WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher Hospitalized With Serious Health Issues
Another legend of the squared circle is on the ropes. Abdullah the Butcher, the man who made a career out of turning wrestling matches into something that resembled a scene from a slasher flick, has been hospitalized with what are being called “serious health issues.” The news broke on Thursday, sending a wave of concern through the wrestling community for the 84-year-old WWE Hall of Famer.
How The News Of Abdullah’s Health Issues Got Revealed
His booking agent, Steve Stasiak, was the one to share the unfortunate update on social media. He called on everyone—fans, friends, and the wrestling family—to send “prayers, positive thoughts, and strength his way.” It’s a familiar refrain when one of wrestling’s old guard faces a health crisis, but it never loses its weight. These are the performers who built the foundation of the industry, one bloody bout at a time.
For those who might not know, Abdullah the Butcher wasn’t your typical technical wizard or high-flying acrobat. He was a force of nature, a brawler who thrived on chaos, hardcore, blood, and pain.
A Career Built on Blood and Chaos
Born Lawrence Shreve, the Canadian icon started wrestling as a teenager back in the late 1950s. Think about that for a second. This man’s career spans from the era of black-and-white television to the age of social media updates about his health. He truly hit his stride in the 1970s and 80s, becoming a massive star in Japan. Over at All Japan Pro Wrestling, his violent wars with legends like Terry Funk and Jumbo Tsuruta became the stuff of legend. You didn’t watch an Abdullah match; you witnessed it and his fork.
He wasn’t just a Japanese sensation, either. His reign of terror was global. He locked horns with Andre the Giant in Puerto Rico and even went toe-to-toe with a pre-Hulkamania Hulk Hogan in Japan. The man was a special attraction, a walking, breathing spectacle of brutality that promoters could bring in to sell tickets and guarantee a wild night. His deeply scarred forehead is a permanent testament to his brutal style, a roadmap of a career spent spilling his own blood as much as his opponents’. For his contributions, he was rightfully inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
The Controversies and Hard Times
Of course, you can’t talk about Abdullah without mentioning the controversy. In a highly publicized case, wrestler Devon Nicholson accused Abdullah of giving him Hepatitis C after cutting him with a blade during a match in 2007. In 2014, Nicholson won a lawsuit to the tune of $2 million. The fallout was significant, reportedly forcing Abdullah to sell his WWE Hall of Fame ring to make ends meet. It was covered on his Dark Side of the Ring episode and lets just say he didn’t come across well in it at all.
Life after wrestling hasn’t been a victory lap for the Butcher. Reports as recent as 2022 suggested he was living day-to-day, a sad and far too common story for many pioneers of the sport. He also had a health scare back in July 2024 with an intestinal issue, though it’s unclear if this current hospitalization is related.
Final Thoughts – Thoughts And Prayers Go Out To Abdullah
Now, at 84, he’s fighting a battle far more real than any he ever had in the ring. Stasiak noted that Abdullah and his team often read the comments on his Facebook page. So if you have a memory of the Butcher, a favorite match, or just a kind word, now’s the time to share it. He’ll likely see it, and it will mean more than you know.
