My Daughter Meghan and Jerry.

​On Monday night, September 10, 2012, I sat down in front of my TV to watch the latest episode of Monday Night Raw. A weekly ritual that I have been keeping pretty much every week since Vince McMahon and the WWE first brought RAW to life way back in 1993. At the moment that the show first started, my biggest concerns for the night were what was going to happen between John Cena and CM Punk leading up to Sunday's Pay Per View, how Bret Hart would be in his return to Montreal for the first time in 15 years, and of course, which divas would we get to see tonight? Well the last one wasn't really a concern per se, but I was definitely wondering...lol. Unfortunately, what began as a night of simple entertainment got a frightening dose of reality when Jerry "The King" Lawler collapsed at ringside of a heart attack.

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A true legend both in and out of the ring, and a member of the RAW broadcast team from day one, the King had actually been involved in a tag team match just before the incident happened. We didn't get to see the collapse, thank goodness. One minute he was there at his usual broadcast position. As outspoken and lively as always. Then the next minute he wasn't. Eventually the camera would focus in on the announce table and there was just an empty chair sitting next to Michale Cole. And in my opinion, without even uttering a single word, Cole's expression told the story. He announced that just minutes before, his broadcast partner and friend Jerry Lawler had collapsed and was rushed to the back of the arena on a stretcher.
    
At the moment EMTs were performing CPR and little else was known. Most importantly, Cole let everyone know that this was NOT part of the show. It was all very, very real. The worst kind of real. I have to tell you, there was a part of me for just a minute that thought we had lost the King. Luckily, throughout the rest of the night we were given updates that seemed more and more positive. He was breathing on his own, responding to light and other tests, and being taken to a local hospital. Cole would then go on to say that the final segments of the show would be broadcast with no commentary at all. It was a great show of respect to a member of the WWE family. And if you ask me, not hearing anything from the announcers at the end of the night made the entire situation even more chilling. By the way, hats off to Michael Cole for the way he handled the entire situation. He looked worried, scared and upset, but was nothing less than a true professional the whole time. If you follow the WWE and Monday Night RAW, you know that for a long time Cole was booked as one of the company's most hated heels. You also know that one of his biggest rivals during his heel run, was Jerry "The King" Lawler. There were times during that run where I genuinley wondered if these two men disliked, or even hated each other. Their fued went over that well...to me anyway. But it was obvious in those moments the other night that the concern Michael Cole had for his friend was all too real. If he was somehow faking that, then send him an Academy award right now.
    
I have been a fan of profesional wrestling my whole life. My brother and I were introduced to "the squared circle" when I was barely ten years old. I was captivated by it then and I have never walked away, I am happy to say that my daughter is just about the same age as I was when I started watching and nowdays we watch the shows and go to the live events together. When I was a kid, in the days before cable TV, there were alot of wrestlers whose names you heard or saw in magazines. Guys who were looked at as some of the best in the business, only we never got to see them because they weren't in the WWE (WWF at the time). Jerry "The King" Lawler was definitely one of those names. I bought just about all of the "Apter Mags" growing up. Pro Wrestling Illustrated was like the bible to me and my wrestling loving friends. You could always find a picture or two of the King, sporting his trademark crown and goatee. Usually with an opponent up for a piledriver, which was a crippling finisher back in the day. To me he was always the "King of Memphis Wrestling" and later on the AWA Champion. I am even old enough to remember the infamous face-slap on David Letterman and the fued that followed with actor Andy Kaufman. Finally, in 1993, he was brought in by the WWE and we all got to be subjects of the king on a regular basis. And over the nearly two decades to follow, Jerry "The King" Lawler would become as big a part of "The Attitude Era," Monday Night RAW and the WWE itself.

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On a personal level, I am happy to say that I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to meet the King in person. It was a few years back when he was signing autographs at a little comics and collectibles shop in Queens, NY. Ironically enough, the name of the store is "Royal" Collectibles. What better place for a king to make an appearance, right? The line wove out the door and around the corner and he could not have been nicer. My daughter and I chatted with him about current storylines, other wrestlers my daughter had met, and what live events she had been to. Believe me when I tell you that not all autograph sessions end up going this smoothly. And not all "guests" are that pleasant. His kindness, generosity and courtesy towards his fans made it a moment in time that I know my daughter and I will always remember. My heart and my prayers go out to Jerry Lawler and his family. As of the time i am writing this, the latest reports say that the King has had heart surgery, is in stable condition and getting stronger and better every day. I hope that he makes a speedy recovery. It is probably a safe bet that at 62 years old and with the events of the past few days, Jerry Lawler's time in the ring has officially come to an end. I do hope that we get to see him at his usual spot on the broadcast team again one day...and sooner rather than later. Because one thing is for sure, Monday Night RAW and the WWE Universe just wouldn't be the same without its King.