WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah The Butcher scared the wrestling world with a hospitalization earlier this fall. The 84-year-old retired wrestler, real name Lawrence Shreve, has suffered a number of medical and financial catastrophes over the last few years, and in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, more details have come out about Abdullah’s recent hospitalization.

Shreve reportedly suffered two strokes in October. The first occurred on October 18, while Shreve was a passenger in a car, and then he suffered a second stroke after his hospitalization for the initial stroke. Shreve is said to be recovering well, and his condition has improved over the last week. The former NWA United National Champion is suffering from slurred speech, as well as issues with both his left leg and his left arm. Wrestling reporter Bill Apter spoke with Shreve recently and said that his slurred speech “sounded pretty good.”

As of 2022, Shreve was said to be living day-to-day from a financial perspective, as he’d been embroiled in a lawsuit from former wrestler Devon Nicholson, who alleges that Shreve gave him Hepatitis C as a result of improper precautions during a hardcore match. The incident was covered in the “Dark Side of The Ring” episode that centered on Shreve’s exploits in and out of the ring. Despite the precarious nature of his finances, Shreve said in 2023 that he’d felt better than he had in years, even teasing the idea of a retirement match, following the success of septuagenarian Ric Flair’s retirement match.