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Jerry Lawler No Longer Needs to Be on TV as a Wrestler or Announcer

Posted: Sep 9th 2012 By: mikeiles

One of the great things about television is that certain shows have an ability to capture our attention and at the right moment, deliver an unexpected twist that throws the viewer off. At some point, all of the great shows in television history have had that "moment" and viewers are eager to tune in to see where this new direction is going to go.

On the other hand, there are times that become predictable and stale when watching television. It is at these moments that the viewer loses interest in the story that is being told. It seems as if the WWE has reached this moment with the questionable addition of Jerry Lawler into a "feud" with CM Punk. CM Punk is one of the top stars of the last few years, and then Jerry Lawler is added to this for some apparent reason.

It was obvious on the 1000th episode of Raw that there was going to be a story line involving the Rock and Punk at some point over the course of the year, but I am not understanding the addition of Jerry Lawler into the story. Lawler has not added anything either on commentary or as a wrestler in ten years. It is time for him to remove himself as an on air wrestler/announcer.

Lawler's role has not been defined since the ill-fated feud with Michael Cole. For all of animosity that those two showed each other, it was interesting how they continued to sit by each other the following months. One week they are yelling at each other and the next week they are great pals. Creative needs to limit the involvement of the broadcast team for anything that is seen on tv.

My problem is not with the announce team. It is with Lawler and the neutral reaction that he garners each time he does something. He has not seem interested in announcing for quite some time, and has not provided the heel commentary that he was so good at.

This may be in accordance with their PG rating, but Michael Cole has evolved with the time, so why hasn't Lawler? In recent situations where Lawler has been in the ring with a mic, it is noticeable with the crowd that he doesn't connect with them.

Punk brought up a good point a few weeks ago that the WWE Universe has no idea that Lawler is a legend in Memphis, and that he has wrestled many legends over the years. There is no doubt in my mind that Jerry Lawler is worthy of his Hall of Fame status, but there comes a time when a role has to change for the good of the company.

Jerry Lawler is a walking encyclopedia of wrestling knowledge and history. The WWE would be wise to add Lawler as a talent evaluator or some role in development. Fans seem to be upset that the talent being seen each week isn't ready for the big time.

Who better to help develop and train the wrestlers than someone who has wrestled all over the world? Imagine how much better the younger talent could be if they had a mentor such as Lawler helping and evaluating them each week.

Lawler's contribution to the WWE is no longer as a wrestler or an announcer. Maybe managing could be in his future, but the WWE seems to no longer be interested in a good manager anymore. It is time for the WWE to remove Lawler and put him in a position that he can be successful.