WWE Hall Of Famer Jim 'Hacksaw' Duggan Fighting Cancer Again – But He Remains Optimistic

WWE Hall of Famer Jim “Hacksaw” Duggan confirmed he is once again battling cancer after undergoing surgery to remove his prostate last October. 

The former WWE Superstar confirmed the news on social media earlier this week in a video message to fans in which he said he remained in good spirits and outlined the treatment he’ll undergo with his wife, Debra, by his side. 

“Hi folks, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and videos of our travels. We’ve been having a great time but reality is here and I’m afraid I have some bad news. It seems like my cancer treatment is not over even after the removal of my prostate last October,” Duggan says. “Tomorrow I’m having my second hormone shot and Tuesday I’m being set up for radiation treatment, which will be eight weeks, five days a week.”

Although it’s disappointing news, Duggan assured fans that his doctors are optimistic given how early they caught this round of cancer. However, he confessed that it is “still a very terrifying time for me and my family.” 

Fortunately, it seems the treatment won’t be too debilitating to his ability to continue to travel with his wife and meet fans on the road. 

“The doctors also said to go ahead and live life, which we’re going to do. I’m afraid I’m going to make most shows but some shows I’m going to have to postpone or cancel and I’m sorry about that, but that’s the way it’s got to be,” he explained.

Duggan also vowed to keep his social media followers in the loop in the hopes his journey may help someone else who has to go through this treatment know what’s coming and not feel alone. 

“Throughout the whole experience I’ll be posting,” he says. “Hopefully it’ll help someone out there because I know a lot of men, a lot of families are going to go through this. I know it’s going to help me. You folks have helped me through an awful lot over the years many times before. Sharing this with you is going to help me get through this. Thank you.” 

He concludes: “Please don’t feel sorry for me. Be thankful that they caught it early. Thoughts and prayers are more than welcome and remember, I’ll get through this. Thanks very much, folks.” 

The WWE Superstar made good on his promise to document things. On Tuesday, he posted five times on his Instagram, showing his trip to the medical center to get a shot in his knee as well as his hormone treatment shot “in the belly.” 

As he left the treatment center, he shared another video noting to his followers that he was feeling good after his day of treatment and encouraged his male followers to get their prostates checked.

“Remember folks, early detection saves lives. Make sure you get your PSA [prostate-specific antigen] checked. One in six men will have prostate cancer. Get it checked out,” he says. 

Duggan, known as “Hacksaw” to fans thanks to his tendency to walk into the ring carrying a 2x4 in one hand and an American flag in the other, captivated WWE fans when he joined the organization in 1987. Quickly, he established a persona as an all-American Superstar who could easily get the crowd chanting “USA, USA!” as he defended the country’s honor against villains such as Nikolai Volkoff, Dino Bravo, Bad News Brown, and Boris Zhukov, according to the WWE.

He solidified his place in WWE history by winning the inaugural Royal Rumble by eliminating One Man Gang. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that Duggan has battled cancer. He took a brief hiatus from the ring in 1998 when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. In 2021, he revealed that he’d been living with a prostate cancer diagnosis for a few months before letting followers in on his surgery journey.