From Khali To Triple H, 8 WWE Superstars Who Dealt With Life-Threatening Diseases & Won

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Here are eight WWE Superstars who are battling or have conquered life-threatening illnesses:

Roman Reigns

Before becoming a professional wrestler, Roman Reigns tried his hand at football. Nonetheless, he was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 22, which turned his life upside down. In an interview with Muscle and Fitness, the Big Dog said that being diagnosed with leukaemia felt like a death sentence.

After remission from leukaemia, he returned to WWE. Reigns revealed in 2018 that the disease has resurfaced. Reigns returned to the ring four months later, declaring his leukaemia to be in remission once more. Roman is the current WWE champion and is frequently referred to as the company’s face.

Triple H Test

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Triple H last competed in January 2021, when he faced Randy Orton in a no-contest match on Monday Night RAW. Due to an inherited heart issue, the King of Kings had a cardiac episode in late 2021. In an interview with ESPN, Triple H shared his near-death experience.

The Game needed emergency surgery to save his life. He just announced his retirement from the ring, stating that a defibrillator had been inserted in his chest. The 52-year-old is now the Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy and Development.

Bret Hart

Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart received notice in the fall of 2013 that he might have prostate cancer. He was diagnosed with slow-growing prostate cancer by his doctor. To track the disease’s progress, Hart would need a biopsy and regular blood tests as part of active monitoring.

As a result of his early detection, Hart had a robotic prostatectomy operation in February 2016, which was a less painful, less invasive treatment that left more nerve endings intact, and he beat prostate cancer. Hart, on the other hand, revealed on Instagram in 2020 that he was no longer fighting skin cancer.

Big Show

Like André The Giant, Paul Wight nicknamed The Big Show was born with acromegaly. The former WWE Champion had a rare illness in which a tumour on his pituitary gland released too much growth hormone. Acromegaly can be fatal if left untreated. As a result, at the age of 19, Wight had to undergo surgery.

Wight left the WWE when his contract with the company expired in February 2021. A few days later, he joined AEW. The 50-year-old is currently working as a colour commentator and part-time in-ring act.

Michelle McCool

McCool announced her diagnosis of skin cancer in an Instagram post five years after her retirement. Fortunately, McCool quickly treated the issue and eliminated the potentially fatal illness.

McCool has made a few rare WWE appearances in recent years. In 2022, she competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. The former Women’s Champion started as the tenth seed and fought for more than 20 minutes before being knocked out by Mickie James.

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss is one of WWE’s most talented female wrestlers. She is also in fantastic physical shape these days. However, the former RAW Women’s Champion was on the point of death 15 years ago. The 30-year-old struggled with anxiety, despair, and an eating issue as a teenager. Bliss was only 15 years old when her weight dropped to dangerously low levels and her heart rate dropped to 28 beats per minute, putting her in grave peril.

In an interview with Off The Top Rope, Bliss opened up about her life-threatening incident, stating that physicians told her she was only 24 hours away from death. Fortunately, Bliss recovered from her incident and went on to pursue bodybuilding until joining WWE in 2013. In a 2020 interview with Sports Illustrated, she said that she now suffers from eating disorders, anxiety, and sadness on a regular basis.

Brock Lesnar

In the year 2000, Brock Lesnar began his professional wrestling career. The Beast Incarnate joined WWE and spent two years in developmental before making his main roster debut in 2002. In 2004, he did, however, depart the company.

Lesnar rose to popularity in the UFC later on. The former WWE Champion was diagnosed with diverticulitis in 2009, while still pursuing his MMA career. For the former Universal Champion, the medicine worked, and he was able to avoid surgery straight immediately. However, he had to fight for his life for nearly 11 days. Lesnar eventually beat the condition and recovered in January of 2010. Two years later, the Beast Incarnate returned to Vince McMahon’s company.

Khali Disease

Khali also suffered from acromegaly. The WWE Hall of Famer, unlike the Big Show, did not treat it right away. Instead, in July 2012, at the age of 39, he had surgery to remove a tumour from his pituitary gland. According to ABC News, Khali’s illness is believed to have created long-term health issues.

Khali was fortunate in that the tumour was removed, preventing further complications. André the Giant, a WWE Hall of Famer, died of the same disease at the age of 46 in 1993.