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Jerry Lawler Interview Recap

Posted: Mar 11th 2007 By: CMBurnham

This week's 60 minute edition of JG's Radio Free Insanity is on the air and available in flash and for download right now at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com. This week's guest is the co-host of Monday Night Raw and 2007 inductee into WWE's Hall of Fame, Jerry "The King" Lawler.

James Guttman begins the show by talking about the show. As you may have seen on the site, Jerry "The King" Lawler is the special guest this week. JG calls the King "beyond a legend" and mentions a number of things he's done in his career. Before the Rock-n-Wrestling connection, Jerry was slapping Andy Kaufman in the face on David Letterman. Lawler has done so much in the industry and now he's here on the Insanity.

Jerry Lawler's full uncut interview is available on ClubWWI.com and lasts for 62 minutes. Some of the subjects discussed include who will induct him into the Hall of Fame, his relationship with Vince McMahon, his relationship with Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Joey Styles, Hulk Hogan, and so much more. The King is just one of over 60 interviews with stars that you can hear on ClubWWI.com. Past guests include everyone from Kevin Nash to Demolition to Samoa Joe to Koko B. Ware and are available right now on the Club.

JG mentions that this week is bittersweet for World Wrestling Insanity. While James is happy to bring fans the Lawler interview, he was saddened to hear of the passing of Allen "Bad New Brown" Coage. As many fans know, Allen was on the December 17th, 2006 edition of Radio Free Insanity. James tells the story of setting up the interview and how Coage had asked for a copy of World Wrestling Insanity: The Book when they were finished. He says that Bad News was one of the most honest people you could hope to speak with. Guttman says that he was surprised by how open Bad News was about many names and in the industry and while James is glad he had a chance to speak to Allen before he passed, at the same time, he's sad that he'll never speak to him again. With that, James plays a few clips from Allen's December 17th, 2006 interview including a story about a fan approaching him at a mall and this closing message to the fans he frightened:

"I say to them, I was doing my job. Don't have no more nightmares. I'm really not the person you saw me in the ring. I was in the ring, I did my job, that was it. Outside the ring, I was totally someone else."

JG switches gears before going to the Moment of Insanity and talks about the International Championship Wrestling shows on March 17th and 18th in Arizona featuring Kip James vs. Abyss. Guttman speaks a bit on Kip and how he's been misused his entire singles career. James feels that Billy Gunn was never able to transition to a singles star because his original post-New Age Outlaws singles gimmick was so ridiculous. JG mentions that Gunn still hasn't reached his potential. After doing the week's reader-voted Moment of Insanity, JG cues up part two of the show.

Part two starts off with clips from all the new ClubWWI.com audio shows. They are:

"The Big Picture" Audio Show Hosted By Former Raw Co-Host Kevin Kelly

"Club OJ" Audio Show Hosted By Former WWE U.S. Champion Orlando Jordan

"Smack Talk" Audio Show Hosted By Lisa "Ivory" Moretti

"The Lo-Down" Audio Show Hosted By D-Lo Brown

Among the clips, Ivory calls the show her "private therapy session" and D-Lo Brown calls the four new hosts a "motley crew."

James Guttman welcomes listeners to part two and speaks about the audio shows on ClubWWI.com. There's a new edition of Lisa "Ivory" Moretti's Smack Talk coming to ClubWWI.com on Tuesday. Last week's show was Club OJ and featured Orlando Jordan's stories about being backstage at TNA's pay-per-view. All these shows, plus archives from Dr. Tom Prichard's Tuesdays With Tom are up on ClubWWI.com. Dr. Tom is now WWE's head trainer for Deep South Wrestling and speaking of WWE--

Today's guest is WWE's co-host for Monday Night Raw and 2007 inductee into WWE's Hall of Fame. Of course, it's the one and only Jerry The King Lawler. Guttman says that he set up the interview with Jerry directly and not WWE, so there's no subject off limits. Aside from what you'll hear on the show today, Lawler's interview was over an hour on ClubWWI.com and features talk of Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Vince McMahon - the heel, Vince McMahon - the announcer, Lawler's lawsuit against the WWF, Lou Thesz, Ultimate Warrior, The Cleveland Indians, Hulk Hogan's Memphis confusion, and so much more.

James tells listeners to stick around after the interview for exclusive clips from The King's uncut ClubWWI.com interview. With that, he cues up today's interview with Jerry.

James Guttman starts thing off by introducing Jerry Lawler. The King starts it off with a question:

"Did you say Radio Free Insanity or Insanity Free Radio? Which is it? I was going to try to make an insanity free interview here today. That usually doesn't happen with me, ya know?"

Guttman tells Lawler that they encourage insanity on the show. He says it's the way that people are able to watch a lot of the wrestling shows out there. JG begins by congratulating Jerry on his induction into this year's Hall of Fame. The King says it's a great thing to be honored by your peers, however he has mixed emotions. For starters, Lawler says that when he first got the call from WWE, he was stunned. When asked how he felt, he said that he felt old. The voice on the other end said, "Well you are old, damnit. So get over it." They laughed and Jerry explained that he looks at the Hall of Fame as a place to go after your career's over like in Football or Baseball. He was assured that WWE was different and a way to acknowledge things he already accomplished.

Jerry Lawler goes on to say that he's a lifelong Cleveland fan. In a stroke of Murphy's Law, the Cleveland Indians will be playing their first game in franchise history in Memphis...on the same night as the Hall of Fame. Jerry already spoke to Travis Hafner about having some of the guys from the team over his house, but "not this year, I'm going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame." Lawler says he asked WWE if they could induct him via satellite from the game, but "that didn't go over well. So I guess I'll be in Detroit."

James laughs and says that life is always like that. You're free so many days, but the one day that something's going on, you have a bunch to do. Lawler agrees, but let's out a frustrated sigh. Guttman tells him to look a the bright side - at least he got to see the XFL's Memphis Maniacs. The King again agrees and says he got to call many of their games. James also says that at least he's not missing the Indians for something lame. "At least it's the Hall of Fame." King says, "It's for a good cause, as they say."

Guttman brings up how it seems overdue that Jerry's inducted into the Hall. He asks if there was ever discussion before this year about it. Lawler says no and calls it a surprise. He realizes that most of his career took place in Memphis and Mid-South before WWE went worldwide with cable. So a lot of fans nationwide aren't familiar with him. They first they heard of him was in his feud with Andy Kaufman. Then in 1988, he beat Curt Hennig for the AWA title. But a lot of his achievements took place outside WWE, so many fans nationwide didn't know his career. Jerry didn't expect too much of his wrestling career to be honored by WWE, but that's the cool thing about the Hall of Fame. They honor non-WWE careers too.

JG references Nick Bockwinkel's induction as a showing that it's not WWE-centric. Lawler brings up WWE 24/7 and how fans around the world can see stars they hadn't seen before. Now that World Wrestling Entertainment owns so many tape libraries, they can show it to the fans on 24/7. He says it's only right that WWE honors guys outside the company like Bockwinkel.

"That guy--I mean, you know, I wrestled him 100 times and he's literally one of the best wrestlers that I've ever been in the ring with. He's just phenomenal."

James says that Nick was the second guest they had on the show and he was just in awe of all he had done. Guttman brings up how in the 80s, a wrestler would leave WWF and never be mentioned again. Nowadays, they're still mentioned and even put on 24/7, which allows kids to see the stars they missed the first time. Lawler says it's a good thing on all the levels. Young wrestlers or wrestler-hopefuls can learn so much from the guys who came before them. The King explains that people ask him all the time how he learned to wrestle. The truth is, he learned by watching. Jerry feels that 24/7 can be a great learning tool for people wanting to get in the business and great entertainment for fans.

-break-

Guttman brings up TNA and asks the King if, even with his schedule, he gets a chance to see it.

"Honestly, I do not get to see it. I think in all the time in existence, I saw part of one show and I know a lot of people will say 'oh yeah, that's not true,' But it really is true. I just don't--like you said, so many things going on, that I just don't get the opportunity to watch it. I mean, you know, like whenever it's on, I'm usually doing something more important like sorting my socks, checking my teeth for plaque, or renewing my subscription to People magazine. All of these things come up that just feel like they're more important than watching TNA, so I don't get a chance to see it."

JG laughs and says that there's nothing more to really say about it. The reason he brought up TNA is because the announcers get critiqued for overselling at times. Guttman says that's one thing that J.R. and the King don't do on Raw. They seem natural instead of like they're promoting. He asks if they ever encountered a guy that they thought would be impossible to get over. Lawler answers that it's happened a lot before and most of those guys are gone now. It still happens to this day. The King explains:

"That's your job. If you are able to do that, then that's what makes you good at your job. That's what makes you the guy on the A Show rather than working at TNA or something."

He credits Jim Ross and his passion for being able to do that. He says they sat through some matches that they were hopefully able to help. Whether they described talent to be more impressive than they are or made a match more exciting, they do what they can. However, Jerry knows that WWE fans are smart and no matter what he and the King say, fans pick up on the guys that aren't ready.

Guttman asks about Jerry's light-hearted nature in today's WWE. Before he arrived, he was involved in some violent angles like Eddie Gilbert hitting him with a car. James asks if Lawler enjoys playing the hardcore King wrestler or the happy "Puppies" announcer more. Lawler says it may surprise many people, but he enjoys the wrestling aspect of his career more than commentary. He has fun with announcing, but didn't get into the business because he was a commentary fan. He got into it because he wanted to be a wrestler. The announcing began when Randy Savage jumped ship and went to WCW. Next thing he knows, he's being asked to go on Raw and do commentary. Jerry never intended to do it. He got into the business to be a wrestler and that's what he does to this day.

"If I were just--my career finally evolved into doing nothing but commentary, I don't know if I would hang around that long. I still look at myself as a wrestler more so than a commentator."

James says that Lawler still gets to do that on Raw too and brings up his matches against Chris Master recently. Jerry says that they're great like that at WWE and they've discussed that if he wanted to, he could go on the road with the guys. However, Lawler doesn't want to do that either. He takes his crown off to the roster for their grueling schedule. He runs down the schedule of a star on the road and explains he's not looking to do that. He's working a few matches with WWE, does commentary, and wrestles a few nights a week in Memphis. The King says that's fine with him.

- break -

Guttman closes the interview by giving Lawler a chance to speak to the fans that are "chomping at the bit" to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame. King laughs and tells them not to get their hopes up. He's noticed that the acceptance speeches are getting long-winded in the last few years. Jerry brings up Billy Graham and says that he loves him, but his HOF speech has become a running joke.

"He started talking about the fact that, I guess a young lady got a car crash and he received one of her organs in a transplant and without that he probably wouldn't be alive today. He went on from that to talk about his wrestling career and all this sort of stuff and by the time Superstar Graham, before he was through, I was starting to wish that young lady had been a better driver."

James bursts into laughter and King says he just wants to make sure people aren't wishing he's somewhere pushing up daisies during his speech. He then thanks the fans for all they do and says that without them, the wrestlers and companies would be nothing. He says they need to acknowledge the fans and thank them every chance they get.

After the interview, James plays some quotes from Lawler's uncut interview including:

"I think if you were to have J.R. in an interview, he'd say "Oh yeah, I get along great with Paul Heyman," and Paul Heyman would probably say the same thing about J. R., but I think somewhere deep down inside I think there was a little bit of animosity. That sort of stuff you can't hide."

"I had even had a lawsuit against Vince."

"Every time I ever see the Hulk, he'll ask "Did you show the match of you beating me up again this week, brother?" I think somewhere in his mind, he thinks that I show the video of that match that we had 20 something years ago every single week on our Memphis TV."

"Let me just ask you this, when you heard I was going to be inducted did any person's name jump out at you as this person should induct Jerry Lawler?"

"Burger King paid me $5000 to do that that night. I became a huge Burger King fan after that."

Remember, Jerry Lawler's full 62 minute interview is just one of over 60 available on ClubWWI.com right now. Jerry talks about Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, TNA, Paul Heyman, commentary vs. wrestling, Hall of Fame, Jim Ross, Monday Night Raw, Prime Time Wrestling, Memphis, and so much more. Also on ClubWWI.com, you can hear over 60 exclusive interviews with wrestling's top names including Kevin Nash, DDP, Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Sylvester Terkay, The Iron Sheik, Rhino, Earl Hebner, Ivory, The Steiner Brothers, Nidia, Christy Hemme, Chris Daniels, AJ Styles, Vince Russo and dozens of others. Plus audio shows from Lisa "Ivory" Moretti, D-Lo Brown, Kevin Kelly, Orlando Jordan, and Dr. Tom Prichard.

JG's Radio Free Insanity is always free and always on the air each weekend at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com, with extended interviews and show archives available on ClubWWI.com. James Guttman's book, World Wrestling Insanity, is available at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold.