WWE star Roman Reigns was recently interviewed by Sporting News to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Big Dog” discussed his recent battle with leukemia, being surrounded by his family, missing his WWE family, and how his experience gave him a new outlook and approach towards his work.
Here are the highlights:
Being surrounded by his family:
I was very fortunate to have my family and my support system wrapped around me, but I missed a lot of these guys. I missed my co-workers, I missed the relationships that I have with them and seeing them every single week, you get used to that. So, to be able to sit in that locker room and just talk and BS with everyone for a little bit, it’s something I cherish.
Missing his WWE family:
It was weird because I was surrounded by my family, but I felt selfish in a weird way because I did miss my other family. I missed the idea of being what I was and having the setup and my day-to-day and my schedule and what my weekly routine was. And I knew I wasn’t going to be flying back out for a live event and I wasn’t going to be able to do TV and I wasn’t going to see everybody.
It was weird because with everything going on, I still missed, I still have so much love for this place and these people that I missed them, even with everything and all the craziness that was surrounding me. It kind of broke my heart. This crazy life I have, I get to have a little bit of everything as far as my friends and family so it was weird not having both of those in the same week, but like I said, my family, they just stepped up. They surrounded me and made it feel that I wasn’t alone. That’s what family is for.”
How the experience changed his outlook and approach towards his work:
For me, it rearranged my perspective because I still enjoy creating. I love to go out there and tell a story through wrestling and sports entertainment, but we’re in a place now where we’re not just performers. We are people.
I’ve always wanted to have just a little more of a purpose than just being that entertainer and I think now with my story and the things I’ve gone through, people can connect with me and they can see where I’m coming from and the struggles I’ve been through and it gives them a little better taste of the person I am. If they can connect with Joe a little more than Roman, then I think I’m doing a better job at my career and my life than I was before.
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