----Ok, now put yourself in this scenario – you are making $204,000 with first class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week. You work about 4 hours a week. You are doing the exact thing that you always dreamt you would be doing. The management asks you to do one extra thing this week. Heck, it is your hometown. You don’t even have to fly today. Would you do it?? Hell yeah you would do it. Many feel that Jerry Lawler not only hurts himself, but Memphis Wrestling as a whole when he gets on national TV and does a job for guys like Randy Orton. Does it matter?? Is Lawler a fool or do people just perceive him as that. Let’s look at the facts first, and then I will come to my own conclusion.
----Jerry Lawler for years on Memphis TV talked about how he hated the WWE. How he would never wrestle for them. A main point he use to make was that he had beaten all those guys anyway, so why go up north to wrestle. He even tried to sue Vince McMahon in 1987 over the name “King” when Harley Race started to use it. Lawler has been a part of WWE since 1993, so he is in his 13th year with the company, except for the break when he and Stacy split. If you look at the records, he didn’t do badly for himself in the big matches.
*Survivor Series 1994 – Lawler/Sleezy/Queasy/Cheesy beat Doink/Dink/Pink/Wink
*In Your House – May 1995 – Lawler beat Bret Hart
*SummerSlam 1996 – Lawler beat Jake Roberts
*Summerslam 2000 – Lawler beat Tazz with Jim Ross’ help
*May 1, 2002 – Lawler/Trish Stratus beat Mr. Perfect/Molly Holly
*RAW May 20, 2002 – Raven came out and challenged Lawler, but Lawler then won by cor
*RAW October 7, 2002 – Lawler beat Stevie Richards
*RAW December 23, 2002 – Lawler/Ross beat William Regal/Lance Storm
*RAW Febuary 24, 2003 – Lawler beats Chief Morely
*RAW May 5, 2003 – Lawler beat Morely to win Jim Ross’s job back
*August 29, 2003 Live Event – Memphis, TN – Lawler/Shawn Michaels beat Ric Flair/HHH
*RAW September 15, 2003 – Lawler beat Al Snow
*RAW December 1, 2003 – Lawler beat Jonathan Coachman
*January 8, 2006 – New Years Revolution – Lawler beats Gregory Helms
----Ok, now let’s look at his major losses…
*RAW August 25, 2003 – Christian beat Lawler
*RAW September 1, 2003 – Coachman beat Lawler
*September 21, 2003 Unforgiven – Coachman/Al Snow beat Ross/Lawler
*RAW January 5, 2004 – Randy Orton beats Lawler in Memphis
*RAW November 29, 2004 – Ric Flair beats Lawler
*January 9, 2005 – New Year’s Revolution – Muhammad Hassan beat Lawler
*RAW January 23, 2006 – Coachman beats Lawler
*June 11, 2006 – One Night Stand – Tazz beats Lawler very quick
*RAW August 7, 2006 – Orton beats Lawler again in Memphis
----“In my opinion, Lawler has ruined his career. He is a joke up there and frankly has become a joke down here as well.” Barbara Speakes wrote in a letter to my site. She went on to say, “He hasn't wrestled a decent match in the Memphis area in over a decade. To be frank, he lost his feud with Corey Maclin. In other words, he pretty much has become a jobber everywhere he goes.”
----Bud Thomas wrote “I don't think Lawler is worth paying admissionto see anymore. Losing to Tazz on Pay Per View in 30 seconds was the last straw. The guy simply needs to stick to WWE wrestling.”
----And finally, I also received this talking about Lawler, “He mainly just announces, never reflects on his own career and the three times a year he ever wrestles he almost always loses the match making him seem like a joke.” Wrote Jonathan Taylor.
----I think Lawler has been treated well at the WWE. His first few years were better than the last few, but still they did push him. The last three years, the losses have outweighed the wins. Vince McMahon may feel that Lawler is getting older and he is an announcer. I don’t see why he should win against guys like Orton or Christian. He should beat guys like Coachman, but Hassan?? What about Flair?? That loss doesn’t bother me either. The quick job to Tazz?? I think it had to be done like that. They were trying to put over the new ECW. I didn’t think it looked as bad as everyone else did because Joey Styles actually distracted him for TAzz to choke him out.
----Do I think it is cool that Lawler has to do jobs in his hometown?? No, I do not. Not sure if it even bothers him, but it does piss the fans off a bit. Why not have Lawler work a mid level guy every time they come to Memphis?? Let him go over?? How hard would that be?? It is just part of Vince being an asshole and Lawler doing his job. Who is the wrong here?? Lawler already knows that when you stand up to Vince, then you get fired. So, he just does his job.
----The question that I can’t answer is has the long term actions of always pushing himself hurt Memphis Wrestling? Would they be drawing better if they had pushed someone else to the top?? I always feel like you need to change guard and “pass the torch”, but that is something that has never happened in Memphis. I believe Lawler thinks that he can only depend on one worker – himself. I don’t know if it is selfishness or just the paranoia of getting old. If he keeps himself in the spotlight, then he will still be the “King”, but if he drops offs, the King will be forgotten and is worth will be less.
----Could Memphis have pushed someone to take his place that would draw just as good?? Who knows?? Eddie Gilbert was at one time the only person that could have been the next “King”. Brian Christopher would have been a perfect choice. But, we all know he has always been trouble. His piss poor attitude and doing things like getting caught with cocaine does not help matters. Brian can’t even work live at the Memphis TV station because he clogged the bathroom and then acted like a prick to the people cleaning up the mess. He lost his job during his last stint at WWE because he couldn’t show up on time and was acting like a 15 year old kid backstage.
---- “But still, I get just as excited to go out and wrestle as I did when I was going to that card with Jackie Fargo.” Jerry Lawler told Alex Marvez in a 2001 interview with him. I think that is the part that many people do not see. Lawler wants to wrestle – it is not all about the money. Many you might not know this, but Lawler does not live is this big mansion in Memphis. It is a very nice modest house. He likes stuff as you can tell by pics – he has lots of collectibles. He also likes his women. He likes them to have good stuff. Is that all bad?? I don’t see him as a greedy old man just doing this to get money. It might look like that sometimes when they have big crowds and the prelim guys get $50, but you got throw Cory Maclin in there on that subject.
----Lawler’s fee for wrestling has gone down a bit in the last year. Why?? It might be just to keep him closer to home and not to travel every weekend. I do know at one time he was asking $2,500. He is working for $1,000 now. He is working almost every weekend at least one show. Add that to his WWE salary along with personal appearances and such, Lawler is in the $325,000 range. Not bad for a Memphis wrestler; huh??
----Now we are at the part to where I have to ask myself, if Lawler has hurt himself in this area from doing jobs on WWE TV?? Does he still draw?? Yes he still draws. He is a true legend in this area whether you like him or not. I have records of the top 10 grossing gates of this area this year. Lawler appeared in the main event in 9 of those shows. That is drawing power. No one else draws that kind of numbers in this area. I post results from shows every weekend that are drawing 80 fans or less. Would this area be better with or without Lawler?? I think we are better with him.
----Lawler is Memphis Wrestling. If he continues to draw numbers at the gate in this area, then he still should be used. Will fandom consider him a jobber in the WWE?? I guess they will do that. It makes him look like it sometimes. Lawler is only doing his job though. I still believe that if WWE let say Booker T come in to work Lawler, the fans would still believe that when Lawler is on his home turf and not in a WWE ring, he could beat Booker. The gate would be good and the fans would go home happy. I think I might even buy a ticket for that one.
