WWE WrestleMania: The rise of Roman Reigns from cancer battle to forgotten lines

dailystar.co.uk:

WWE matches of all time at WrestleMania 38 this weekend.The Tribal Chief and reigning Universal Champion puts his gold on the line as he steps up to face nemesis Brock – who also defends his WWE Championship.Both titles will be on the line in a blockbuster unification bout in Dallas, Texas, in a clash that’s been building for many months.But while Reigns, 38, readies himself to do battle with The Beast in one of the biggest outings in his career, it’s worth remembering that he has already overcome major obstacles to make it this far.In just the last few years alone, Reigns has battled serious illness, COVID, and the WWE fanbase on his way to becoming arguably WWE’s ultimate, standout performer.Going into WrestleMania weekend, we outline just some of what the Head of the Table has battled past to reach his landmark match in Dallas, Texas.Reigns was in one of the top spots in WWE back in 2018, reigning as Universal Champion and heading into a big title defence at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia against Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar in a triple-threat match.However, in an emotional address live on Raw a couple of weeks prior to the show, Reigns stunned fans in attendance and those watching at home by revealed he was suffering with leukaemia – the blood cancer returning some years after the grappler had first battled it more than a decade previously.Reigns relinquished the Universal Championship before leaving WWE screens to receive treatment and recover.Reigns seemingly tackled his battle with the illness with his typical determination and bravery, returning to the red brand in February 2019 where he again addressed the crowd in the middle of the ring.This time the announcement was a far happier one as he confirmed: “The good.