Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler suffered a stroke in 2023, a health concern that continues to plague the WWE Hall of Famer to this day. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Lawler opened up about the cognitive struggles he’s still facing. On the show, Lawler tried and failed to recall the name of CM Punk when discussing facing one of WWE’s biggest-ever stars in the ring.
“Oh gosh, I just can’t think of their names… One of them is one of the top heels or babyfaces right now.”
Lawler only remembered Punk’s name thanks to the prompting of Mark Henry, and this would not be his only struggle with memory during the show. After failing to recall the name of Terry Funk, a man Lawler had some of his iconic matches with, The King reflected on how the stroke has affected him.
“My mind just goes because of the stroke… I’m m sorry, I just have these… I don’t know… these bouts with my strokes and stuff like that, but I just can’t help it.”
Despite these challenges, Lawler continues to make public appearances. But his recent interview shows the honest, difficult reality of what life after a stroke can look like—even for wrestling royalty.