Richard Holliday Says He’s Being Treated For Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Richard Holliday has announced that he is in the midst of treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The MLW star spoke with Sports Illustrated for a new interview in which he revealed that he is halfway through chemotherapy for the condition, which has kept him out of the ring since the summer.

Holliday told the site that he began experiencing night sweats in June, noting, “When I wrestled [Alex] Hammer[stone] 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.”

He added that he began getting dizzy spells in July and went to the ER. “I was taking iron pills to try to counter that, but my levels kept dropping,” he said. “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.”

Holliday added that he’s keeping his mind focused on his eventual return to the ring as inspiration for his recovery, saying, “I think about my return every single day. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But this is a process. I know there are more steps after chemotherapy. Mentally, right now, I am ready. Physically, I know it’s going to take some time. But I will be back.”

On behalf of 411, our best wishes to Holliday as he kicks cancer’s ass.