Former WWE star Michael Tarver (real name Tyrone Evans) revealed in a recent Instagram post that he was hospitalized on Wednesday night after believing he was having a stroke. He has since been discharged and shared details of the experience, his ongoing personal struggles, and his thankfulness to be alive.
“Last night I was told I was having a stroke,” Tarver wrote in the post, which was accompanied by a photo of him in a hospital bed. He stated that he initially told no one until he was “forced to,” and that a blood pressure reading of 202/114 prompted him to go to the emergency room. “I’m thankful for your persistence and also that I actually listened,” he wrote to those who encouraged him to seek medical attention.
Tarver is best known for his time in WWE as a member of the original Nexus faction. He was part of the first season of the original NXT competition series and was one of the eight rookies who invaded Monday Night Raw in a memorable angle in June 2010. As part of The Nexus, he was involved in a major storyline with John Cena and Team WWE, which culminated in a main event elimination match at SummerSlam 2010.
His run with the group was cut short by a groin injury in late 2010, and he was written off television after an attack by John Cena. Though Wade Barrett, the group’s leader, stated at the time that Tarver would have been kicked out of the group regardless, his injury ultimately led to his separation from the faction. He was released from his WWE contract in June 2011.
In his post, Tarver also opened up about his long-term struggles with mental health. While in the hospital, he wrote that he “started to have thoughts about my mortality” and reflected on his “years of fighting depression and suicide attempts over the past 20 years”.
He stated that thoughts of his family gave him the strength to persevere. “I thought about my family and I just felt this overwhelming responsibility to get up out of that bed and live,” he wrote. “I haven’t shared this much detail with anyone as I am still processing all of the weird emotions I’m being overcome with but the sun came up and so did I. Thank you Jesus”.
Best wishes to him and we hope for a speedy recovery.
