Roman Reigns shocked the wrestling world on Raw when he dropped the Universal Title due to an ongoing battle with leukemia.

When Roman Reigns made his way to the ring to open Raw this week, you could tell that something wasn't quite right. He was wearing his regular clothes and looked as if he had something to tell the WWE Universe. There were rumors that the now former Universal Champion had recently suffered an injury, but no one was prepared for the bombshell he was about to drop.

Reigns revealed that in 2008 at the age of 22, he was diagnosed with leukemia. It was after his football career had come to an end and while he was expecting his first child. By the time he signed for WWE in 2010, he was in remission. However, his announcement on Raw was to reveal that his leukemia has returned, and he will be taking time away from WWE while he battles it.

RELATED: WRESTLERS REACT TO ROMAN REIGNS' HEARTBREAKING ANNOUNCEMENT

Those who have had cancer or have had a family member suffer with it will know that even when you go into remission, there is always the fear that it will return. While the extent of Reigns' leukemia hasn't been revealed, it is likely that he still has to go for check-ups on a semi-regular basis, and that it was at one of those check-ups where doctors discovered his leukemia had returned.

As if watching the emotional embrace between Reigns and his Shield brothers wasn't hard enough, WWE has also released a video of what happened after he went back through the curtain. You can check it out in full above. It includes interactions with Triple H, Braun Strowman, and a clearly teary Nia Jax who Reigns is related to via the expansive Samoan family tree.

Reigns' announcement on Raw was a stark reminder that the people we watch each week are more than just wrestlers or characters. It's a unique business and one that allowed Reigns to pour his heart out on Monday and be 100% honest with the fans. We wish him all the best in his battle against leukemia and our thoughts are with him and his family right now. We look forward to seeing him back in WWE as soon as possible.

NEXT: WWE RELEASES STATEMENT REGARDING ROMAN REIGNS LEUKEMIA DIAGNOSIS