Wednesdaymania 20

It's never easy, learning that someone famous has a terrifying illness, but it's even harder when you have been slagging on the guy for years. This is what I'm facing right now. Of course, what I'm facing is nothing compared to what Roman Reigns faces.

This is a man who has lost his brother (Rosey), who has been pretty broadly disliked by wrestling fans, and who now has given us one of the most painful moments in recent history on Raw.

Because Roman Reigns has leukemia.

And it's not the first time.

And from the way people are reacting, it doesn't sound good.

I'm not an oncologist. I don't know the specifics about what kind of leukemia he has. All I know is that this is not his first battle with the cancer - he was diagnosed 11 years ago and went into remission. When cancer comes back, it's never a good sign, in my experience.

This brings up all kinds of feelings for me, because Roman is easy to dislike. He's smarmy when he gives the scripted promos they hand him, he's mediocre in the ring when you compare him to Daniel Bryan or Kenny Omega, and he's had a rocket strapped to his butt for years that's stalled out because we don't like to be told by a company that someone is great (look how we've treated John Cena, who's also a perfectly nice guy). But here's the thing - Roman's not a bad wrestler or a bad promo or even a bad champion.

He's good at all these things.

He's just not at the level they keep telling us he's at, and that's so intensely unfair to the guy. Had the Shield lasted another year or two (maybe three, who're we kidding), then I think that A) Seth's knees would be in better shape, B) Dean would probably look less stoned half the time, and C) Roman would've become a People's Champ like his first cousin once removed. WWE never really gave Roman a chance to find himself.

Which is why the fans immediately leaped on the hate train like a pack of howler monkeys, myself included.

But it's really hard to hate a guy with three kids and cancer.

So I'm not going to pretend anymore. Roman's a fine wrestler. I don't hate the guy, and if the fight goes well and we're lucky enough to have him in the ring again, I look forward to watching him get the title back. To be honest, the cooldown of absence can only make him more popular. We're in Poochy territory with the guy, right now.

I hope the fight goes well and that he can Superman Punch this leukemia right back into remission.

Then I see the Shield standing together at the end of his announcement after telling the crowd that he'll "Take any prayer you send (him)" and I get very afraid.

Seth was weeping the whole time. Dean wasn't much better.
Neither was anyone else.

Your friends don't cry like this when you've got an easy fight ahead.

Leukemia doesn't as often hit people in the 19-40 crowd, either, and he was first diagnosed at 22.

That's frightening.

So I wish Mr. Joe Anoa'i every advantage in his fight.

And I hope that, even if I never see him set foot in the ring again, that he gets to attend his children's graduations, their weddings, the births of their children.

I hope he recovers and is able to live his life to its upper limit and beyond.

So get well, Roman Reigns. And know that even your haters are pulling for you.

FC