A WWE performer recently declined to deliver a controversial promo targeting Roman Reigns’s real-life battle with cancer, highlighting concerns over sensitivity within the wrestling community. The incident reveals tensions behind the scenes regarding how wrestlers’ personal struggles are portrayed on WWE programming.
Roman Reigns, whose real name is Joe Anoaʻi, publicly shared in October 2018 that he was facing a recurrence of leukemia. This announcement led to him voluntarily giving up the WWE Universal Championship and stepping away from the company to focus on his health. His departure from the ring at that time was marked by widespread support from fans and colleagues alike.
Years later, Baron Corbin, now wrestling under the name Bishop Dyer, disclosed during an appearance on Busted Open Radio that WWE writers had drafted a promo that encouraged him to insult Reigns by referencing his cancer diagnosis. Dyer refused to perform the segment, feeling it was inappropriate to attack a colleague’s health challenges without their consent.
“It’s like taking shots at him about having cancer, and I was like, ‘Okay time out. Does Roman or Joe know that this is the promo? And they were like, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ And I said, ‘I’m not saying this unless he tells me it’s cool to say,’ and he was already gone … So I took it to Vince [McMahon], and I was like, ‘Hey man this is what they want me to say,’ he’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to say that,’ and he changed it,” he said. —Baron Corbin, Former WWE Star
Dyer emphasized that refusing the promo was partly to avoid creating animosity with Reigns, since such a narrative could have unfairly directed backlash toward him. The decision to bring the issue to WWE chairman Vince McMahon led to the script being rewritten, preventing what could have been a highly controversial moment on television.
Roman Reigns made a return to WWE programming in February following his remission, embarking on the Road to WrestleMania after months away from the ring. His comeback marked one of the more inspiring returns in wrestling given the severity of his health battle.
Roman Reigns’s Recent Storyline Exit at Clash in Paris
In a recent match at the Clash in Paris event, Roman Reigns defeated Bronson Reed after executing a Samoan Drop from the second rope and finishing with a Spear. However, the celebration was cut short when Bron Breakker appeared and, along with Reed, launched a brutal attack on Reigns.
Reed and Breakker’s coordinated assault culminated in a Tsunami and a Spear, inflicting severe damage on Reigns. The on-screen storyline injury was used to justify his temporary removal from television, with WWE announcing that he would be sidelined indefinitely after sustaining multiple fractured ribs.
This narrative exit coincides with Reigns’s off-screen commitments, as he is currently filming the live-action adaptation of Street Fighter, portraying the character Akuma. The timing allows him to focus on this project while maintaining his wrestling storyline.
Reigns’s absence allows WWE to build anticipation around both his cinematic debut and eventual return to the ring, where he is expected to continue as one of the company’s primary figures.
