Wrestling fans know the legendary Bret “Hitman” Hart, 2006 WWE Hall of Famer, and now they know that he has a huge battle before him that he hopes to win when he revealed in his Instagram and Facebook accounts on Feb. 1 that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Hart also announced that he is already scheduled for a procedure to remove the cancer and he hopes that he will come out victorious against the disease. It’s a huge blow for both the famous wrestler and his fans, but The Hitman assures that he is out to win against the disease in spite of the fear he feels.

“I now face my toughest battle. With hesitation and fear, I openly declare myself in my fight against prostate cancer… I make a solemn vow to all […] I will wage my fearsome fight against cancer […],” Hart wrote.

Hart’s fans have been sending their support and prayers for the wrestling superstar and most of them are confident that he will win in the fight against cancer.

@BretHart We all love u Bret! Stay strong, overcome and win as you’ve always done in your life! #MoreToDo

— Tatanka (@NativeTatanka) February 1, 2016

@BretHart you’re the Hitman!You’re gonna kick cancer’s butt!You and your family are in my prayers.You’re an amazing man and you got this! — Millie Rose (@Lovatic5HDores7) February 1, 2016

@BretHart you’ll beat this nemesis like so many others before it! — TedNAkron (@MUNILOTMANIAC) February 1, 2016

Of course, Hart’s open declaration is not just to gather support and prayers but the wrestler’s way of sending support for the men who find themselves diagnosed with the same disease as well.

“I hope can take the fight to prostate cancer. To be a leader in awareness and to set the example for men everywhere who find themselves in my very same shoes, that prostate cancer can be beaten,” he added. Read the wrestler’s courageous message in full below.

 It is with great remorse that I feel compelled to speak truthfully to my friends, family and my millions of fans around the world. In the past few years, I’ve spent more than enough time paying the price for all those years trying to be the best there ever was as a professional wrestler. I executed excellently and my proudest claim was that I never seriously hurt or injured another wrestler in my 23 year career. I’ve paid a price for all that “fake” wrestling … Mark Helprin wrote: “We are all perfect clocks that Divinity has set to ticking when, even before birth, the heart explodes into a lifelong dance.” I’ve had a great lifelong dance and I’m a survivor of many hard battles. I now face my toughest battle. With hesitation and fear, I openly declare myself in my fight against prostate cancer. In the next few days, I will undergo surgery with the hope of defeating this nemesis once and for all. My fans have always looked upon me as a hero and I’ve always done my best to live up to that in and out of the ring. I beat the odds when I suffered my stroke in 2002, but it is now yet again, that I … stand unafraid and face the tough road ahead of me, I will march toward this destiny with his spirit chanting in my ear. I make a solemn vow to all of those that once believed in me, the dead and the living, that I will wage my fearsome fight against cancer with one shield and one sword carrying my determination and my fury for life, emboldened by all the love that’s kept me going this long already. Love is my weapon and I’ve got much of it around me all the time, for which I’m truly blessed and eternally grateful. My children, grandchildren, and my loving wife Steph have been and will constantly be at my side. I refuse to lose, I will never give in or give up, and I will win this battle or die trying. Most important of all, I hope can take the fight to prostate cancer. To be a leader in awareness and to set the example for men everywhere who find themselves in my very same shoes, that prostate cancer can be beaten. B x

A photo posted by Bret (@brethitmanhart) on Feb 1, 2016 at 8:28am PST

Hart is no stranger to medical and physical ailments. His long professional wrestling career has taken its toll on his body and forced him to undergo several medical procedures for it. In 1999, he suffered multiple concussions in the ring, followed by a stroke in 2002 and several operations on his knees, elbow and wrist in the succeeding years.

Our prayers and well-wishes go out to Bret Hart and his family.