“I can’t get out of bed”: Roman Reigns’ performance despite renewed leukemia after a grand return

Roman rule is not only a boss in the ring, but also a paragon of resilience in real life. The former WWE Undisputed Universal Champion doesn’t appear in the promotion as regularly as other stars on the roster and there’s a heartbreaking reason for that: the leukemia he suffers from.

The WWE superstar was first diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 2007 at the age of 22. Since then, the life-threatening disease has never left Reigns’ mind and is a recurring theme in his private and professional life. Despite everything, he still stands by his fans.

Roman Reigns looks cancer in the eye

After WrestleMania XL, The Original Tribal Chief immediately took a break. He finally surprised fans with his return at SummerSlam 2024 and has been a recurring face until now. In the midst of all this, an old interview between Mark Henry And The Undertaker has resurfaced two months after its release. Six Feet Under Podcast, the Strongest Man Alive talked about how disappointed people are that Reigns doesn’t show up often. “People talk about Roman Reigns. They forget that the guy has leukemia. That he does what he does. And I’ve heard that there are days when he doesn’t feel like getting up and training. And look how good he looked at Mania? The way he looks with leukemia means that some days he’s so physically beat up that he probably can’t get out of bed. I think that’s a testament to his toughness and greatness and how much he’s improved.” Henry reminded.

Some of the symptoms of the disease that Reigns’ immune system has inadvertently picked up include feeling weak or tired. He will also likely experience pain in his joints and bones. The wrestler has to take medication to help himself cope with his daily life and do a physically demanding job. So why is he back in the promotion despite losing his title and faction?

Roman Reigns is back in WWE to take care of a family matter

If you didn’t know about his leukemia, you’re probably wondering why he returned to WWE in the first place. It seems wrestling is truly Reigns’ passion and he doesn’t want to give it up. Instead, he’s contributing to the promotion’s viewership and ratings in the best way possible by barely showing his face and resting the rest of the days he’s away. As of now, The Bloodline storyline requires him to show up in order for things to move forward. Once his story arc is wrapped up for now, the legendary talent will be allowed to go off camera again. That seems to be the deal.

There were some more unfortunate developments in the background. Roman Reigns recently lost his uncle, Afa Anoai. After the loss of his father, this has to be another heartbreaking loss that the former college football player has had to deal with. Due to this personal family emergency, the WWE may have to give him and the other Anoa’i wrestlers time off from work to pay due respect to their lost family member and wrestling legend. This is likely why Delay of one of the Usos from coming back.

Isn’t it inspiring to hear how Roman Reigns battles leukemia to be able to work in such a physically demanding environment and still look good?