Jerry Lawler has never been short on resilience, but even by his standards, the past two years have demanded a different kind of fight.
The WWE Hall of Famer is preparing for a festive TV appearance in Memphis this week, yet much of the conversation around him now centres on health, recovery, and what comes next.
Despite suffering multiple strokes in recent years, Lawler admits the idea of stepping back into the ring has never fully gone away.
Promoting Christmas with the King
Lawler is front and centre of Christmas with the King, a Memphis Wrestling special airing this week on the city’s NBC affiliate.
The show celebrates his legacy as one of the most influential figures in wrestling history, particularly in Memphis, where Lawler became a household name long before his WWE run.
While promoting the special, Lawler spoke candidly about his condition following his third stroke earlier this year.
He described the most recent episode as minor, but confirmed he continues to deal with lasting effects from a far more serious stroke in 2023.
Living with the after-effects
Lawler, now 76, acknowledged that recovery has been uneven.
Asked how he was feeling on a scale of one to ten, Lawler responded with a joke that hinted at the stop-start nature of his recovery.
“Something I saw on the news recently is people say six or seven. I get up to seven, and something happens, I go back to six.”
While showing off artwork he has been working on during his recovery, Lawler revealed that he has developed colour blindness as a result of the strokes.
The pull of the ring remains
Despite that, wrestling againis never far from his thoughts.
“I have not put it out of my mind,” Lawler said. “We have one more match in there somewhere.”
Lawler has not wrestled since suffering a major stroke in 2023, though he did compete just weeks before it.
That timing has only fuelled debate among fans about whether his comments are playful nostalgia or a genuine ambition.
A career built on longevity
Lawler’s career spans more than five decades, with thousands of matches, countless championships, and an enduring run as WWE’s most recognisable commentator alongside Jim Ross.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and remains one of the most identifiable voices in wrestling.
