WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler Expected to Fully Recover From Stroke - Sports Illustrated Skip to main content

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler Expected to Fully Recover From Stroke

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a massive stroke.

The 73-year-old Lawler underwent surgery after suffering a stroke at his home in Florida on Monday. Lawler is now recovering in a Fort Myers hospital and is in stable condition.

An update posted to Lawler’s social media accounts on Wednesday states that Lawler is now able to walk and groom himself. His speech is currently limited, but it’s expected to fully recover with rehabilitation.

“He thanks all of his friends, family & fans for the continued prayers and looks forward to seeing everyone and getting back to work in the near future,” the update added. “Jerry received a nice visit with long time friend, Jimmy Hart today.”

Lawler has recovered from health issues in the past, including a stroke that he suffered in 2018. In ’12, there was a frightening situation where Lawler nearly died after suffering a heart attack during a live episode of WWE Raw. Lawler has continued to compete in independent wrestling matches in recent years.

Lawler is the biggest legend in Memphis wrestling history and is a former AWA world champion. To modern fans, he’s best known for being one of the voices of WWE during the Attitude Era and the 2000s. The pairing of Lawler and Jim Ross is considered one of the best commentary teams of all time.

“I spoke very briefly with @JerryLawler tonight. He’s obviously weak but I could understand his affected speech,” Ross wrote on Tuesday. “Jerry’s prognosis is positive but he needs all our thoughts and prayers.”

Lawler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. He currently works as a pre-show panelist for WWE pay-per-views.

WWE sent out a tweet on Wednesday wishing Lawler a speedy recovery.