Since 1992, WWE fans around the world have seen Jerry “The King” Lawler on their television screens as a color commentator, in-ring competitor and pre-show panelist. But Jerry Lawler’s career actually goes beyond WWE, as he has been wrestling since the 1970s and has been a staple of the Memphis, Tennessee wrestling scene.
Fans may not know much about Jerry Lawler’s accomplishments in Memphis, as much of it happened in the pro wrestling territory’s days. Let’s take a look back at the King’s time in Memphis, which includes countless championships, some major rivalries with recognizable names, including one that entered the annals of pop culture, and the creation of various promotions.
10/10 Lawler’s DJ gig got him into wrestling
Before venturing into the world of professional wrestling, Jerry Lawler, his real name, worked in Memphis as a radio disc jockey. Area promoter Aubrey Griffith took notice of Lawler and struck a deal with the young DJ in which Lawler would promote Griffith’s on-air wrestling shows for free in exchange for free training in the sport. Lawler would make his in-ring debut in the 1970s and quickly begin racking up championships, starting the following year.
9/10 The origin of his nickname of king
Despite the Memphis connection, Jerry Lawler’s nickname of “The King” does not come from Elvis Presley. Instead, it was the result of a feud with “Fabulous” Jackie Fargo, one of the biggest stars in the territory at the time. Known to use the strut that would be done even more famous for Ric Flair, Fargo was also dubbed “the king of wrestling” and served as Lawler’s mentor. After beating Fargo in 1974, Lawler not only captured his NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, but also began calling himself “the King”.
When he debuted, Jerry Lawler wrestled for NWA Mid-America under promoter Nick Gulas, who was an early member of the National Wrestling Alliance, serving Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. Lawler was arguably one of the promotion’s top stars, but there was further frustration among the Memphis fighters over Gulas pushing his own son, George Gulas, to an excessive degree.
In response, wrestler/promoter Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler parted ways with NWA Mid-America in 1977 to start a new promotion, the Continental Wrestling Association. Buoyed by Lawler as its top star, the CWA became the top promotion in Memphis while NWA Mid-America folded in the early 1980s.
7/10 Had a big money rivalry with Bill Dundee
The year 1977 brought one of Jerry Lawler’s biggest fights, with Scottish-born Australian wrestler Bill Dundee, who had become a staple of the territory. Over the course of several months, Lawler and Dundee squared off in 10 total fights with varying stipulations, as Dundee risked everything to capture Lawler’s Southern Heavyweight Championship, from his car to his hair and his wife’s hair. . The rivalry attracted many ticket sales, and King and Dundee would become teammates.
6/10 fought with jimmy hart
Jerry Lawler brought another Memphis wrestling icon, legendary manager Jimmy Hart, into the business, with Hart working as the King’s manager until the inevitable breaking angle. Not a wrestler himself, Jimmy Hart organized a stable, the Primera Familia de Lucha Libre, giving himself a supply of wrestlers to fight the King on his behalf. When Jimmy Hart signed with WWE, he was kicked out of the territory by his client Eddie Gilbert who lost a match to Jerry Lawler that included the stipulation that Hart would have to leave town.
5/10 Get classic with Terry Funk
Part of the feud between Jimmy Hart and Jerry Lawler involved Hart calling in wrestlers from outside of Memphis to come in and face the King in the ring. In 1981, Hart brought in Terry Funk, who was already a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion. While Lawler and Funk only had two matches in this feud, both were considered all-time classics, the first being a No DQ match at the Mid-South Coliseum, which Funk lost by countout. Demanding a rematch, Funk met Lawler once again at the Mid-South Coliseum, this time in an Empty Arena Match, which ended in a No Contest after Lawler stabbed Funk in the eye with a nail.
4/10 The legendary fight with Andy Kaufman
One of the biggest things to know about Lawler’s time in Memphis was his feud with comedian Andy Kaufman, which transcended professional wrestling to become a broader pop culture concern. Stemming from Kaufman’s “World Intergender Wrestling Champion” part, the bout, one of the first to feature a celebrity, included Heelis Kaufman tearing apart Memphis wrestling fans, Lawler (kayfabe) smashing the Kaufman’s neck with a pair of hammers, and a staged altercation in an episode of Late night with David Letterman.
As the 1980s progressed, WWE became a national promotion, eclipsing even the most successful territories. As a result, many territories began to forge working relationships, including the CWA and Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling. As a result, the charts would intersect, with Jerry Lawler feuding with beloved WCCW top star Kerry Von Erich.
Working with the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, the three promotions held a pay-per-view called Super Clash 3an ill-received pay-per-view in which AWA World Champion Lawler defeated WCCW World Champion Von Erich in a title unification match.
2/10 Part of the USWA
Weather Super Clash 3 didn’t work out, WCCW and CWA ended up merging in 1989 to form a national promotion called the United States Wrestling Association to further compete with the ever-expanding WWE, with Jerry Lawler as one of its top stars. In 1990, World Class withdrew from the company, and the USWA ended up forging a working relationship with WWE, resulting in several WWE stars appearing in the USWA. However, by the late ’90s, the Monday Night Wars would put the USWA out of business, as they ran shows on Mondays and couldn’t compete with the quality of matches fans got on television for free.
1/10 Wrestled for WWE’s first developmental territory
The USWA closed in 1997, but the following year brought a new promotion to the Memphis wrestling scene: Power Pro Wrestling, which lasted from 1998 to 2001 and was WWE’s first developmental territory. Jerry Lawler, of course, also battled for this promotion, taking on established performers like Bart Gunn, Kane and Sid Vicious, as well as up-and-comers like Shawn Stasiak and future WWE Performance Center head trainer Matt Bloom (aka Albert /Tensai). . While he failed to capture the PPW Heavyweight Title, he teamed up with old foe/partner Bill Dundee to capture the tag belts.