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Jerry ?The King? Lawler Coming To Hammond

Posted: May 4th 2013 By: CMBurnham

On Saturday, May 4, the Fort Myers Miracle will welcome WWE Hall of Famer Jerry ?The King? Lawler to Hammond Stadium. The game between the Miracle and the St. Lucie Mets will start at 6:05 p.m. and gates will open at 5 p.m.

Lawler is one of the most beloved wrestlers in history. A long time co-host of Monday Night Raw, Lawler joined the broadcast team in 2001 and has been a part of many memorable moments in wrestling. Monday Night raw is the longest running weekly entertainment show in television history.

In 1982, Lawler began a notorious feud with comedian Andy Kaufman. At the time, Kaufman wrestled women as a part of his comedic routine and declared himself the Intergender Heavyweight Champion. Lawler took exception to the skits and on April 5, 1982, ?The King? wrestled Kaufman in Memphis, Tenn. During the course of the match, Lawler delivered two pile drivers, sending Kaufman to the hospital.

On July 29, 1982, Lawler slapped Kaufman in the face on an episode of Late Night with David Letterman. Kaufman responded by throwing his coffee on Lawler. Years later, Lawler appeared as himself in the Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon.

On September 10, 2012, Lawler suffered a heart attack while live on the air with Monday Night Raw. The heart attack caused Lawler to miss two months of the broadcast schedule. On November 12, 2012, Lawler returned to Monday Night Raw to a standing ovation.

Orginally a disc jockey in Memphis, Lawler started wrestling professionally in 1970. During his career, Lawler won more than 160 titles including the AWA World Championship. In 2007, Lawler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by none other than William Shatner.

While at the Miracle game on Saturday, May 4, Lawler will sign autographs, pose for pictures and throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Media outlets wishing to get in touch with Lawler for interviews should contact John Kuhn in the Miracle offices at (239) 768-4210 or jkuhn@miraclebaseball.com.