WWE wrestler Roman Reigns stuns fans with leukemia diagnosis announcement

(Image credit: WWE via YouTube)

last updated 23 October 2018

WWE's Raw became all too real Monday night.

At the beginning of the weekly live wrestling show, star Roman Reigns came out to the ring and dropped his fictional persona to make a stunning announcement: He is battling leukemia and will be relinquishing his Universal Championship. The Universal Championship is the WWE's top title, and Reigns had for the past few years been pushed as the face of the wrestling enterprise. He was set to defend his title at the upcoming Crown Jewel pay-per-view event.

Reigns also revealed on the show that he was originally diagnosed with leukemia when he was 22. "I've been living with leukemia for 11 years and unfortunately it's back," he told the crowd. Reigns had never previously discussed a battle with leukemia publicly. Now, he said, he'll be leaving to focus on his health, although he promised fans that he's not retiring and will be returning after he beats cancer a second time. Reigns is typically a controversial figure in the wrestling world, but this segment ended with the live crowd erupting in applause and chanting "Thank you, Roman." After he got out of the ring, his co-workers embraced him in tears.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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