Professional wrestling is a challenging job where the wrestlers put their bodies in the line to entertain the fans every week. Hence, wrestlers are expected to be in peak condition always to deliver great matches. However, it is not always possible because wrestlers also struggle with various health conditions that could have been roadblocks to their journey of becoming pro wrestlers.
While there are some wrestlers who have struggled with severe health conditions before starting their careers, many wrestlers across WWE and other promotions have also continued their wrestling journey while having medical conditions. Here are such names who have had health issues in their lives.
10 Ric Flair: Broken Back
Before Ric Flair became a legend of the business, he had suffered a horrendous injury that could have ended his life. When The Nature Boy was 26 years old, he survived a plane crash. He broke his back in three places, and the doctor said he would never be able to wrestle again.
Despite such a career-threatening injury, Ric Flair bounced back years later and became one of the greatest wrestlers in the business. However, due to that back injury, Ric lost significant mass. He used to look bulky as a rookie before the plane crash incident. But with the significantly leaner look, Flair could truly evolve into the Nature Boy fans loved around the world. While this isn't necessarily a medical condition he deals with today, the severity of the injury and the change it brought about in his life merits its inclusion on this list.
9 Giant Gonzalez: Diabetes & Heart Issues
Giant Gonzalez was one of the tallest wrestlers to grace the WWE ring. He was in WWE in 1993 and caught the eyes of fans with his tall stature and the strange-looking ring gear. He didn't have much time to make an impression on fans as his contract expired on October 7th of that year.
His most notable match was against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 9. Gonzalez retired in 1995 as a result of serious health issues. He had type 1 diabetes and severe heart issues resulting in his passing at the age of 44.
8 Kamala: High Blood Pressure & Diabetes
Kamala was a notable name in the 1980s when he wrestled for various wrestling promotions. He was known as 'The Ugandan Giant' during his WWE stint. But throughout the majority of his wrestling career, Kamala had health issues.
Kamala had been struggling with high blood pressure and diabetes since 1992. He was forced to retire as a result of these health issues. During the pandemic in 2020, Kamala passed away after contracting COVID-19.
7 Yokozuna: Weight & Heart Issues
Yokozuna was one of the biggest stars in the WWE's New Generation Era. He won the WWE Championship twice but also main-evented WrestleMania on two occasions. Yokozuna was the heaviest wrestler ever to step foot in a WWE ring, which eventually became a problem for him in his career as well as his health.
His push was derailed as he weighed over 600 pounds at one point. WWE released him in 1998 due to the liabilities linked with his heart issues, as well as weight issues. He passed away two years after his release from the company, weeks before his 34th birthday.
6 Alexa Bliss: Eating Disorder & Concussions
Alexa Bliss is an active member of the WWE's women's roster. She is a five-time Women's Champion, and she has been associated with the company for nearly a decade. The 31-year is in great shape and certainly one of the most physically-gifted women of the roster now.
However, it has not always been like this for Bliss. When she was 15, Bliss weighed less than 80 pounds due to an eating disorder and fought for her life in the hospital. She also suffered concussions a couple of years ago, which kept her away from in-ring action for a long period of time.
5 Roman Reigns: Leukemia
Roman Reigns might be the face of WWE and the biggest draw of the current generation, but he also deals with a deadly disease. The Tribal Chief of WWE has Leukemia, which is known to the fans as he has spoken about it on TV.
In fact, Reigns had to leave WWE for a few months in 2018 due to Leukemia, relinquishing the Universal Championship in the process. He was diagnosed with it at the age of 22. Thankfully, it's in remission now.
4 Viscera: High Blood Pressure & Diabetes
Like Yokozuna, Viscera had issues with weight, which eventually led to his downfall. Viscera was nearly 500 pounds in his heyday. As Mabel, he had a fair share of success in the ring. In real life, he was dealing with some serious medical conditions.
Viscera had high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which was certainly related to his weight. He passed away due to a heart attack in 2014.
3 Brock Lesnar: Diverticulitis
Brock Lesnar is one of the greatest athletes in WWE history, but he isn't immune to health issues. The former WWE Champion competed in UFC and even won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. But during his UFC days, The Beast Incarnate was diagnosed with diverticulitis.
He had two surgeries for diverticulitis, once in 2009 and another time in 2011. In his second surgery, the doctors removed a foot from his colon. Diverticulitis certainly shortened his MMA career, but he has been doing a phenomenal job in WWE.
2 Mark Henry: Dyslexia
Mark Henry was one of the strongest men to wrestle in WWE in his prime, owing to his powerlifting background, where he won many medals. But the 'world's strongest man' also struggled with medical conditions from a young age.
When he was a teenager, Mark Henry was diagnosed with dyslexia, but it didn't stop him from becoming successful in sports. He not only had a stupendous career in powerlifting but also in pro wrestling.
1 Andre The Giant: Acromegaly
Andre the Giant was the poster boy of old-school wrestling and was known as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World' for his humongous size. Living up to his name, his billed height was over 7 feet, and weighed over 500 pounds.
But he was suffering from acromegaly, which was the reason for his huge size. Acromegaly is a hormonal imbalance that causes the pituitary gland to produce excessive growth hormone. Big Show suffered from the same problem, but had it corrected with surgery. Andre died at the age of 46 due to heart failure.