‘VERY SERIOUS’

Wrestling Legend Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler Hospitalized for Stroke

The WWE Hall of Famer is reportedly recovering after having suffered a stroke.

Jerry “The King” Lawler, a WWE Hall of Famer, was hospitalized in Florida on Monday after a medical emergency, according to multiple reports. The legendary 73-year-old wrestler suffered a stroke, Action 5 News reported, and was recovering in a Fort Myers hospital after undergoing surgery. “Lawler is awake, but his situation is very serious,” wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. PWInsider, a pro wrestling news outlet, reported that Lawler “took ill” shortly after going out for lunch with friends on Monday. “I hope my friend is going to [be] okay,” fellow pro wrestler Ricky Morton tweeted. “Love you, Jerry.” This is not Lawler’s first severe medical episode. In addition to a previous stroke in 2018, the wrestler is known for having gone into cardiac arrest while commentating on WWE’s Monday Night Raw in 2012. A frequent ringside fixture in the years since, Lawler most recently appeared in a WWE event in late January, acting as a panelist for the franchise’s annual Royal Rumble event.