Earlier today, it was reported that WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler was hospitalized on February 6th following what was termed a “serious medical issue.”
The report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider noted that Lawler had been out to lunch with friends earlier in the day, and sometime after that suffered a medical episode and was rushed to the hospital. News began circulating after fellow WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Morton wished Lawler well on social media.
A further report from Memphis, TN’s Action News 5 provides more information about the situation, noting that Lawler, 73, suffered a stroke in his home and underwent emergency surgery yesterday. He is currently recovering in the hospital.
Now, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reports that while The King is awake following surgery, his condition remains quite serious.
“Lawler is awake, but his situation is very serious.”
Lawler is awake, but his situation is very serious.
— . (@davemeltzerWON) February 7, 2023
Jerry Lawler Took Part In The 2023 Royal Rumble Kickoff Show
Jerry “The King” Lawler was most recently featured on WWE television as part of the panel for the Kick-Off Show for the Royal Rumble on January 28th. Just days earlier he made an appearance on the 30th-anniversary special of Monday Night Raw where he briefly served as a guest commentator. The star was also involved in a signing event over the weekend.
Before arriving in the WWF in 1992, Jerry Lawler was already considered a legend in Memphis and had wrestled the great and the good of the industry. He also crossed over into the mainstream with his famous rivalry with Andy Kaufman in 1982. The angle went so well that many questioned what was real and what was fiction.
Although Lawler began to wind down his in-ring career with the WWF (WWE), he instead found a new lease of life at the commentary desk alongside the likes of Vince McMahon and later Jim Ross. Serving as WWE’s main announce team through the Attitude Era and into the early 2000s, ‘JR and King’ provided the soundtrack for many of the most famous moments in WWE history.
Since leaving the commentary desk full-time, Lawler has appeared regularly across WWE’s numerous panel shows.
Everyone at Inside the Ropes sends their best wishes to Jerry Lawler and his family during this difficult time.