It has been a remarkably sad start to the year with the deaths of Alan Rickman and David Bowie making headlines; the world of wrestling has now been left reeling at the news that Bret Hart has been diagnosed with cancer.
The ‘Hit Man’ took to social media on Monday to reveal the news, leading to an outpouring of support and well wishes from the wrestling community.
A WWE Hall of Famer and five-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Hart is one of the most recognisable faces in wrestling.
His career in the ring was filled with glory, controversy, trial and tribulations in equal measure but now Hart faces what he describes as a “fearsome fight” against prostate cancer.
The Canadian grappler was renowned for his gruelling in-ring battles and his career was marred by myriad injuries – prematurely bringing an end to his work inside the squared circle in 1999.
Hart acknowledged these in a heartfelt post on Instagram and Facebook, in which he reeled off the plethora of knocks he suffered in the “fake” world of wrestling.
“I’ve paid a price for all that ‘fake’ wrestling,” wrote Hart.
“Aside from a devastating career-ending concussion and numerous surgeries when I was younger, in recent years I’ve had two knee replacements, two hernia operations, surgery on my right elbow, and, just a few months ago, I underwent a four-corner fusion of my right wrist that even now makes it most difficult to write or type.”
Not only that, Hart suffered a stroke in 2002 that at the time left him with total paralysis on his left side.
Through extensive physiotherapy, the Calgary native had a full recovery and will surely take positives from that experience into his latest health setback.
The news is a further reminder of the fragility of the Superstars who seem immortal when their music plays and they make their way down to the ring to put on a show for our entertainment.
For now, however, Sport360 joins the millions of wrestling fans the world over in wishing Hart a speedy recovery.
#GetWellHitman