If you read my column regularly you are aware that many things I have to say about Jerry “The King Lawler” are not very positive. In fact, many are laced with sarcasm. This article will tell you about some of my earlier dealings with Jerry Lawler. Let me start out by saying that until I went to work for Memphis Wrestling I never had a bad experience with Jerry Lawler. I want to also say not only did I not have a bad experience with him but they were all actually great experiences.
This past weekend I was out driving on my way to meet Jimmy Hart for lunch in Tampa, Fl. and I drove past a building that I had worked in several times. It was the Manatee Civic Center in Palmetto, Fl. We did an IWA Television taping for Rob Russen in the building that was either for Sports Channel America or The Sunshine Network. On that show we had Diamond Dallas Page when he was still a commentator/ring announcer. It was also the first time I met the future and future ex- Mrs. Page Faulkinburg, Kimberly. We had commentary done by Lee Marshall. We had Steve Keirn, Kerry Von Erich, Chief Jules Strongbow, Robert Fuller, Tommy Rogers, Brickhouse Brown, Dennis Knight(The future Mideon) along with long time often televised enhancement talent like Bob Cook and many others.
I was the booker for the company it was really only Rob and I working on things which in retrospect was a mistake. We should have hired someone like Lawler to help since he had been working on television for years. We knew what we were doing but there were way too many moving parts for the amount of backstage staff that we had. I can remember having to get everyone together in the dressing room because things were not working out. We were not getting the right amount of time out of guys we were trying to give TV time to. So I was rather upset that we weren’t hitting our times. So in frustration I said "look you guys all want TV time. I give it to you and you’re in and out of the ring in two minutes". At that point everyone was quiet and listening and Jerry Lawler said "Sal, just tell us what you want and you will get it". I can’t remember anything else about that night in a negative way. It’s funny but something that stayed in my mind so clearly over the years especially how young I was at the time. This event happened on March 24th 1990, I was twenty seven years old at the time. I remember Lawler doing that like it was yesterday and have told many people this story. In court Jerry Lawler testified that he had no recollection of ever working for me in the past. It’s funny but it may have been one of his only truthful statements made under oath. I truly believe he had no recollection of me or that night.
On another night in the same building Jerry “The King” Lawler worked with Bam Bam Bigelow. I was the referee for that match and as always Rob Russen’s booker. I can remember Jerry being so funny in the ring that I had a hard time keeping a straight face. At one point Jerry said "Sal stop laughing" and I said "Jerry I can’t. Shut up would ya". We had a great match where I took a splash from Bam Bam in the turnbuckle. I think Jerry pulled me into it. You know for a big man and a legit tough guy Bam Bam was light as a feather I never felt him. Once again, a great night and another excellent experience with Jerry Lawler.
In our final time in that building we used my long time friend The Junkyard Dog vs. Jerry “The King” Lawler for the title. On this night I borrowed a finish from “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. I also had the services of Paul E.Dangerously for the night. I was a part of this finish one night in Baltimore as a referee for a match with Dusty Rhodes vs. Barry Windham with J.J. Dillon. The match starts and JYD is getting the best of Lawler. He eventually goes to the back and comes out with Dangerously. At some point in the match JYD puts the sleeper hold on and they back up towards the ropes. When they get close enough to the ropes Lawler reaches back and Heyman slips on my handy dandy “brass knuckles” that I carried around for years on to Lawler’s right hand. He grabs me by the shirt and hits me with the brass knuckles knocking me our cold. While I am down Lawler goes unconscious and a second referee declares JYD the new champion as Lawler eventually succumbed to the sleeper hold. I was carried to the back. Once I got back there I stuck my head in the shower and soaked it. I came back out looking revived and told DDP to announce that Lawler had been disqualified before he lost consciousness. It worked very well that night as it had in Baltimore.
There are other stories of matches with me as a referee and Jerry Lawler in them. I can remember at least two others with Lawler against Austin Idol in Philadelphia where Jerry was really really funny. I have no idea how I kept a straight face at the time. I still laugh to this day when thinking about it. There was also the night that Jerry wrestled Curt Henning in Ct. on an AWA show which I was booked on by AWA Vice President at the time Rob Russen. That was the show we booked Mick Foley on to be sure that Jerry and Wahoo McDaniel saw him. I wanted Mick to get a break and that night he did.
One might wonder how with all this past history between us that Jerry Lawler could forget someone who he worked with and for on numerous occasions. I wonder myself but perhaps he just doesn’t have a great memory. There could be some other theories on that but only Lawler knows the truth.
I didn’t give all the detail, but if I had it would have all been positive. I never had reason to have a problem with Lawler until my days in Memphis Wrestling. It’s a shame that he either let ego or a lack of understanding cause him to attack me and change my perspective on many things in this business. A story like this can only confirm that what’s important to some is very unimportant to others. It also brings to mind the Christmas movie "It’s a Wonderful Life" and the story behind it. Many times we don’t realize how we touch someone else’s life especially when we only interact with them on a short or very limited basis.
The picture for this article was taken somewhere in the Carolina’s after a match. It’s me and the late Pistol Pez Whatley. I can say Pez was one of the easiest guys that I have ever been in a ring with and I always appreciated how great he made me look in the ring.
This has been a piece of my mind
