On the latest episode of My World With Jeff Jarrett, the WWE Hall of Famer talked about the career of Jerry Lawler. You can check out some highlights below:
On Jerry Lawler’s overall career: “I don’t even know where to dive off into starting about, but I think at the very highest level. And look, circumstances on so many things. But — and I know that that there have been different guys [who] say different things, but as far as a professional wrestler, in my opinion, there’s nothing Jerry can’t do or did. And heel, babyface, and I’m not just talking about that draw money, all kinds of matches, all kinds of stories, all that. And he’s an anomaly because there are so many things that go in. Jerry’s a complicated person, he’s so unique, he’s flawed like all of us. But at the very end of the day, I’ve often thought, ‘Now, what really sets Jerry apart?’ Because he never drank or smoked. Yeah, that kind of sets you apart, especially on the territory days. Another thing, never went to the gym, never exercised a day in his life. Nope, all this.
“So there are different things. But at the end of the day, I think if there’s one trait, I’d love to hear your kind of feedback on this and maybe a name game or, right off the top to comparitively speak. Because when you think about the Von Erichs, or Dusty or different territory stars, you know, Pat Patterson, we could go on and on. But what set Jerry apart from everybody else, and I think at the very core of it, is Jerry is truly an artist. His creativity kept him, in my opinion, ’72, ’73, at the very top of the business. So in the territories, he stayed on top. When a guy his age, most of the time looked at retirement, he transitioned, and he was a — not a good color commentator, now I know it’s debatable. But he was on top as a color commentator for years and years and years. And so there’s nothing really he couldn’t do in the professional wrestling industry. He booked. He wrestled, a business guy, promo guy, on and on and on. Color commentator, all that kind of stuff. His success is unparalleled in the territory days. And I always did try to analyze it. But his creativity, God’s gift to him of having that creative mind, set him apart.”
On Lawler’s connection to the fans: “Jerry looks like a man, if you will, at 22 years of age. You know, hair on his chest, he had broad shoulders. He didn’t have that young ‘babyface look’ that some guys do. So when he entered into the business, and the true confidence that came out of him — and this is again, you can go back and watch some of his early promos when he got with Sam Bass, but he had been in the business a couple of years that. But you know, from my father and look, I’d asl a lot of folks. To this day, I’m still a huge fan of Jerry’s career. It’s unbelievable.
“But at the early age, the King was the man. And when I’m 10 to 11 years old, not even that old, King was selling out and making money. And my father’s the promoter, and obviously, he’s making money, and just the success that he brought. But in those early days, Jerry — again, going back to his artistic and creative mind, he came out of the womb being able to cut a promo. And so from his very earliest days in the business, he could talk. And that is something that — you know, as time has gone on through the years, it’s kind of amazing how that’s kind of been left by the wayside from time to time about how important it is. But you know, in today’s modern era, you look at MJF or Sami Zayn or — okay, if you want a guy who’s through the generations, Paul Heyman can talk his ass off. In these early 70s. If you could ‘just wrestle,’ then you had for all intents and purposes, a journeyman career. What sets you apart from a mid-card to a main inventor in those days is that you can sell money, can you sell tickets with your mouth? And Jerry could from day one.”
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit My World With Jeff Jarrett with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.
