The entire wrestling world embraced WWE Superstar Roman Reigns – or more particular Leati Joseph Anoaʻi – when the former WWE Champion announced he was battling leukemia last year and had to step away from the WWE for six months. But sadly, not every professional wrestler has the support network and financial means via the WWE to combat this disease should it enter their lives.
Such is the case with Maryland indie wrestling veteran RJ Beyer. Best known as The Bruiser, a 22 year pro with Maryland Championship Wrestling (now MCW Pro), Beyer went to his doctor last week feeling physically down, but thought it was just the usual rigors of a two+ decade career inside the ring. But what the doctors found out was much, much worse. Beyer was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML. According to Wikipedia, AML is a “cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cells”.
We watched @WWERomanReigns beat leukemia, and now it’s time for another family member to follow suit. @MCWWrestling’s RJ Meyer is an outstanding Father, beloved mentor, & tremendous human. Please consider donating to his battle. https://t.co/FExaVXrZKx
— Jimmy’s Famous Seafood (@JimmysSeafood) March 19, 2019
To help Beyer, an official GoFundMe has been set up to help with costly medical bills that will undoubtedly accumulate. According to the GoFundMe’s page, “the purpose of this Go Fund Me is to help RJ with his medical and personal expenses over the next several months or longer so that he can concentrate on getting healthy and worry less about finances. Post-remission therapy can last for an extended period of time and RJ will likely be unable to return to his work as an electrician or wrestler in the foreseeable future. Right now, he is receiving in-patient treatment, but he will have extensive out-patient follow up care afterwards. The funds raised here will help him to cover what insurance does not pay for, as well as provide for his children and his own needs. At his request, this is the only authorized Go Fund Me established on his behalf. He will have sole access to any funds raised through this fundraiser.”
Trained by Axl Rotten and Corporal Punishment in 1997, Bruiser has spent nearly his entire 21-year career as a regular with MCW Pro, where he’s a former 10x MCW Heavyweight Champion, 4x MCW Tag Team Champion, and MCW Rage Television Champion. His last run as MCW Heavyweight Champion ended last July, and his last match was this past February, where he attempted to reclaim the belt for an 11th time (unsuccessfully) at MCW’s Anniversary show. A well respected veteran of the business – his peers refer to him as the “Mayor of MCW” – he’s also a trainer at the MCW Training Center, helping guide such Superstars are Lio Rush and Velveteen Dream in their early stages.
