On the October 22, 2018 episode of "Raw", Reigns announced that he was re-diagnosed with leukemia after 11 years and would be taking a hiatus to treat it. As a result, he relinquished the Universal Championship, ending his reign of 64 days. Reigns initially received a mixed reaction upon entering the arena, but was welcomed with a positive reception as well as chants of "Thank you, Roman!" after his announcement of leukemia was made. Reigns made his return on the February 25, 2019 episode of "Raw" to announce his leukemia was in remission, where he received a huge ovation from the crowd. On the following episode of "Raw", Reigns would reunite with The Shield, leading to a match between Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin at Fastlane, which The Shield would win in Reigns's first match since his leukemia diagnosis. Both times, Reigns would be met with cheers. At WrestleMania 35, Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre in his first singles match since October 2018. However, he would be met with a mixed reaction by the crowd, with "Pro Wrestling Dot Net" writer Jason Powell stating that an estimated "70 percent of the fans booed Reigns while only 30 percent cheered for him before the match." He would also describe the match as "disappointing".