Jerry Lawler Gives Health Update at Press Conference

WWE Hall of Famer and the longtime "King of Wrestling" Jerry Lawler held press conference in his native Memphis, TN this afternoon from his home to discuss his recent health issues.

Jerry Lawler, wearing a WWE shirt, fielded questions from the local media. He first talked about how he was feeling today. Lawler talked about the heart attack, noting that the CPR saved his life and the WWE doctor, Dr. Sampson, must have the "strength of Sampson" because Lawler sure felt it.

He noted his ribs are sore from the CPR and his throat is sore from having tubes in his throat but he feels fine and hasn't had any other chest pain since the attack.

When he returned to Memphis, Lawler went to see another cardiologist. He was told that if he was going to have a heart attack, it was as good as you could happen. It was a two small arteries at the bottom of his heart and not his major arteries. One needed a stent and the other was cleared via an angioplasty. Lawler was told that part of the part of the heart he had the attack in can heal itself and he can get back to normal.

When it comes to wrestling, Lawler said he's thought about that a lot. He said that it's going to be months before he can even consider it and it's going to be something they monitor. He said he didn't get the sense of really having a heart attack as he black out almost immediately and didn't have the pain that he's seen his father go through (his dad had seven heart attacks). He said he will probably feel he can get back to his old activities faster than he should.

Lawler said that his heart attack was probably a hereditary thing as he's never drank or smoked. His father died from one when he was oinly 59 and his brother has had open heart surgery.

Lawler said you can't even "comprehend" the outpouring not just in Memphis but worldwide from all the fans. With all the WWE exposure and socal media, it's been from all corners of the world. He said that anyone who knows him knows he is all about Memphis. He said that his girlfriend ran into the Mayor in the grocery store last night and he sent Lawler a get well note. When you are that well known and that well loved, it's hard to ever think about leaving Memphis.

Lawler said that he was told his health outlook right now is very good. He said that his doctor told him the Montreal hospital was one of the top five cardiac hospitals in the world and that the WWE doctor and EMTs kept it from being much worse than it was. He was told there was no permanent damage and the main thing he was advised was to change his diet and exercise more. He doesn't need to be seen again for six weeks.

Lawler noted that he's heard from so many wrestlers, including Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan and there is a brotherhood that watches out for each other. He said that he feels he can return to the ring and does want to try and go back and do it again. He said that since the business is what it is, he feels it won't be as dangerous to return as you might think.

Lawler said the only time he's ever had any discomfort in his chest in his life was a few days before the heart attack in Aruba. He said it was just a little discomfort for 4-5 minutes and thought it was just indigestion. He said that the entire day of Raw, he felt fine all through going over the show. He can remember the first segment of Raw now and that's it. He doesn't remember the match he wrestled prior to the heart attack. He continued after the match broadcasting and he doesn't remember any of it. He watched the video and said it was like watching a match from 10 years ago that he doesn't remember.

The last thing he remembered was CM Punk and Bret Hart talking in the ring and then he woke up in the hospital. Lawler said he didn't see a bright light or any dead relatives, which Michael Cole joked to him was because Lawler was going "in the opposite direction." He said he feels fine.

His blood pressure today was the lowest he can ever remember it ever being in his life. He's on a monitor until tomorrow to follow him until tomorrow morning.

That completed the media conference.