Lawler recovers in time for WrestleMania
Jerry “The King” Lawler has again kicked out of the Loser Leaves Life match, cheating death for the second time in six years.
This time, he recovered from a stroke he suffered on March 21.
And, yes, it was, in fact, following a physically amorous event with his fiance, Lauryn McBride, at their East Memphis home.
Lawler, the most famous wrestler in a city full of wrestling history, was hospitalized for several days as doctors ran tests to determine the extent of the problem.
“It was a pretty scary situation,” Lawler said on a Wednesday podcast, where he recounted the previously unknown events. He said Friday he is fully recovered, resumed normal activities and suffered no lingering effects from an episode associated with his blood pressure rising to 246/145.
When he heard that number, he thought: “Oooh. Wow. That’s bad.”
Of course, Lawler, 68, had gone through another life-threatening experience. In September, 2012, The King suffered a cardiac episode during a live broadcast of WWE Raw.
According to Lawler, the stroke episode began about 6:30 p.m. After the “physical activity,” he said something that McBride didn’t understand. Then she noticed his face.
“I remember every little thing about it . ... I didn’t feel anything,” Lawler recounted. “The thing Lauryn noticed was the mouth-droop. I didn’t even notice that was happening. She said; ‘Go look in the mirror.’ The right side of my mouth was all the way down to my chin.”
McBride got Lawler in the car and drove to Baptist Memorial Hospital, beginning several days of tests and intensive care treatment after determining Lawler suffered a brain hemorrhage.
All the while, WrestleMania, the World Wrestling Entertainment’s marquee event, was looming in New Orleans. And Lawler had a lengthy list of duties for last weekend’s events, including acting as emcee for the WWE Hall of Fame induction and calling a match during last Sunday’s pay-per-view broadcast.
And with time approaching for the wrestling extravaganza, Lawler couldn’t form his words to answer any basic questions from the date of birth to the president to McBride’s name.
“Every question they would ask me, I knew the answer, but my mouth wouldn’t form the answers. I couldn’t say it,” Lawler said, adding he couldn’t even say the first letter of what he wanted to say.
There were more tests. Doctors said it could take six months for him to get his speech back. Or a year. Or maybe not ever. As for the WWE events, less than two weeks away, Lawler said doctors told him “Well, that ain’t gonna happen.”
Then, with no explanation, Lawler awoke the morning of March 25, looked at McBride, spit out his birth date, called her by name and recalled the president of the United States.
And all was well in the King’s domain. He made all of his appearances last weekend, had autograph sessions and hosted the Hall of Fame ceremonies.
“The doctors came in later,” Lawler recalled, “and one of them said: ‘I think you’re made out of steel.’”