“Filthy” Tom Lawlor is facing the possibility of two major medical procedures.
Lawlor appeared on Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez on Monday and provided a health update. The wrestler and former MMA fighter stated that he may require a left hip replacement and spinal surgery.
Lawlor stated that his lower back has a herniated disc in the L5/S1 vertebrae, while the spinal column in that portion of the back is out of place, thus pinching a nerve, which has led to numbness in his left leg along with atrophy.
He said that he is awaiting advice from a neurosurgeon and will seek alternate opinions before deciding the best course of action. Lawlor noted that physically, he was “awful,” but emotionally, he is doing fine.
Lawlor, 42, has been a high-level athlete since he was fourteen years old and began amateur wrestling, and was involved in professional wrestling before his MMA career began. In 2008, he was cast on The Ultimate Fighter and signed by the promotion, where he fought for nearly a decade.
After exiting the UFC, he fought for the PFL and returned to pro wrestling on the independent scene in 2017. He has been a regular at MLW, New Japan Strong, and participated in the G1 Climax in 2022.
Lawlor last wrestled on May 16 for AIW.
