Wrestling legend Lawler collapses on camera
Jerry 'The King' Lawler.
But Monday night, Lawler endured his most frightening episode when he collapsed on camera after suffering a heart attack.
Lawler, 62, was serving as the ringside announcer for WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” at Montreal’s Bell Centre when he was stricken.
He was tended to by medical personnel and taken backstage before being transported to a Montreal hospital.
In a statement, the WWE said:
“Jerry “The King” Lawler suffered a heart attack while commentating during last night’s broadcast of Monday Night Raw in Montreal. We are hopeful Jerry makes a full recovery and returns to WWE in the near future. Our thoughts are with Jerry and his family.”
There was no official word on Lawler’s condition.
Lawler is a former heavyweight champion but is perhaps best known for his “feud” with the late comedian Andy Kaufman, highlighted by a confrontation between the two on David Letterman’s show and an actual match in which Kaufman suffered a neck injury.
While Kaufman’s injury was real, it was revealed after Kaufman’s death that the feud was staged and the two were actually friends.
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75 comments Add your comment
Tricia
September 11th, 2012
7:54 am
I wish him.a speedy recovery! And i do from time to time try to watch wrestlesing.
Old Devil
September 11th, 2012
7:59 am
I still remember seeing Andy’s eyes get real big when Jerry put the headlock on him. Long live the king! I hope he has a speedy recovery…
Raoul
September 11th, 2012
7:59 am
Great memories of The King from Starrcade ‘93.
Wrestling legend Lawler collapses on camera – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Headline News Network
September 11th, 2012
8:00 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
stevie D
September 11th, 2012
8:06 am
Get well soon king
Predatory Lender
September 11th, 2012
8:09 am
All the Kings are from Memphis. Rest up. We need you back.
Bruno Sammartino
September 11th, 2012
8:09 am
“Legend”? While I hope for his speedy recovery, how can anyone be a “legend” in a “sport” that’s simply scripted entertainment? Let’s save “legend” for people who’ve actually achieved something legendary…
yep
September 11th, 2012
8:14 am
get well soon, King.
Vickie
September 11th, 2012
8:15 am
BEST GET WILL SOON MY PREY WITH YOU
Goose
September 11th, 2012
8:16 am
@ Bruno…Get over yourself will you.
gadem
September 11th, 2012
8:17 am
Get well King Lawler…I haven’t watched wrasslin’ in a long time, but most of my fondest memories involve you and you throwing fire at people…
Monica Dunbar
September 11th, 2012
8:20 am
Get better soon I live in pennsylvania I hope u pull out of it
Charles L Rogers
September 11th, 2012
8:20 am
Wrestling might be fake… but so is Santa. Get well soon Mr lawler. Please don’t leave us with michael Cole on commentary. Thanks for putting it on the line
Brian
September 11th, 2012
8:22 am
Thoughts are with you and your family today King!
Jeff
September 11th, 2012
8:22 am
Honestly, when I first heard about this (been a while since I actually watched, but I do keep up with WWE), I thought it was another stunt. Hope King gets well soon – he’s by far the best announcer they have left after JR left TV.
Solomon l. Ball
September 11th, 2012
8:23 am
I just moved to memphis last year, jerry is one of my heroes. I hope he makes a full recovery because i plan on meeting him one day.
BehindEnemyLines
September 11th, 2012
8:24 am
Thoughts & prayers with King.
And a lot of credit to those performers who had to carry on with a live show under awful circumstances. A lot of professionalism on display last night.
Slick Ric Flair
September 11th, 2012
8:24 am
I’m a lear-jet flyin’, limousine ridin’, thousand dollar suit wearin’, kiss-stealin’ son of a gun! I’m the man of the hour, the tower of power, too sweet to be sour….make ya go awwwww, like Jerry Clower….The ayatolla ofrock and rolla…..tha Nature Boy…….WHOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHOOO, WHOOO, WHOOOOOOOO!
ramblwrk68
September 11th, 2012
8:33 am
I almost switched to MNR last night after “Master Chef” concluded, but realized “Perception” was on, and opted for that scripted drama instead. :>) Wish the “King” a speedy recovery!
5150 UOAD`
September 11th, 2012
8:36 am
Jerry Springer didn’t create Violence on TV……Jerry “The King” Lawler did. He B—-h Slapped Andy Kaufman on the David Letterman Show.
5150 UOAD`
September 11th, 2012
8:40 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92iVpKVAoLA
Craig.
September 11th, 2012
8:43 am
I dont watch WWE because its fake. But I hope you get feeling better soon sir. And God bless you and your family.
SavGal
September 11th, 2012
8:53 am
What? Santa is Fake? Oh nooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Walker, Texas Ranger
September 11th, 2012
8:59 am
By the way, the slap on Letterman was just another Andy Kaufman stunt. You probably believe they put a man on the moon.
The Masked Tweeter
September 11th, 2012
8:59 am
Jerry wrestled in a tag-team match eariler in the evening. Check out my wrestling video blog for more …from a guy wearing a wrestling mask http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFG5GZKJB4&feature=plcp
wrestler
September 11th, 2012
8:59 am
Holy cow, I was watching RAW last night and I did not see that. Lawler is the man, the King. Most of those superstars are just that because of him and his connections. Get well soon King, we need ya.
Dabo
September 11th, 2012
9:12 am
Enjoyed the Letterman clip – back when Dave was actually funny.
The Truth
September 11th, 2012
9:14 am
What ever happened to “Sputnik Monroe”, “Mr. Wrestling”, “The Million Dollar Man”, the real guys.
DrDawg
September 11th, 2012
9:25 am
It is absurd for Jerry to continue to get in the ring. He is 62 and occasionally gets in the ring and gets creamed by wrestlers who are half his age. Sure, it’s all staged, but he still gets slammed and thrown around. He is too damn old for that. Jerry, I hope you learned your lesson. Speedy recovery.
Rick James
September 11th, 2012
9:38 am
Wow!! I just bumped into him in Memphis..Get well soon.
Juan Carlos DIego Raul Sanchez
September 11th, 2012
9:40 am
perfect time to bring out the Blue Meanie…
Father McDuffie
September 11th, 2012
9:40 am
Where is Gordon Soley when you need him!
Rikki Tikki
September 11th, 2012
9:53 am
Bruno is 100% right. On the top of that – violence, and stupidity. I am amazed that this no class show does better than just surviving… But looking at the clientelle, no surprise. That, too, is America.
Sam Hendersob
September 11th, 2012
10:12 am
I remember when Jerry Lawler first made his appearance on NWA Wrestling in Memphis Tennessee. He started as a tag team with Jim White. He was the most ruthless of all. I remember his legendary matches with Bill Dundee and Jackie Fargo. I do wish him a full recovery.
Banned Poster
September 11th, 2012
10:13 am
@Father McDuffie – been decade for over a decade now. @Rikki Tikki and @Bruno – get a life, most everything outside of actual sports (except the NBA) is scripted and have a loyal following. I bet you two are fans of some stupid show like LOST or American IDOL.
Get well King.
Banned Poster
September 11th, 2012
10:14 am
oops, that should have said been *dead for over a decade now.
Freddie Blassie
September 11th, 2012
10:23 am
I wish that pencil necked geek at speedy recovery.
Hang in there Jerry.
Now where is that Ray Gunkle guy I want to salp around?
Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones
September 11th, 2012
10:23 am
Rest up, my good man. See you at the announcers table soon, we hope.
jeffrey d
September 11th, 2012
10:32 am
Bruno – so the only people allowed to be legends are sports figures? Get over yourself.
Get well soon, Jerry!
bill
September 11th, 2012
10:38 am
yoo handsome jimmy valiant, lucious johnny,Bill Dundee and the King traveling the back roads around Memphis in the late 70’s
MountainDawg
September 11th, 2012
10:39 am
Godspeed to Jerry Lawler and his family during this time.
Tdawg
September 11th, 2012
10:42 am
Rikki Tikki and Burno you wanna know what’s really stupid? What’s really stupid is two grown people thinking that anyone actually believes that pro wrestling is anything more than entertainment. You know, kind of like movie stars, dancers, gymnastics and the many other forms of entertainment. The King has been entertaining people and doing something he loves for 40 years and all you two jerks can do is berate him. Sikki Thicki between the ears. You talk about violence as if you don’t live in the real world. You talk about violence as if you hate it yet here you are acting is as if its a good thing that what has happened to Jerry Lawer is a good thing. I hope you don’t have kids. There’s probably no God in your little world either.
Fried oyster in my pants
September 11th, 2012
10:51 am
Someone help me out…….
Either you are too stupid to realize professional wrestling is fake, or you know it is fake and enjoy watching large sweaty men in their underwear roll around on each other.
Which is it?
Bluto
September 11th, 2012
10:52 am
Get well soon king.
I always laugh at people who attack wrestling. Like all they watch is Nova on PBS. If you watch TV, not mater what is it , something is being faked. Only Wrestlers know how to do it so well they call it entertainment.
Bluto
September 11th, 2012
10:53 am
Hey guess what all those murders on “Murder she wrote” are fake….
Fried oyster in my pants
September 11th, 2012
10:55 am
@ Bluto
So you enjoy the idea of large sweaty men in their underwear, grappling with each other until one submits to the other?
Good for you….. Coming out of the closet like this.
Big Al
September 11th, 2012
10:57 am
That’s what Lawler gets for messing around with 15 year old girls.
Yep
September 11th, 2012
11:07 am
Wrestling is scripted Athletics. These guys are in freakishly good shape and many are ex-professional or world class athletes from another sport.
Bilbeaux
September 11th, 2012
11:31 am
Slam my gorn-hole, honey pie.
2ruff4u
September 11th, 2012
11:46 am
Been watching wrestling since the 50s when it was real. Somewhere in the 60s it got real hokie then it started making money, BIG money.
These guys are athletes you gotta admit. Paid to perform and sometimes they get hurt.
Jerry you have given us some good years and hope you have many more.
Maybe they’ll bring Arn Anderson out to MC….. GO MARTY!!