Pro wrestling superstar Bret “The Hitman” Hart announced today has been hit with a diagnosis tougher than any opponent from his legendary career inside the squared circle: prostate cancer.
Bret took to social media to make the announcement. “I now face my toughest battle. With hesitation and fear, I openly declare myself in my fight against prostate cancer,” Bret told his followers. “In the next few days, I will undergo surgery with the hope of defeating this nemesis once and for all.
“I make a solemn vow to all of those that once believed in me, the dead and the living, that I will wage my fearsome fight against cancer with one shield and one sword carrying my determination and my fury for life, emboldened by all the love that’s kept me going this long already,” the 58-year-old wrestler proclaimed.
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One of the most-recognizable and revered pro wrestlers ever, Bret is no stranger to physical battles outside the ring.
A 1999 concussion forced Bret from the ring for a period of time. In 2002, he suffered a stroke that put him in a wheelchair for a while, but he fought his way back into the ring.
Bret also weighed in after The National ENQUIRER exposed WWE poster boy Hulk Hogan’s racist and homophobic remarks. Bret said “I’m kind of glad he got busted for that reason that times have changed and you have to answer for that stuff … and he’s answering for it.”
In his current battle, Bret is turning to his family for inspiration.
“My children, grandchildren, and my loving wife Steph have been and will constantly be at my side,” Bret added. “I refuse to lose, I will never give in or give up, and I will win this battle or die trying.”
Bret’s younger brother, Owen, died in 1999 during a wrestling performance when a cable harness failed and he fell 78 feet into the ring.
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Bret ended his announcement by writing: “Most important of all, I hope can take the fight to prostate cancer. To be a leader in awareness and to set the example for men everywhere who find themselves in my very same shoes, that prostate cancer can be beaten.”
