WWE News: Roman Reigns Shares Health Update Following His Battle With Leukemia

After ascending the WWE ladder to become one of the most popular superstars in the entire company, fans were shocked to learn that Roman Reigns, whose real name is Joe Anoa’i, was diagnosed with leukemia last year.

He broke the news to the WWE Universe during an episode of Monday Night Raw last October, in a rare out-of-character speech in which he promised to beat the illness and return to the squared circle sooner rather than later.

Keeping true to his word, the Big Dog returned to action earlier this year and announced he was in remission. Since then, he’s been wrestling on a weekly basis, and even made his acting debut in the upcoming Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw.

That said, Reigns’ battle against leukemia was no easy feat, and it takes time to make a full recovery. However, in an interview with Pensacola News Journal, the former Universal Champion revealed that he’s feeling healthy again.

“I feel really good. It’s nice to just have a greater perspective of everything and not just necessarily worrying about getting everything done.”

On television, the Reigns character tends to polarize the WWE audience. Fortunately, though, his naysayers don’t harbor any real ill will toward the man himself. When asked about the fan reaction to the news of his leukemia, he noted that he was happy that they all came together and showed their support.

“It was really nice to see everybody drop the character and just pick up the man behind the character. Everybody got behind Joe. For me to have that type of support, that type of love, those type of positive vibes being sent my way, I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better reception.”

The 34-year-old discussed his experience with leukemia in a recent WWE Chronicle documentary. Reigns said he felt “immobilized” during the initial stages of his diagnosis, while also revealing that he suffered from arthritis in the lower half of his body.

The documentary also sheds some light on what his recovery process was like. According to former Shield member, he was given an oral chemotherapy pill, which wasn’t as intense as other forms of treatment, though he did experience some unpleasant side effects.

With the ordeal behind him, Reigns can now focus on doing what he does best — entertaining. Since returning to the limelight, he’s picked up a WrestleMania victory and teamed with The Undertaker while feuding against Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre at Extreme Rules.

Surely, it’s only a matter of time before he reclaims the title he was forced to relinquish as well.