Richard Holliday Being Treated For Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Richard Holliday provides an update on his status.

Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Richard Holliday revealed that he's battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma and his halfway through a course of chemotherapy.

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“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Holliday. “You never expect this will happen to you. I took such pride in my health, so to get news like this was quite shocking.”

Holliday said he began experiencing a vicious bout of night sweats in June. Holliday has not wrestled since his June 23 bout at the MLW Fusion tapings where he challenged Alex Hammerstone for the MLW World Heavyweight Title in Falls Count Anywhere match.

“When I wrestled Hammer in June, I was taking Dayquil to try to get through every day,” Holliday said. “I kept pushing and pushing, but I just felt off. At that point, I had just got home from California. The whole time I was there, I was freezing. I was pale white when I left after a month.”

In July, he experienced severe dizzy spells and went to the emergency room where his iron and hemoglobin were dangerously low, and doctors thought he was anemic.

“I was taking iron pills to try to counter that, but my levels kept dropping,” Holliday said. “They checked if I had internal bleeding, which I didn’t, and then they ran a litany of tests and a scan of my body for a possible case of lymphoma in September. Those tests confirmed it was Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was earth-shattering, devastating. But I knew right then I needed to change my mindset. The mind powers the body, so I needed to stay positive. I was reassured by my doctor that I could beat this, and I believe I am going to beat this. My plan is not to lose to lymphoma; my plan is to inspire people. I’m going to come out of this stronger, and I’m going to let people know they can beat it, too.”

Holliday doesn't know when he will return to the ring, but is adamant that he will beat cancer and said he can't stop thinking about his return, believing he's mentally ready, but knows it will take more time physically, even after chemo treatment.

Fightful would like to wish Holliday all the best in his battle against cancer.

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