In a recent interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, former MLW World Tag Team Champion and IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Champion Richard Holliday revealed that he is currently battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is half-way through a course of chemotherapy.

Holliday, real name Joe Zimbardi, who last wrestled as part of the June 23rd MLW Fusion tapings against Alexander Hammerstone in a Falls Count Anywhere Match for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, stated that he began experiencing a vicious bout of night sweats in June 2022, while in July he experienced severe dizzy spells and went to the emergency room, where it was noted that his iron and hemoglobin were dangerously low to the point that doctors though he was anemic.

“It’s been a whirlwind, you never expect this will happen to you. I took such pride in my health, so to get news like this was quite shocking. When I wrestled Hammer in June, I was taking Dayquil to try to get through every day, 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.

I was taking iron pills to try to counter that, but my levels kept dropping. 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.”

Wrestling-News.Net would like to extend our best wishes to Holliday.