Jerry “The King” Lawler received a special honor in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday.
A portion of Homer Street was renamed “Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler Street” during a ceremony held on August 20 at Treadwell High School. The Memphis City Council approved the honorary street renaming back in June.
Lawler was joined at the ceremony by his son Kevin Lawler, Jimmy Hart, legendary Memphis wrestling announcer Dave Brown and several local political figures.
Brown spoke about Lawler’s rise from a local Memphis star to becoming one of the most recognizable names in professional wrestling.
“He got some breaks, but he made his own breaks. And he grew to become not only good in Memphis, he became the king of Memphis,” Brown said about Lawler. “Then he became the king of wrestling. And that’s where he is right now — the king of wrestling. He was local. He was regional. He was national. And he’s international. They had some matches in Saudi Arabia several years ago, and Jerry was one of the wrestlers they specifically requested be a part of that show in Saudi Arabia.”
Lawler also reflected on his personal connection to the area, saying he has “so many memories” of the street. He recalled playing on the nearby baseball and football fields when he was younger.
“The King” became synonymous with Memphis wrestling during the territory era, starring as one of its biggest attractions while also serving as a booker and co-owner.
Action 5 News, which aired Memphis wrestling during the height of Lawler’s popularity in the city, was also on hand to capture footage from Thursday’s ceremony.
