WWE legendf Black Bart, whose real name is Rick Harris, was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2022. His family has now shared an update on the 76-year-old’s treatment
WWE legend Black Bart has revealed he’s stopped cancer treatment as he’s “in God’s hands now”. The wrestler, whose career spanned more than 30 years and peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022, but the disease was caught late, having already progressed to stage four.
In December, his family revealed the 76-year-old, real name Rick Harris, had taken the difficult decision to stop his chemotherapy treatment after their health insurance stopped covering its cost.
The family, in a statement, said the aggressive treatment was “doing more damage than good” as his condition wasn’t improving and it was causing him pain.
They said: “He [Bart] has told me that he doesn’t want any more chemo, he feels that it’s doing more damage than good and I have to back him up on that. He doesn’t feel that he has given up he’s just not putting any more poison in his body. He is completely in God’s hands now. God’s will be done.”
On Sunday, January 5, speaking on social media, his family revealed he had been moved to a hospice for palliative care after his condition worsened.
They added: “We appreciate the prayers and do wish them to continue but as I said before he is no longer taking the chemo and his cancer was stage 4 when diagnosed in 2022. Right now Bart is still hanging in there. We are keeping him comfortable and pain-free. That’s all I can say for now.”
The wrestler began his career in the 1970s, before making the move to the World Class Wrestling Association in 1986. He gained the World Class title in September of the same year but lost the belt just a month later to Kevin Von Erich who was recently played by Zac Efron in the 2023 film The Iron Claw.
In 1989 he joined the WWF, now the WWE, where he became a household name among wrestling fans before eventually retiring in 2002. Fans have been quick to offer support with floods of adoring fans offering their sympathy and support to the Harris family.
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