Jerry "The King" Lawler suffers REAL heart attack during live Monday Night Raw

[Hector]

I watched Raw yesterday...and I did hear background snores from Lawler...the commentary suddenly stopped...and then the telecast went into commercials...

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-jerry-lawler-20120911,0,4384050.story

Later on, Michael Cole with a distraught face...kept telling the viewers that this was not an entertainment situation, but a real one.

The last half of the show...there was no play-by-play announcing...the last few matches were televised with no commentary.

Lawler is listed in serious condition, but it's said that he's awake and responsive.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

[domino]

Raw took a very sad turn last night. It was a very scary moment. Thankfully the EMT's were able to get to him pretty fast. I hope he is going to be ok.

[Figuremod73]

They really do go by the motto "the show must go on".

Jerry Lawler is not only a wrestler but an excellent artist.

[Hector]

They really do go by the motto "the show must go on".

Jerry Lawler is not only a wrestler but an excellent artist.

True.

But notice how Kayne, Bryan, and the other tag team reacted...they looked awkward at that moment, they stopped momentarily, but decided to go on, you felt they wanted to do something about it...but like you said...the show must go on.

And yes, Lawler is an awesome artist...great talent.

[toys2cool]

I like Jerry, wish him the best

[Mikey]

When I had my "big one" the doc said the first 3 days afterwards is the most imporant.

If he can get through that period he should pull through.

Got my fingers crossed for him

[madmarva]

I grew up just outside of Memphis and Lawler and wrestling was part of my childhood just like everyone who grew up in that area through the 1980s. Lawler was one of the best ever on the mic and with promos. In the 70s and 80s, Monday Night Wrestling sold out the Mid South Coliseum more times than not primarily because Lawler was so great at whipping the fans into a frenzy whether working as a heel or a face. He was the biggest star in Memphis, next to Elvis. The Saturday Morning Wrestling studio show actually drew better ratings in its time period in Memphis than Dallas did in its slot during its, hey day. Of course, this was pre-cable TV in the area when options were limited, but Lawler was huge. The guy wasn't a very good technical wrestler. The drop kick and pile driver were his only real "wrestling moves." He fought dirty, pulling hair and trunks, using foreign objects, throwing powder and his trademark of throwing fire. But he was great at "selling" to put his opponent over. And, fans always knew he was about to stage a comeback when he would pull the strap of his wresting tights down. His arrogance was tremendous always calling the lead announcer Lance Russell "Banana Nose" and his partner TV weatherman Dave Brown "The Weather Clown," when he was a heel. When he turned to a good guy, he actually had a 30-minute TV show on Sundays that preceded NFL coverage. And he taught Jimmy Hart everything he ever knew about wrestling.

Every wrestling fan knows about his "feud" with Andy Kaufman, which was really over the top, but he he had great feuds with Handsome Jimmy Valiant, Austin Idle, Terry Funk, Joe le Duc, Kerry Von Erich, Dutch Mantel Tommy Rich, Rocky Johnson (the Rock's daddy), Harley Race and his longtime nemisis/tag-team partner/booker, Billy "Superstar" Dundee. As a co-promoter and promoter, he was able to bring in bigger national names Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair and get them to lose to him, before they would get payback elsewhere. Under Lawler and Jerry Jarrett, the Memphis/Nashville promotion also was a training for acts like The Fabulous Freebirds, The Road Warriors, The Fabulous Ones, Rock and Roll Express, Terry (Hulk Hogan) Bollea, Randy (Savage) Poffo, Superfly Snuka and probably a lot of others before making big in the larger markets.

He is an excellent cartoonist and a big comic-book fan. He would occasionally do a few sketches for fans when he would visit Memphis Comics, the city's lone comic-book store until the mid-80s. He painted the Mighty Mouse figure on the store's window and designed and did the prelim sketch of a huge Batman that was on the outside brick wall. Prior to a hair match with Bill Dundee he drew an excellent caricature of a bald Dundee and showed it on the air.

There were a lot of ugly stories about Lawler and his escapades around Memphis, which if true ,kind of want to make you shower off, but morals aside, he is one heck of an entertainer in his hey day.

I know Lawler is better known nationally as an announcer and a pretty silly one from the little bit of wrestling that I've watched the last 25 years. His best work was behind him before he ever joined Vince McMahon's crew. There's a really good documentary called "Memphis Heat" about the Memphis Wrestling scene from post War up until Lawler kind of ran his promotion into the ground that gives a hint at how popular he and wrestling were in the Mid-South. They still do some shows today, but it's not nearly the scene that it once was.

[Figuremod73]

True.

But notice how Kayne, Bryan, and the other tag team reacted...they looked awkward at that moment, they stopped momentarily, but decided to go on, you felt they wanted to do something about it...but like you said...the show must go on.

And yes, Lawler is an awesome artist...great talent.

Man, they had a really tough time the show after Owen Hart had that accident. They can only do the best they can when something isnt stagged or practiced.

[EmergencyIan]

I grew up just outside of Memphis and Lawler and wrestling was part of my childhood just like everyone who grew up in that area through the 1980s. Lawler was one of the best ever on the mic and with promos. In the 70s and 80s, Monday Night Wrestling sold out the Mid South Coliseum more times than not primarily because Lawler was so great at whipping the fans into a frenzy whether working as a heel or a face. He was the biggest star in Memphis, next to Elvis. The Saturday Morning Wrestling studio show actually drew better ratings in its time period in Memphis than Dallas did in its slot during its, hey day. Of course, this was pre-cable TV in the area when options were limited, but Lawler was huge. The guy wasn't a very good technical wrestler. The drop kick and pile driver were his only real "wrestling moves." He fought dirty, pulling hair and trunks, using foreign objects, throwing powder and his trademark of throwing fire. But he was great at "selling" to put his opponent over. And, fans always knew he was about to stage a comeback when he would pull the strap of his wresting tights down. His arrogance was tremendous always calling the lead announcer Lance Russell "Banana Nose" and his partner TV weatherman Dave Brown "The Weather Clown," when he was a heel. When he turned to a good guy, he actually had a 30-minute TV show on Sundays that preceded NFL coverage. And he taught Jimmy Hart everything he ever knew about wrestling.

Every wrestling fan knows about his "feud" with Andy Kaufman, which was really over the top, but he he had great feuds with Handsome Jimmy Valiant, Austin Idle, Terry Funk, Joe le Duc, Kerry Von Erich, Dutch Mantel Tommy Rich, Rocky Johnson (the Rock's daddy), Harley Race and his longtime nemisis/tag-team partner/booker, Billy "Superstar" Dundee. As a co-promoter and promoter, he was able to bring in bigger national names Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair and get them to lose to him, before they would get payback elsewhere. Under Lawler and Jerry Jarrett, the Memphis/Nashville promotion also was a training for acts like The Fabulous Freebirds, The Road Warriors, The Fabulous Ones, Rock and Roll Express, Terry (Hulk Hogan) Bollea, Randy (Savage) Poffo, Superfly Snuka and probably a lot of others before making big in the larger markets.

He is an excellent cartoonist and a big comic-book fan. He would occasionally do a few sketches for fans when he would visit Memphis Comics, the city's lone comic-book store until the mid-80s. He painted the Mighty Mouse figure on the store's window and designed and did the prelim sketch of a huge Batman that was on the outside brick wall. Prior to a hair match with Bill Dundee he drew an excellent caricature of a bald Dundee and showed it on the air.

There were a lot of ugly stories about Lawler and his escapades around Memphis, which if true ,kind of want to make you shower off, but morals aside, he is one heck of an entertainer in his hey day.

I know Lawler is better known nationally as an announcer and a pretty silly one from the little bit of wrestling that I've watched the last 25 years. His best work was behind him before he ever joined Vince McMahon's crew. There's a really good documentary called "Memphis Heat" about the Memphis Wrestling scene from post War up until Lawler kind of ran his promotion into the ground that gives a hint at how popular he and wrestling were in the Mid-South. They still do some shows today, but it's not nearly the scene that it once was.

I used to watch mid-south wrestling on Saturday afternoons in Evansville, Indiana. Lance Russell and (who else?) were the hosts? I remember Lawler and the Fabulous Ones well. If I'm correct, I first saw CoCo B Ware, The Junkyard Dog and Hillbilly Jim on mid-south wrestling, as well.


- Ian

[madmarva]

In Memphis Russell's co-host was Memphis weatherman Dave Brown. Lawler always called him "the Weather Clown." Brown was the weatherman for Memphis' ABC affiliate, but when the wrestling show switched to the NBC affiliate, Brown tagged along.

Absolutely, CoCo B Ware and The Junkyard Dog were there. I remember CoCo, when he was one of the guys who always got beat up on the Saturday morning show. I don't know Hillbilly Jim, probably came through Memphis, too. There was also Kimala the Ugandan Giant, Plowboy Fraiser, Iron Shiek, the Moondogs and a ton of others. Adam West appeared as Batman on the Saturday morning show when he was in town for a boat show and scolded Lawler for being a bad citizen. Lawler came out in a Superman-like costume (I think the check emblem had a "K" for King instead of the "S") to tell him "to go back to Gotham."

[jwyblejr]

I like Jerry and all but I don't think he should be wrestling at his age.