Jerry Lawler Discusses His Return To The Ring This Weekend After Suffering Sudden Cardiac Arrest

This Saturday, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler will wrestle in his first match since experiencing a near-fatal episode last September as he teams up with fellow Hall of Famer Dory Funk, Jr. at Funk's !Bang! TV event. Speaking to Ocala.com, Lawler reveals that he was cleared to return to the squared circle by his cardiologist.

"He said everything looked great, that I was good to go," said Lawler, who was advised to watch his sodium and cholesterol intake. "I asked if I can go back to doing what I've always done, and he said it wouldn't be a problem, that it actually should be good because it will be cardio work, which is good for me. Anything to get my heart rate up.

"I asked if taking a body slam would be an issue. He said nothing like that would affect my heart."

The article clarifies that Lawler did not suffer a heart attack, as had been widely reported. Doctors informed Lawler that he suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest, which according to the Mayo Clinic, "usually results from an electrical disturbance in your heart that disrupts its pumping action, stopping blood flow to the rest of your body." A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a portion of the heart is blocked.

The legendary wrestler advises that SCA "has to be treated immediately."

"It can kill you within minutes. You have to get help right away," said Lawler. "If it had been an hour-and-a-half later, and I was back in my hotel room, I wouldn't be here today."

Lawler noted that he is suffering from minor memory loss as a result of the episode and despite never having a sip of alcohol, smoking a cigarette or using drugs, "It goes to show [that] you can live a healthy life and still get very sick and die."

The full article is available here.