"I almost died about six times" - Pro Wrestling legend Bobby Fulton opens up about his recent brush with death (Exclusive)
Bobby Fulton recently opened up about his hard-fought battle with throat cancer, for which he was diagnosed back in 2017.
Fulton is one of wrestling's most respected veterans, having begun competing at just the age of 16 in 1977. Though he only made a handful of appearances in WWE, Bobby Fulton made a name for himself by performing in various promotions worldwide. His and Tommy Rogers' tag team, The Fantastics, is one of the most influential tandems in the business, winning countless titles.
In a chat with Bill Apter of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Bobby Fulton discussed many things, including his throat cancer diagnosis a few years back.
He recalled that when he first began to feel unease in his throat, he consulted a doctor, who assured him that he was fine. However, Fulton explained that he contacted an ENT specialist when he started spitting blood.
"It probably started in 2017. I started having problems on this side of my throat [right], and I went to a doctor, and he said, 'there's nothing wrong with you; you're fine. Let me give you a shot, and you'll be alright next week.' But it finally got to where I was spitting up blood. Whenever you're spitting blood, there's a serious problem. I went to my doctor and asked him to refer me to an ENT specialist. He said, 'I refuse to give you a recommendation. You're not going.' That time, I jumped up in his face and got about this far from his nose. We had a pretty heavy argument, and his office manager said, 'I will send the referral now,'" said Bobby Fulton.
The 62-year-old detailed that once he was diagnosed with throat cancer, a massive tumor began developing just below his throat the size of a "potato."
Bobby Fulton added that he soon underwent radiation and chemotherapy as treatment for his cancer. If this wasn't enough, the wrestling legend also mentioned how he ruptured one of the arteries in his throat.
"So I got the referral, and I got in there; they told me I had cancer. I had a tumor from my ear to my throat, the size of a baked potato. They told my son, Jarron, he was there with me then, he came up and was staying with me. Long story short, I went in, I had treatments, I had radiation, and I had chemotherapy. I have a safety spring in my throat. After all that went down, I was sitting at home one morning, and I woke up with a mouth full of blood; I spit it out. I didn't know an artery had ruptured in my throat," added Fulton.
Bobby Fulton stated the fact that he survived after his artery busted was a miracle, as doctors said one could only live a few minutes after such an emergency. The former NWA star added that he had a close encounter with death several times during his medical ordeal but fought hard to emerge victorious.
"They said when that busted, you only have six minutes to live. But I lived an hour after that and got the procedure done. A safety spring is now in my throat, holding my arteries together. I don't know if you have seen it, but I have scars all around my body because of radiation and chemotherapy. And Bill, I almost died about six times. What people say is you should be dead and the doctors say you should be dead," noted Bobby Fulton. (0:38 - 3:33)
Check out the full video below:
Bobby Fulton on Big Time Wrestling's The Reunion 2: Glory Days Bash
Now that he's recovered from his health struggles, Bobby Fulton is back in the business, albeit not as an in-ring wrestler. Fulton is the promotor of the upcoming Big Time Wrestling's The Reunion 2: Glory Days Bash event on March 11th.
Several big names like Sting, Rob Van Dam, Ron Simmons, and more are slated for the show. Fulton revealed how his son Jarron Fulton would be debuting at the event. Jarron would take on Ricky Morton's son, Kerry Morton, and AEW star Brock Anderson for the NWA Jr. Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match.
"It's one thing when I'm in the ring wrestling when Arn's in the ring wrestling, when Ricky's in the ring wrestling. But it's another thing when there's fresh blood in there. So there's no doubt tempers are gonna flare. I'm prepared for anything. I can think of no better thing in the world than for my son, Jarron Fulton, to walk out of the ring in his debut match as the National Wrestling Alliance Junior Heavyweight Champion," said Bobby Fulton. (9:17 - 10:01)
Rob Van Dam will square off against Carlito in the main event of the night, which promises a great cocktail of top-notch in-ring action and heavy doses of nostalgia.
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