ironworks
07-12-2013, 02:10 AM
WWE Raw TV announcer Jerry Lawler detailed how he got his start as a pro wrestler, how the late Jackie Fargo influenced his career, and Lawler's timetable for returning to the ring potentially in September in an exclusive interview on the June 28 PWTorch Livecast.
The following is an excerpt of Lawler's interview with PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch columnist Bruce Mitchell on his upcoming in-ring return...
KELLER: Can you update us on your health? You just seem like you’re back to your normal self. Are you doing anything differently from a medication or diet or health standpoint?
LAWLER: Not really, other than the fact that my little scare was a little bit different than most heart attacks. I just had a cousin who had a quadruple bypass today, he had four arteries that were clogged. My situation was a little different in that I didn’t have clogged arteries, I had something that caused - and I still think to this day it might have been the six or eight consecutive elbows from Dolph Ziggler in the match that got my heart off rhythm. I had sudden cardiac arrest. Thank God how fortunate I was that Dr. Sampson was right there at ringside and the paramedics were close at hand, and they kept my blood flow through the CPM for 20 minutes before they could get my heart to start beating again. The weird thing is, because of their work there, I didn’t suffer any heart damage. I didn’t have scarring of any tissue or anything like that. Once they got my heart back beating again, it was like I basically back. I went a couple months ago for my six month check up with the cardiologist and he said I could go back to doing anything I did before. I feel great. I haven’t had one bit of problem since. The funny thing is I didn’t have any problem beforehand. I had no warning, no inclination, no pain, no tightness in my chest, no tingling in my arm. I just blinked my eyes and when I opened them again, I was in the hospital three days later.
KELLER: And now you’re back wrestling.
LAWLER: I haven’t really had an official match. I went down with Dory Funk and did a glorified training session. Dory has a training school facility in Ocala, Florida. He has about 20 students down there and once a year I’ve been going down there and getting in a little match with some of his students. I haven’t had a singles match and done that yet. That’s definitely on the agenda. I’m definitely going to do it, maybe sometime in September.
The following is an excerpt of Lawler's interview with PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch columnist Bruce Mitchell on his upcoming in-ring return...
KELLER: Can you update us on your health? You just seem like you’re back to your normal self. Are you doing anything differently from a medication or diet or health standpoint?
LAWLER: Not really, other than the fact that my little scare was a little bit different than most heart attacks. I just had a cousin who had a quadruple bypass today, he had four arteries that were clogged. My situation was a little different in that I didn’t have clogged arteries, I had something that caused - and I still think to this day it might have been the six or eight consecutive elbows from Dolph Ziggler in the match that got my heart off rhythm. I had sudden cardiac arrest. Thank God how fortunate I was that Dr. Sampson was right there at ringside and the paramedics were close at hand, and they kept my blood flow through the CPM for 20 minutes before they could get my heart to start beating again. The weird thing is, because of their work there, I didn’t suffer any heart damage. I didn’t have scarring of any tissue or anything like that. Once they got my heart back beating again, it was like I basically back. I went a couple months ago for my six month check up with the cardiologist and he said I could go back to doing anything I did before. I feel great. I haven’t had one bit of problem since. The funny thing is I didn’t have any problem beforehand. I had no warning, no inclination, no pain, no tightness in my chest, no tingling in my arm. I just blinked my eyes and when I opened them again, I was in the hospital three days later.
KELLER: And now you’re back wrestling.
LAWLER: I haven’t really had an official match. I went down with Dory Funk and did a glorified training session. Dory has a training school facility in Ocala, Florida. He has about 20 students down there and once a year I’ve been going down there and getting in a little match with some of his students. I haven’t had a singles match and done that yet. That’s definitely on the agenda. I’m definitely going to do it, maybe sometime in September.