According to published reports, Jerry “The King” Lawler was cleared by his doctors and will be stepping back into the ring on May 25, eight months after he was sidelined by a near-fatal heart attack. Lawler, a 63-year old wrestling star, will team with WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. in a !Bang! wrestling promotion tag team match.

The wrestling icon and WWE commentator collapsed on-air shortly after a tag team match with Randy Orton during a live WWE Raw broadcast in Montreal. Jerry "The King" Lawler’s life was saved by the quick action of WWE ringside doctor, Dr. Michael J. Sampson, who used CPR. Two months later, Lawler was back at the WWE announcers table watching his heart attack re-enacted by Paul Heyman and Lawler’s wrestling rival CM Punk. Lawler had just gone against CM Punk before he collapsed at the announcers table on Sept. 10, 2012.

Since the heart attack, Lawler has been intent on getting back into the ring. He had an angioplasty to improve blood flow to his heart on Sept. 11, 2012. He cut back on his usual regimen of eating fried chicken five times a week. The sometime-actor practiced body slams at the Memphis Grizzlies-Los Angeles Clippers playoff series last month.

In February, Lawyler told WMC-TV, "The one thing I've not done since the heart attack is get back into the ring and wrestle. And, Lauryn says that I've been, the one thing that's different about me since the heart attack, she says, 'You're depressed. You're going through depression.' Which I don't feel it. I don't think it. But, yeah, I certainly do miss the wrestling and I do want to go back and do it some more."

Wrestling legend Dory Funk said that he considers it a privilege to be part of Lawler's return.