I do not know what to say, my heart is broken. As I type the words you are currently reading, I am fighting back tears as I come to terms with the heart-breaking announcement this week on Raw. Roman Reigns addressed the world not as his character, but as Joe. Joe is a husband, a father of three, and a hero to millions of children and adults the world over. Joe told us something we were not ready to hear, he is battling leukaemia.
This is not the biggest wrestling story of the week. This is not the biggest wresting story of the year. This might very well be the biggest wrestling story of the decade. Such an emotional bombardment hasn’t been felt like this since Edge tearfully announced his premature retirement back in 2011. Twitter has been quick to show its outpouring of love and support for Joe. The hashtag #ThankYouRoman is trending worldwide, lovers and haters alike have become unified in backing the recovery and return of Roman Reigns.
Who is Roman Reigns to me? What does this man represent? It’s hard to quantify. Roman Reigns is one of wrestling’s true intangibles. He is loathed and adored in equal parts. To describe his presence in our world to a non-fan is a tall task. To some, he is a blight on the business, a fraud, a failed experiment to stroke Vince McMahon’s ego. To others, he’s a warrior, a strong and silent force of nature who provokes an emotional response that goes beyond the concept of good and evil.
Roman’s rise in WWE may be a controversial topic. I imagine as you’re reading this, you’re thinking of all the times you’ve had your doubts about Roman’s position as WWE’s top star. It’s alright, I went through the same thing. I felt guilt at having dismissed the man and his abilities early on. While I’ve turned around on Reigns in the last couple of years, I was one of those people who booed like there was no tomorrow when he won the 2015 Royal Rumble. I was one of those guys who insisted Vince would “give up” on him and give the ball to a “worthy” talent like Finn Bálor or Seth Rollins.
It’s only in the wake of such tragic news that I realise these views are childish. This isn’t an attempt to bandwagon on someone who is now the most sympathetic figure in all of wrestling, it’s more a reflection on how I engage with this crazy sport and the people behind it. And that’s the key word here: people. Professional wrestlers are the closest thing to real-life superheroes that we have. They are athletic marvels who routinely defy the laws of physics. They are muscle-bound Greek gods with larger than life characteristics.
Behind the veneer, human beings are putting themselves through physical and mental anguish to entertain us. For around 300 days a year, the men and women of WWE travel the world, working six nights a week in gruelling displays of athleticism that have me trying to catch my breath just by watching them. Between these matches, there is no rest for the weary. They’re gunning it up and down the roads of the United States and flying overseas. They’re trying to fit meals, sleep and exercise into their demanding travel schedules. They’re having to make media appearances to promote their shows. They must meet PR commitments by working with charities and sponsors.
The sacrifices are huge. Many wrestlers will maybe spend one day a week at home. Their families and friends must connect with them through television, knowing that they’re just doing their job. Marriages have fallen apart, bodies have broken down — it’s an unforgiving line of work that appears to be an easy life to the untrained eye.
Roman Reigns must bear the brunt of this life. He is in a position that many would mislabel as enviable: the reality couldn’t be further from that. He is the standard bearer, the man who carries a multibillion-dollar company on his back. He is at the forefront of major storylines and is relied upon as the leader of WWE’s locker room. Everyone in the back looks to Reigns to be the sheriff. He is the envoy between talent and management, almost like a union leader.
As for responsibilities outside of wrestling, Roman’s requirements are simply on a different level. The media appearances are amplified. It’s expected of him to jet-set from one side of the country to the other to do interviews for national television on opposite coasts. He is among the most in-demand names for charities, visiting sick children for the Make-A-Wish Foundation (something that is even more sombre when you look at his own health problems). He has to be the real-life superhero. He has to inspire his fans the world over by being the beacon WWE have presented him as.
To know that Roman has been working this demanding schedule while knowing of his diagnosis is gut-wrenching. His cancer is back and what does he do? Fulfil his commitments to entertain us. Us! Roman Reigns doesn’t owe us a damn thing, but he chooses to continue for as long as his body allows out of respect; out of strength. It is this strength that makes me finally understand what Roman’s followers see in him. I’ve never been an ardent, die-hard fan of Roman, just a guy who likes his work and believes he’s had an unfair shake of it.
Things have changed, though. I’m no longer a passive supporter of Reigns, because now I see it. I see a warrior. I see a modern-day gladiator who is fighting through the worst possible circumstances to be what so many exalt him as. He has worked hard to keep his cancer unknown to us. Is this out of shame? Far from it. Roman does not want his illness to define him. He’s never tried to score sympathy points to win over his detractors – Not that I would begrudge him if he did. Instead, he’s tirelessly and selflessly worked his fingers to the bone. He has held up an entire company and locker room as its champion, the knowledge that his cancer could return at any moment in the back of his mind.
In seeing this incredible strength in the face of adversity, my hat is off to Roman Reigns. The man, the character, all of it. Roman has been burdened with more than most people could ever know, and his defiance of such unfair circumstances inspires me. I stand with Roman’s most vocal supporters. I stand with those who see him as an inspiration. He is the embodiment of taking everything life can throw at you in your stride. We can all learn something from his example.
Thank you, Roman, you have conjured up a level of love inside of me that I didn’t know I had. You are nothing short of a true hero.
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