Roman Reigns is proving why he’s a force to be reckoned with.
After announcing in October that his Leukemia had come back and he would be taking a leave of absence from wrestling, the WWE Champion made a triumphant return to the ring on Monday night to share some good news.
Addressing the crowd in Atlanta during an episode of WWE Raw, the 33-year-old wrestler, whose real name is Joe Anoa’i, revealed that he was currently in remission for the second time and intended to get back to the sport.
“I am so grateful, I am so humbled, and I am so honored to announce this,” he shared. “The good news is I’m in remission, y’all!”
“So with that being said, the Big Dog is back!” he added.
Immediately after sharing the big news, the crowd went wild, cheering, clapping, yelling, barking, and even starting a “welcome back” chant. The wrestler, meanwhile, was visibly taken aback by their emotional reaction and watched on with tears in his eyes.
The star was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008 when he was 22 years old but not long after, he was in remission.
Four months ago, however, the wrestler revealed during an episode of WWE Raw that his cancer had returned and he would be giving up his championship title and taking a leave of absence from the sport.
“The reality is my name is Joe and I’ve been living with leukemia for 11 years and unfortunately it’s back,” he said, with tears in his eyes. “Because the leukemia is back, I can’t fulfill my role. I can’t be that fighting champion and I’m going to have to relinquish the universal championship.”
“I’m not going to lie, I’ll take every prayer you can send my way but I’m not looking for sympathy, I’m not looking for you to feel bad for me because I have faith,” he continued.
Following news of his remission, the wrestler explained to the crowd in Providence, Rhode Island that he experienced a difficult period in his life and the wrestling community helped him get through it.
“I’m not gonna lie: that was the hardest time of my life. I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have any money, I didn’t have a home and I had a baby on the way, and football was done with me.”
“But you wanna know who gave me a chance? The team that gave me a chance was the WWE,” he continued.
As he wrapped up his speech, the star ensured the crowd that he would return to the ring and had no plans to relinquish his title for good.
“This is by no means a retirement speech,” he said. “I will beat this, and I will be back, so you will see me very, very soon.”
The news of his return was every bit exciting as fans as hoped, with many congratulating him on Twitter and commending him for making the announcement so publicly.
“This is the most amazing news!!!! I just cried like a baby, so happy for @WWERomanReigns” wrote one fan. “Here’s to kicking cancer’s A—!!!! #thebigdog just reclaimed his yard”
“Takes a lot for #RomanReigns to go public with all he has been going through. Can’t imagine doing that in front of millions of people. #WWE #Raw” added another.
“WELCOME BACK TO OUR YARD!!! YOU’VE BEEN MISSED!!!!” wrote someone else.
“So good to see Roman back on #Raw happy and healthy and in remission! Thank goodness!” said one user. “The #RomanEmpire always knew you would be back stronger than ever!”
At this time, is it unclear when the wrestler plans to make his official return to the ring. Representatives at WWE did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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