WWE Hall of Famer Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler was reportedly hospitalized on Monday, February 6th, following a medical episode while he was at his Florida condo.
The incident occurred while Lawler was having lunch with friends. The website PWInsider.com learned of the issue on Monday night but chose not to report it as a respect to Lawler and his family.
The news was finally released after fellow WWE Hall of Famer, Ricky Morton, shared a photo of Lawler on his Twitter account and expressed his hope for Lawler’s well-being, asking for good vibes, thoughts, and prayers.
Veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer also tweeted “Hope for the best for Jerry Lawler” on Tuesday.
Lawler’s professional wrestling career has spanned six decades, gaining notoriety in the Memphis region during the 1970s, which included winning the United States Wrestling Association’s Unified World Heavyweight Championship a record 28 times and serving as the promotion’s final owner in 1997.
The 73-year-old also famously wrestled late legendary comedian Andy Kaufman during in 1982 during his run with Continental Wrestling Association, which included slapping Kaufman during an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, which was later revealed to be staged during the Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon in which he appeared as himself.
Lawler signed with the then-World Wrestling Federation in 1992 as both an in-ring competitor and commentator, most famously being paired alongside play-by-play man and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross during the late 1990s.