Former WWE Star Zach Gowen Explains Why He Turned Down Make-A-Wish Opportunity

Zach Gowen has opened up about losing his leg due to cancer and how wrestling helped him in his recovery process.

Gowen had to battle cancer at the tender age of 8, and the former WWE star has discussed how they discovered his cancer and also talked about rejecting a Make-A-Wish opportunity.

"Well, the thing is, I broke my leg in three places and it never healed. So, over the course of seven, eight, nine months, we kept doing different treatments. They didn't work. Finally, they did a biopsy. The results came back. The results were conclusive. The reason why I broke my leg in the first place, the reason why it never healed, was because of a cancerous tumor growing on my femur at 8 years old," he said on AEW's "Hey! (EW)" YouTube show.

During the interview, Gowen disclosed that he was offered a wish by the Make-A-Wish foundation following his cancer diagnosis, but he declined it. He explained that he didn't want to take the opportunity away from someone who needed it more than him.

"Because I was on the road to recovery, and I didn't feel like taking advantage of that opportunity, I thought we could use it for somebody else who needs it a little more than me," he said. "I just didn't feel like, at that time, I really needed it or my family. We were so supported by my community, my neighborhood. Children's Hospital of Michigan did an amazing job."

Gowen recalled that after returning home for the first time following his hospital stay, his grandmother ordered the 1992 Royal Rumble pay-per-view as a gift for him. He stated that for the three hours of the show, he forgot about his medical struggles and was captivated by watching Ric Flair and company at the Rumble. Gowen believes his passion for wrestling began then, as he felt that wrestling could be a "liaison of hope."