WWE Superstar Roman Reigns Updates Fans on Battle Against Leukemia

Even though many wrestlers in the WWE have seen success, Roman Reigns is in a league of his own. He started out as a professional football player, but his short-lived career on the field ended when he was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2007. According to CBS Sports, he announced it went into remission soon after.

Unfortunately, in October 2018, Roman announced once again that he was battling cancer. As of 2024, the question remains: Is he still contending with leukemia? Read on for all the known details regarding his health.

Roman Reigns prefers to keep his cancer journey out of the spotlight, reserving discussion on the matter for official announcements. Luckily, during the Feb. 25, 2019, episode of Raw, he disclosed that his cancer had entered remission, telling the crowd, "The good news is, I'm in remission, y'all. So with that being said, the Big Dog is back!"

Since then, Roman has emerged as a dominant force within the promotion, boasting an impressive reign as Universal Champion for 1,316 days and as WWE Champion for 735 days (although he lost both titles to Cody Rhodes during the second night of Wrestlemania 40).

However, during Night 1 of the event, WWE announcer Pat McAfee raised concerns about Roman's health, referencing his ongoing battle with leukemia and indicating that he was still "battling leukemia as we speak."

Following his and The Rock's massive victory against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, Roman offered an update on his chronic myeloid leukemia during the post-show press conference.

"I am still on oral chemotherapy. It's a medication I will have to remain on my entire life, most likely," Roman disclosed to the media. "That's a part of my personal battle. Thank God, I'm still able to perform. I think anybody in my position would say health is wealth, and as long as I can continue to perform, then you know that is at bay. We're good, still in remission, but it is something that is still a part of my life."

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Roman is worth around $14 million. While the exact figures of his WWE earnings remain undisclosed, it's commonly speculated that he makes $5 million annually.

Furthermore, Roman has forged a partnership with C4 Energy, evident from numerous promotional posts across his Instagram. The specifics of his compensation for these posts, however, remain undisclosed.

Previously, Roman has partnered with brands such as Shady Rays, DraftKings Sportsbook, WWE Games, and more, whose partnerships likely brought in some decent money, as well.

According to The Sun, Roman bought a home in 2017 featuring spacious rooms overlooking the ocean and boasting an expansive pool. All in all, it's safe to say that he is thriving financially!

It might not come as a shock that "Roman Reigns" isn't his real name. However, unlike numerous other celebrities who use stage names, his actual name isn't concealed — it's readily available on his Instagram profile. But for those not on social media, his real name is Leati Joseph Anoa'i.

During an April 2017 appearance on Chris Jericho's podcast, Talk Is Jericho, the WWE superstar revealed that his initial plan was to go simply by "Roman" without a surname, but he was prohibited from doing so.

Eventually, Roman settled on the last name Raines — even though there was a fellow professional wrestler with the ring name Calvin Raines (Patrick Brink). However, WWE commentator Corey Graves proposed altering the spelling to what has become familiar to fans today.

"He was like, 'Hey, I heard you saying 'Roman Raines.' What if you spelled it like, 'reigns,' like a king reigns?'" Roman recalled to Chris Jericho. Clearly, he loved the suggestion and embraced the "total heel name."