WWE’s Roman Reigns Announces Leukemia Diagnosis, Gives Up Championship Belt
WWE wrestler Roman Reigns has revealed that his battle with leukemia has returned. He made the announcement on tonight's (Oct. 22) Monday Night Raw event. He has been living with leukemia for 11 years now, as he was first diagnosed at 22 years old. He is currently 33.
"Because the leukemia is back, I cannot fulfill my role - I can't be that fighting champion - and I'm gonna have to relinquish the Universal Championship," he announced to the crowd. "I'm not gonna 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."
He later continued, "But I wanna make one thing clear: By no means is this a retirement speech. Because when I'm done whoopin' leukemia's ass once again, I'm coming back home. And when I do, it's not just gonna be about titles and being on top. No, it's about a purpose." You can watch his speech in full below.
Reigns is a four-time WWE Champion. He has held many other titles as well, including the WWE World Heavyweight Championship three times, the Universal Championship once and won Superstar of the Year in 2014, among other accolades.