll take every prayer you can send my way but I’m not looking for sympathy, I’m not looking for you to feel bad for me, because I have faith.”

It was that faith, he said, that had carried him throughout his life. He had been originally diagnosed back in 2008 at age 22. Though he quickly went into remission, he has been fighting the insidious disease since.

“I’m not going to lie, that was the hardest time in my life. I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have any money, I didn’t have a home and I had a baby on the way,” he said.

Reigns had been notably absent over the weekend at WWE house shows, and rumors had been floating about a possible injury. Only a select few in the WWE locker room knew what Reigns was going to say before he went to the ring Monday night. The announcers reportedly were not informed ahead of time.

Daniel Bryan, who was at a Smackdown show in White Plains, N.Y., at the time of Reigns’ somber revelation, said he was shocked. No one had seen it coming.

“I’ve never seen the air sucked out of a locker room like it was tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with Roman and his family.”

Paul Heyman gives Roman Reigns words of encouragement backstage at Monday Night Raw. WWE Photo

About a ‘purpose’

Reigns, who reportedly learned of his diagnosis only several days earlier, promised the WWE Universe that he would return to “swing for the fences” at whatever curveballs life threw at him. “I will beat this, and I will be back, so you will see me very, very soon.”

“Sometimes life throws you a curveball and the best thing for me to do is to go home and focus on my health,” said the father of three. “But I want to make one thing clear: By no means is this a retirement speech because after I’m done whipping leukemia’s ass, I’m coming back home.

“And when I do, it’s not going to be about titles and being on top, it’s about a purpose … I want to show my family, my friends, my children and my wife that when life throws a curveball at me, I am the type of man that will stand in that batter’s box, I will crowd the plate.”

Following Reigns’ gut-wrenching announcement, teammates and real-life friends Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose joined him atop the entrance ramp, with Reigns burying his head in their arms. Ambrose and a visibly shaken Rollins then stuck out their fists in traditional Shield fashion, and Reigns joined them in a show of solidarity one last time.

WWE lead announcer Michael Cole later told the stunned audience that while it was WWE’s job to entertain, wrestlers are real people, too, with real problems. Behind every character is a person.

“We come out here every Monday night to entertain. That’s what we all do,” said Cole. “We live in this alternate reality sometimes, and I think we all forget that we’re real people. And the superstars in the locker room are real people, and reality came up here and bit us tonight. And all I want to say is prayers are with you, brother, go get ’em.”

Shield members Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose join Roman Reigns atop the entrance ramp at Monday Night Raw. WWE Photo

Rallying cry

“Fight Roman Fight” was the theme from inside the locker room as well as the entire WWE Universe as they expressed their feelings on social media.

John Cena, who has been slowly ceding his mantle as the face of the company to Reigns, was one of the first to lend support.

“Courage – strength in the face of pain or grief. You have given us your everything including a courageously vulnerable moment. We, your WWE family, give you all of our love and support,” said Cena, who Reigns credits with helping him step up his game.

“I just witnessed Roman Reigns give the most heartfelt promo I’ve ever seen. Much respect to you Roman,” added Kurt Angle.

“A warrior, through and through. Roman Reigns, your entire WWE family stands with you,” tweeted WWE CEO Vince McMahon.

“Whether you bleed blue or bleed red, we are family. Whether you work in the United States or you work in Japan, we are all family,” Mike “The Miz” Mizanin posted on Instagram.

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley tweeted, “I’m just learning now of Roman Reigns’ leukemia diagnosis. Stunned. I liked and respected him from the moment I met him. Sending my very best wishes and prayers for you, Joe.”

“Our job gives us the ability to portray larger-than-life characters who possess superhuman qualities and characteristics. After hearing his story it’s very apparent that Joe Anoa’i is just as much of a superhero as Roman Reigns is,” posted NXT star Johnny Gargano.

Mat legend Ricky Steamboat also passed along encouragement.

“I first met Roman Reigns when I was a trainer for the WWE. I was very impressed with his integrity, and his love of the business. But what impressed me the most was his love for his wife and children. We are sending prayers your way, and hope you recover soon.”

Former divas champion Nikki Bella showered Reigns with praise, calling him a “living-day Superman.”

“We all want our Big Dog back.”

Fans react

Greg Tingle of Sydney, Australia, was one of thousands of fans who expressed a heavy heart on social media.

“Sometimes the biggest battles are in the real life realm, far removed from the arena, sports field and bright lights. A quote from the late, great, Muhammad Ali comes to mind at this time for me: ‘My toughest opponent has always been me.’ I’m not afraid to say that Roman’s in-ring interview brought a tear to my eye and a heavy heart. Decades from now the world will realize just how great Reigns was. Hopefully he can get back in the wrestling ring down the track after beating cancer.”

“This is a tough disease to beat, but he is strong and he will have great medical care,” posted Chris Cruise of Silver Spring, Md.

“Easily the most shocking moment ever on Raw. Hoping Joe can beat this,” wrote Mike Leoci of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

“Most stunning segment I’ve seen on WWE in a long time,” echoed Willie Smith of Columbia.

“I wish Joe all the best in this. I have had my issues with the character he was asked to play, never ever the man himself. This is the fight of a lifetime,” wrote Joe Dobrowski of Greenbelt, Md. “God bless Joe and his family and friends. This is one of the most shocking things I’ve seen in a long time. God bless and Godspeed. It won’t be easy, but it never ever is.”

Jim Goolsby of Summerville expressed what many other fans most likely felt.

“He became our hero tonight.”

Waited his turn

Reigns comes from a royal pro wrestling family of Samoan heritage. Along with being cousins with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he’s the son of WWE Hall of Famer Sika of The Wild Samoans and the brother of former WWE star Rosey (Matthew Anoa’i), who died at age 47 in 2017.

Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena, displays its support for Roman Reigns. Photo provided/Twitter

Reigns, whose given first name is Leati, is also cousins with The Usos (Jonathan Solofa Fatu and Joshua Samuel Fatu), Rikishi (Solofa Fatu Jr.), The Tonga Kid (Samuel Fatu), and the late Yokozuna (Rodney Anoa’i) and Umaga (Edward Fatu). Yokozuna died in 2000 at the age of 34. Umaga died in 2009 at the age of 36. Cousin Samu (Samula Anoa’i), 55, recently announced that he is dealing with stage 4 liver cancer and is awaiting a transplant.

Last year Reigns told CBS Sports’ “In This Corner” podcast that despite some obvious similarities, he was able to separate the character Roman Reigns from the person Joe Anoa’i.

“They’re close, but there’s still a separation and that’s one thing that I enjoy. You hear that a lot that performers can get stuck and start believing it. And, for me, I just try to stay grounded. That’s what helps me, when I’m able to turn it off and just be Joe. Joe’s a dad. Joe’s a father, a provider, a husband, and I’m a very simple man at that too.

“When I’m home, I try not to leave the house too often. I just want to be around my loved ones, and rest, and be with my babies, but it’s still a very tight-knit connection between Joe and Roman because obviously all the stuff I learned as Joe with the physicality of football and sports, I had to transfer over to the character of Roman.”

As for many fans’ legitimate gripes over his booking and huge push to the top of the card, Reigns has done everything in his control to win them over, notably having consistently good matches against a variety of top opponents. An athletic specimen at 6-3 and 265 pounds, he has been one of WWE’s most reliable in-ring performers.

And as divisive as he might be among those fans, he is universally loved by his colleagues in the business.

A locker-room leader but known for being relatively quiet and mild-mannered outside the realm of wrestling, Joe Anoa’i has patiently waited for his turn. Now, instead of world title defenses and sellout crowds, he must begin a difficult journey that has an unknown ending.

Football career

Reigns, who grew up in Pensacola, Fla., starred in high school football at Pensacola Catholic and Escambia high schools.

He played college football for Georgia Tech where he was named first-team all-ACC as a senior in 2006. He went undrafted but was signed by the Minnesota Vikings, and was extremely close to making the team.

“I was right there,” he told Yahoo Sports in a 2015 interview. “I was as close as you can imagine. It just slipped through the fingers. It wasn’t meant to be. I signed, went to rookie camp. But I didn’t pass my physical. I had some medical things going on. I’m convinced I could have made the team.”

Reigns signed with Jacksonville and ended up playing a full season with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League before retiring from the gridiron in 2008.

A former captain on the Georgia Tech squad, Reigns recently helped Tech launch its new football uniforms as a surprise model for the uniform at a launch party in downtown Atlanta.

Athletic director Todd Stansbury released a statement last week in support of Reigns.

“On behalf of the entire Georgia Tech athletics family, I send positive thoughts and well-wishes to one of our own, football letter winner Joe Anoa’i – aka Roman Reigns. I’m confident that leukemia will be no match for the tenacity and determination that Joe has always displayed on the football field and in the wrestling ring, and which he will undoubtedly bring to this new battle. Above all, Joe is an outstanding person and we wish him and his family nothing but the very best. We can’t wait to see Joe back on The Flats very soon.”

Fighting champ

Following the end of his football career, Reigns signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2010. He made his main roster debut in 2012 as a member of The Shield and quickly rose to fame, having won nearly every major title, including several reigns as WWE champion, winning the 2015 Royal Rumble and competing in the main event of four consecutive Wrestlemanias.

He was expected to be in one of the top bouts at next year’s Mania as well, but now plans for that big event have been sent back to the drawing board.

Reigns’ absence leaves a huge void on the WWE roster, with creative scrambling to make changes, including moving forward with a babyface turn for Strowman less than two months after he turned heel.

Reigns had been scheduled to defend his WWE Universal title on Nov. 2 against Lesnar and Strowman at WWE’s Crown Jewel event. Now, in Reigns’ absence, Strowman and Lesnar will meet in a one-on-one match for the vacant championship.

Reigns on Monday talked about how he was first diagnosed with the life-threatening disease at the age of 22, when he had no money and after he had ended his brief pro football career. He had been signed twice by two different NFL teams in 2007, only to be cut within a week of his contract each time.

“But you want to know who gave me a chance? The team that gave me a chance was WWE,” he said. “And when I finally made it to the main roster and I was on the road, they put me in front of all of you…and to be honest, you have all made my dreams come true.”

Pro wrestling was a dream he held on to. And he held on tightly as long as he could. For now, he knows he must keep swinging for the fences as he reckons with his own mortality.

Carefully weighing the gravity of the surreal situation, Kurt Angle tried to put it in perspective a day later.

“After watching the beginning of WWE Raw last night, I’ve come to the conclusion that we all should be grateful that we woke up this morning to experience life to its fullest. Make each day count, because you never know what life will throw at you.”

Reigns said Monday night that he can’t be a fighting champion. That’s not entirely true. He still has a chance to be a fighting champion. But this one will be the fight of his life, and you can bet that the entire WWE Universe will be cheering him on.

Reach Mike Mooneyham at bymikemooneyham@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ByMikeMooneyham and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MikeMooneyham.

Roman Reigns chipping away at hostile WWE fan base

WWE owner/billionaire Vince McMahon still making headlines, from U.S. to Saudi Arabia

It’s not over yet between Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns

Did you know? Roman Reigns played college football

Lass-kicking wrestler Becky Lynch now leading WWE women’s charge

Did you know the Minnesota Vikings cut both Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns?

(Post and Courier)