“ I ended up blowing out my stomach lining,” Ward said. “I’ve got rods and pins in my back and I’ve had open heart surgery. I was not physically able.”

And then four months ago Ward learned he had cancer.

“ They scared me to death when they first told me,” Ward said. “They said if I didn’t receive any treatment at all I might have six months to a year. Naturally I went to trying to seek treatment. I’ve got so many doctors with all the problems I have. It’s just one thing on top of another.

“ I’m planning on dealing with it the way I’ve dealt with everything and that’s straight up and wide open. I’ve always been a fighter and I’m going to keep on.”

It was Brock who dubbed Ward “Wild Thang” many years ago.

“ Just out of the blue one morning we were in the truck and he says, ‘You look wild today. That’s your name, Wild Thang.’ It just kind of stuck,” Ward said.

Hearing the reaction of the crowd again is something Ward is certainly looking forward to.