Jerry Lawler (commentary)
Inducted by Hustle
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After a legendary in-ring career that is worthy of its own Hall Of Fame induction (get on that, folks), Jerry “The King” Lawler made his WWF debut in December 1992, working as both an announcer and as a part-time in-ring talent.
He seemed perfectly suited for the WWF product at the time, with a cartoonish, over-the-top gimmick and costume, in an era where the company was chock full of them.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of start-and-stop when it came to his early WWF days. In between his commentary work and occasional storyline involvement, he was still working for Jerry Jarrett’s United States Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was still wildly over as the hometown hero babyface, a stark contrast to the heel he portrayed on WWF programming.
Lawler & J.R.
It wasn’t until 1996 that Jerry Lawler’s life completely changed forever. That was when he was placed on the WWF commentary team with none other than “Good Ol’ JR,” Jim Ross. Initially, the team also included Kevin Kelly, but who gives a shit about Kevin Kelly?
Before I go on, here’s a fun fact… did you know that Lawler and Ross had done commentary together before they were in the WWF? In 1983, on an episode of Mid-South Wrestling’s television program, regular announcer Ross was joined by Lawler to call the show’s main event, a tag match that saw the Mid-South Tag Team Champions, “Hacksaw” Butch Reed and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart taking on the team of “The Iceman” King Parsons and “Leaping” Lanny Poffo. Lawler, Jim Cornette, The Midnight Express, and others were in Mid-South for a brief period, coming over from Memphis in a bit of a working relationship between the two territories.
That match can be found on YouTube if you haven’t seen it before. It’s worth checking out, not just because the match itself is fun, but because it’s fascinating to hear a 31-year-old Ross and a 34-year-old Lawler calling a match together. Ross is great, as always, but Lawler excels as the color guy here, focused on doing the color commentator’s job… explaining WHY things are happening in the ring and taking the viewer into the mind of the wrestlers themselves. This was before Lawler adopted a louder, higher pitched voice for his commentary work, and long before he started focusing more on catchphrases and ogling women. It’s crazy that both men seemed to have instant chemistry together, even all the way back then.
Anyway, where was I?
Oh, yeah… 1996.
Lawler and Ross were great together right off the bat, playing off of each other perfectly. Ross was the “straight man” play-by-play guy, and Lawler was already becoming the overgrown teenager that we knew him to be.
For the better part of the next 12 years, both men worked together and called almost every big match, title change, and moment that the company delivered in that time frame. They created magic together on a weekly basis. Lawler’s sense of humor was able to bounce off of JR’s “pure” style perfectly, and they brought the best out of each other.
Lawler and Cole
In 2008, WWE decided to shake things up a bit, and their commentary teams were changed. Instead of Jim Ross, Lawler was now sitting next to Michael Cole. Lawler and Cole were good together, but they didn’t quite have the same level of chemistry that Lawler and Ross had. Sadly, Lawler and Cole’s pairing is best known for the September 10th, 2012 episode of Monday Night Raw, when Lawler would suffer a heart attack live on the air, nearly dying and forcing Cole to break character, and the way he handled the situation turned him face in the eyes of the WWE Universe.
Legacy
There is no denying Jerry Lawler’s place in the pantheon of professional wrestling commentators. If you close your eyes right now, you can hear some of his most famous lines and calls from the Attitude Era and beyond.
In recent years, a certain percentage of the wrestling fan base has changed their opinions on Lawler and his work. The usual thought process is how problematic he would be in the modern times if he did and said most of the things he did and said back then.
The thing about back then is… it’s back then. Times were changing in the mid-90’s, and Lawler changed with those times. Yes, a lot of that stuff wouldn’t fly today, but we can’t forget that it was perfect for the time. It was called the “Attitude Era” for a reason. Society wasn’t the same as it was when Hulk Hogan was telling kids to say their prayers and take their vitamins. This was right around the time when South Park debuted on television, taking the world by storm. Teenage and young adult males were being catered to everywhere, and Jerry Lawler did an incredible job being their “voice” at the time.
I’m glad to be able to give him his flowers for the work he did.
It is my honor and my pleasure to induct Jerry “The King” Lawler as part of the LoP/WH Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2024!
Lords of Pain.net/Wrestling Headlines.com welcomes Jerry Lawler into the Hall of Fame class of 2024.
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Kurt Angle On Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler: “They’re Super Legends”