World Wrestling Entertainment didn't waste much time in touching the hearts of Atlanta fans at State Farm Arena Monday.
During a live broadcast of the popular RAW TV show on Monday night, Roman Reigns – a four-time WWE champion and former football player at Georgia Tech – took center stage and provided an emotional announcement regarding his battle with leukemia.
"We didn't just swing for the fences ... we hit a home run!" said Reigns, during his long discussion with the fans, which began with shaking hands, exchanging hugs and taking selfies.
He then revealed the feel-good message of the night, before dropping the mic:
"The good news is ... I'm in remission, y'all."
A few minutes later, the WWE TV announcers were absolutely giddy about Reigns' crowd-pleasing moment, declaring The Big Dog Is Back!
Before the wrestling fame, the Florida-born Reigns played college football at Georgia Tech and then spent some time in the NFL, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings.
Back in October, Reigns revealed he first learned of his bout with leukemia 11 years ago and had privately undergone treatment.
However, with the illness returning, at age 33, it was time to devote Reigns' full attention to getting better.
"I will beat this, I will be back, and you will see me very, very soon," Reigns told a wrestling audience last fall.
At Georgia Tech, Reigns – then known as Joe Anoa'i – collected 6.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss during his two-year stint on The Flats (2005-06).
