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Roman Reigns' shocking medical diagnosis of leukemia, revealed October 22nd on a Monday Night RAW from Rhode Island, has been a sobering reminder of how precious and fragile life truly is. Although Reigns' horrible revelation is by far the highest profile cancer diagnosis in pro-wrestling history, coming at the relatively youthful age of 33 while still in his career prime as WWE's top champion and current star, it is unfortunately by no means the only time a professional wrestler or sports entertainer has been struck by some variation of the disease.
Just weeks ago, the world of women's indie wrestling heard the news of Joshi and SHIMMER wrestler Ray Lin, a masked Hong Kong native who once faced Ember Moon and Mia Yim, succumbing to late-stage brain cancer, something not unheard of in her JWP home promotion, which also dealt with the loss of wrestler Jackie Sato to stomach cancer back in 1999. Hector Garza, the lucha libre star who won a 20-man gauntlet at the beginning of TNA's first pay-per-view in 2004, passed away from lung cancer in 2013, and former WWF valet Marianna, a minor figure in the late 90s Attitude Era, died from breast cancer in 2004, just five years after her last appearance for the company.
Though these heart-wrenching tragedies are bad for business, fan morale and most importantly, the victims of these terrible illnesses themselves and their loved ones, there is a silver lining at the edge of the blackest cloud and light at the end of the darkest tunnel. The legacies of these brilliant athletes lives on forever and additionally, there are wrestlers who have survived the horrors of a "C-word" diagnosis...before, during and after their in-ring careers.
In tribute to Joseph "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i, these are 5 professional wrestlers who survived cancer.
#5) Zach Gowen
The one-legged handicap wrestler, who made a name for himself in the early days of TNA before a brief stint in Ruthless Aggression Era WWE the youthful age of 19, was a childhood cancer patient who lost his leg from amputation after being diagnosed at age eight.
Although seemingly impossible, Gowen not only succeeding in wrestling despite his debilitating handicap but arguably benefited from it as his peak success in wrestling, a Smackdown storyline involving Stephanie and Vince McMahon, directly played on his physical shortcomings.
Gowen's ability to walk without crutches, nail moonsaults and put on overall entertaining matches despite having one leg was truly an impressive and praise-worthy inspiration and If not for his star struck immature attitude leading to his WWE release, it's quite possible he could have become a legend in wrestling by now.
#4) Masahito Kakihara
Masahito Kakihara is veteran a martial artist and pro-wrestler who excelled in the old UWF-i shoot wrestling promotion,n which pulled off a successful invasion angle with New Japan Pro Wrestling that would later be mimicked by Eric Bischoff when he concocted the NWO angle in WCW. In December 2014, Kakihara announced via his personal Facebook page that he had been diagnosed with malignant lymphoma and would be undergoing immediate treatment.
Kakihara's story was similar to that of fellow Japanese wrestler Osamu Nishimura, who was diagnosed shortly after joining NJPW in 1998 and made a full recovery by 2001, going on to win the IWGP tag team titles twice, including with currently active New Japan veteran Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
Kakihara's cancer story appears to have concluded on a similar positive note as the survivor appeared at this years Wrestle Kingdom 12 pay-per-view from the Tokyo Dome, where he went on to win the annual 20-man New Japan Rumble gauntlet match during the events pre-show.
#3) Brian Pillman
"Flyin" Brian Pillman, the "loose cannon" from Cincinatti who is best known for his football and pro-wrestling careers in Canada's Stampede Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the WWF during in the evolving period that preceeded the Attitude Era, was a childhood cancer survivor. The agile light heavyweight athlete, who went up against NJPW legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger on the very first episode of WCW Monday Nitro in September 1995, suffered from multiple malignant throat polyps as a toddler and underwent more than thirty separate surgeries to save his life.
Although Pillman grew up without his deceased father and spent much of his early childhood in a hospital where he would only be released during Christmas, he survived the throat cancer with only his signature raspy voice left as a reminder. Despite his terrible illnesses, less than stellar family life and untimely 1997 demise from a drug overdose, he still created a legacy for himself by excelling in the NFL and the top three pro-wrestling promotions of the 90s.
#2) Bret Hart
In February 2016, Canadian native Bret "The Hitman" Hart, one of the most respected and successful WWE Superstars of all time, announced via social media that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and his upcoming battle with the disease would be one of the toughest periods in his life.
The five-time WWF champion and multi-time Intercontinental and tag team champion (as well as Royal Rumble and King of the Ring winner) was already all too familiar with tragedy, having lost his Hart Foundaton stablemate Brian Pillman, both of his parents (including his dad, legendary Stampede Wrestling founder Stu Hart), his brother Owen and his brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith aka the British Bulldog, in back-to-back successive deaths between 1997 and 2003, on top of having his career prematurely ended in 2000 due to an injury, his first wife divorcing him in 1998 and his suffering from a stroke shortly thereafter, and another after a bicycle accident in 2002.
Still, the pink-and-black clad icon caught the disease early, undergoing successful treatment and making a seemingly full recovery. He has been remarried since 2010 and remains a WWE Hall of Famer and sole survivor of the 5-man 1997 version of the Hart Foundation stable.
#1) Kenta Kobashi
The iconic Japanese puroresu star Kenta Kobashi, a GHC triple crown winner with 23 separate Wrestling Observer-rated 5 star matches under his belt (and who also happens to be the mentor of NXT and 205 Live star KENTA, aka Hideo Itami) temporarily left wrestling in June 2006 after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. Following a successful 546-day battle with the condition, he returned to his NOAH home promotion in one of the most memorable moments in the history of Japanese wrestling.
Kobashi, one of the influential "Four Pillars" of 1990s All Japan Pro Wrestling who partially innovated the infamous Burning Hammer maneuver, cemented his legacy as one of the toughest, most enduring figures in the history of his respective medium by climbing out of the grips of death and standing tall over cancer, treating it like a deposed nemesis at the end of a long war saga. Kobashi is the embodiment of the Japanese wrestling philosophy of fighting spirit and through his triumph over cancer, we are reminded that though wrestling isn't "real" in the literal sense, its in-ring purveyors still personify a seemingly superhuman attribute in their incredible ability to stretch the boundaries of human endurance and physicality.
Perhaps one day Roman Reigns will return to RAW in similar a triumphant fashion and finally receive the adoring applause WWE has always wanted for him. Regardless of what happens long term, our thoughts and prayers are with him!
