El Phantasmo Discusses His Cancer Diagnosis, Keeping a Positive Attitude

– During a recent interview with The Wrestling Classic, NJPW World TV Champion El Phantasmo discussed his bout with cancer and more. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

El Phantasmo on his bout with cancer: “There’s no way to tell (when you’ll be in remission from cancer). It was a very weird of just this is what’s happening and you have to accept it, and you know, every time family or friends, I’m like, it’s just positive mental attitude. Don’t let yourself beat yourself up and that’s exactly what I try to tell myself. I was like, ‘Alright, this is what we’re doing.’ Of course, I would lose a testicle. That’s such an ELP thing to have done.”

On the illness being detected quickly: “I got lucky that they caught it fast and I could get back to the gym really quick and once it didn’t spread, then you’re like, ‘Hey, I’m ready. I don’t wanna milk this any longer than I need to. I don’t wanna sit at home… The whole thing was I was always gonna be in the (NJPW World) TV Title match even before this cancer thing kind of happened, which kind of distracted people from the whole original story about the TV Title… I’ve been in New Japan for six years now and that was the first singles title that I’ve won so that was (a) very cool moment. I’ve proved myself as a tag team guy that — as a foreigner, to have the Tokyo Dome explode for a title win is pretty awesome. It’s a good feeling.”

El Phantasmo recently lost a NEVER Openweight Title challenge against Konosuke Takeshita at NJPW Resurgence earlier this month.