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Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell provided an unfortunate health update on Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler, who suffered a stroke earlier this year.
Lawler was rushed to a Florida hospital back in February after he suffered his second stroke in five years. He was later discharged and sent home, with doctors expecting a full recovery. It should also be noted that Lawler suffered a heart attack in 2012 during an episode of Raw.
On a recent episode of his Story Time podcast, Mantell revealed through a source that Lawler is not recovering the way he's supposed to. "The King" has problems with his speech, including difficulty in finishing sentences.
"He is much better, but still not recovering as well as they would hope," Mantell said. "He has trouble finishing sentences. I mean, he talks well. His voice has changed somewhat. He talks, but when he gets to the end of the sentence, he starts searching for words to end the sentence and he gets frustrated." (h/t WrestlingNews.co)
Mantell added that the stroke caused problems with the mobility of Lawler's right hand, which affected his artistic capabilities. He even went further by saying that the 73-year-old Hall of Famer has made his last appearance on Raw.
"He has trouble now doing his art, which is really frustrating him because he was, and still is probably, a tremendous artist, but he is not where he needs to be. That's why he wasn’t live at WrestleMania. He wasn't cleared to travel. I'm going to say that I think we've seen him on his last Raw." (h/t WrestlingNews.co)
Jerry Lawler's last WWE appearance was earlier this year on RAW Is XXX
Jerry Lawler has not been a full-time commentator since 2020 when he was replaced by Samoa Joe on Raw. His last WWE appearance was on the January 23rd episode of Raw, which was the 30th Anniversary Show.
"The King" also made sporadic appearances, mainly on preshows from 2016 to 2019. Listening to him on commentary has not been the same without Jim Ross, who left WWE in 2019.
It should also be noted that Lawler has not announced his in-ring retirement. He last wrestled on January 21st at AML Wrestling's Acts Of War Games 2 in North Carolina. At the event, he defeated former Ring of Honor star Beer City Bruiser.
What's your favorite Jerry "The King" Lawler moment? Share your answers in the comments section below.
