This time last year, Mike "Rolling Thunder" Staples was pondering a comeback.

But the health of the professional wrestler, who once competed as part of the North American Wrestling Association's Legends Tour at the Salem Civic Center, was a concern.

In April, when he weighed more than 600 pounds, Staples had gastric bypass surgery. The procedure reduces the stomach size of people who are morbidly obese. The 5-foot-11-inch Staples, of Roanoke, lost more than 250 pounds.

Since then, however, Staples' health has gone downhill.

"It seemed like once he had that operation, everything started to happen," said George Miller, who was once Staples' tag team partner and manager, as well as his coach in football and wrestling at William Fleming High School.

Initially, complications from the gastric bypass surgery landed Staples, who is 41, back in the hospital. But he worked out regularly and got down to about 345 pounds.

Then one day in early fall at RADAR, a nonprofit transportation service where Staples worked as a dispatcher, his legs suddenly went numb.

Staples, who has high blood pressure and diabetes, was taken to Lewis-Gale Medical Center, where doctors discovered he'd had a stroke.

"From losing so much weight so fast, I think his body went into shock," said Sammye Staples, one of his brothers.

Mike Staples stayed in the hospital for about three weeks. Then he moved to Salem Health & Rehabilitation Center, where he learned how to walk again using a walker. He was discharged in December.

Staples had insurance from his job at RADAR. But in December, Staples, who lives with his mother in Northwest Roanoke, was terminated from his position. (Curtis Andrews, director of RADAR, said he could not comment on Staples' situation.)

Heartland Rehabilitation Services in Salem helped Staples with physical therapy; Econo Drug in Northwest Roanoke has been helping him manage prescription costs.

Still, Staples has at least $10,000 in bills and no longer has health insurance. His family and friends are having a benefit March 12 at the Ramada Inn on Franklin Road to raise money for his bills and future medication and therapy costs.

"We were always proud of him, because he exemplified what we wanted all these big guys to do -- to participate and be active instead of being a couch potato," Miller said.

Duke Curtis, president of Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home, will be speaking at the benefit, along with Miller.

Curtis described Staples as a "kindhearted fellow" who has been an advocate for at-risk children. "He brought wrestling into the valley where it was affordable for kids."

Staples also coached a lot of kids' sandlot football, Curtis said.

"I want to see him get well, and get his health back."

Staples has gone from using a wheelchair, to a walker, to a cane. He is able to dress himself, cook for himself, take his own medication and go to church.

Asked if he'll ever wrestle again, Staples said: "Oh yes. I'll leave it to the man upstairs."