WWE Legend Returns After Suffering Stroke in February

After WWE lost Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt last week, professional wrestling fans needed some good news. And they got it as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn introduced Jerry "The King" Lawler to the fans at WWE Raw in Memphis, Tennessee. It's the first time Lawler has appeared on WWE earlier this year when he part of the broadcast team at Raw XXX. The 73-year-old suffered a stroke in February, with reports indicating his recovery was not progressing as hoped, according to Wrestling Inc. 

"Look, I'm not gonna lie. I was in a pretty bad mood after getting screwed yet again by the Judgment Day, and I walked back here pretty upset. But the second I walked through that curtain, my mood changed right away. Because, ladies and gentlemen, after all, we are in Memphis, right?" Zayn said.

"And there's someone back there you guys might be a little familiar with and he cheered us up, so we figured we'd spread the joy by bringing him out. Ladies and gentlemen, Jerry 'The King' Lawler," introduced Owens to the crowd at the FedExFourm, who went wild and chanted his name. Lawler is from Memphis and is a member of the Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame. He has won multiple titles in the area as well as different promotions all across the country. And while Lawler never won a title in WWE, he became a household name as a broadcaster, and it led to him being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. 

Lawler has dealt with health issues in the past, while on WWE Raw on Sep. 10, 2012, Lawler suffered cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital. Michael Cole was working with Lawler, and the remaining matches on the show went on as planned without commentary. However, Cole shared updates on Lawler's condition throughout the show. 

Back in 2017, Lawler talked about the incident. "I have alluded to the fact that 10 minutes before I had cardiac arrest – cardiac arrest and a heart attack are two different things," he said, per Fox Sports. "A heart attack, a lot of times, is caused by clogged arteries or something like that, plaque in your veins and that sort of thing. And you usually feel some pain because it's restricting the blood flow. Cardiac arrest is when your heart – it's usually sort of like an electrical-type thing – your heart just stops. And only seven out of 1,000 people who [suffer] cardiac arrest survive. Usually, those seven out of 1,000 people survive because they're in a hospital or get immediate care."

"And just fortunately, our ringside doctor was right there with the paramedics up in Montreal, started CPR immediately. It was still 22 minutes before my heartbeat. And then they got the paddles and shocked me seven times."