Roman Reigns will not be challenging WWE Universal Champion Goldberg at WrestleMania 36.
Reigns pulled out of his match last week since he is immunocompromised from his battle with leukemia. Reigns was at the Performance Center when he made the call himself to pull out of the match.
Reigns posted a video on Instagram where he confirmed that he has indeed pulled out of WrestleMania 36. Here’s what he said in full:
“You already know what’s going on. It’s all over the news – the dirtsheets, whatever you want to call em – that I pulled out of WrestleMania. And it’s funny because for years now, years, people are like, ‘Don’t show up to WrestleMania! We don’t want you in it!’ Ya know what I mean? There’s a nice handful of dudes and haters that didn’t want me there. But the moment I make a choice for me and my family, I’m a “coward.” I’m a “sissy.” A lot of different things that I am now. But you don’t know the whole story.
All you know is what you think. “Oh, well his health” and this and that, but … you don’t know what else is going on in my life. You don’t know if I have newborns. You don’t know if I have family in my household, older family. So yeah, like the old saying, man … go and flip that cover open and read a few pages, get into a few chapters before you really start running your mouth. And just take this time to better yourself, be present and make the most out of this.
Because if we can’t grow in a time like this … I don’t think we have a chance, man. This is the most downtime I’ve ever seen in my life. So I just challenge everybody, and I’m taking the steps right there with you. I’m not perfect. I’m a hater too sometimes, you know what I mean?
But I try to always put it in perspective of why I want something, or why I might be jealous of something, and then I put it in my grind.”
Reign also later said:
“For all my fans, I’m sorry I didn’t get to compete this year and put on a show and entertain … but sometimes things are more important and I had to make a choice for me and my family. No matter what, you already know the deal, man. I made the town, you know what I mean? I made it to Orlando. And I had to make a decision for me. But it doesn’t take anything away from what I’ve done and what I’m going to do. I still love this game. I still love pro wrestling, sports entertainment. I love being in the ring. It’s a little weird being in the ring with nobody watching, nobody in the arena, but, man … I’m ready to get back to work. And I’m just taking these times, this little bit of time we have, to build up the outside … and come as close as possible to perfecting the inside.”
H/T to Pro Wrestling Sheet
