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Jerry "The King" Lawler Looking To Prove Himself When Wrestlefest XII Hits Bristol

Posted: Apr 15th 2008 By: CMBurnham

When Jerry ?The King? Lawler steps into the ring for WrestleFest XII at Bristol Central High School, he knows full well he will have a huge target on his back. But that knowledge may not help come Saturday night, especially when ?Maniac? Michael Sane is waiting inside a steel cage ready to make a name for himself at the wrestling legend?s expense.

Lawler, however, isn?t the least bit worried about taking on the giant inside a cage ? he actually relishes the chance to teach the up-and-comer a lesson he won?t soon forget.

?These young guys, they have dreams that when they beat me they?ll get the call from Vince McMahon and get a big contract for a ton of money,? Lawler said in an exclusive interview with The Bristol Press. ?But this is my opportunity to show everyone why, for the past 30 years, they call me ?The King.??

Wrestling in a cage match, however, is something Lawler is going to have to get used to all over again, as it?s been a long while since he last took part in one.

?It?s been quite a few years,? Lawler said from the road in Richmond, Kentucky. ?But we need to keep us inside the ring, and stop those outside the ring from interfering.?

While Lawler wants to teach Sane a thing or two about wrestling inside the cage on Saturday night, he also wouldn?t mind showing the fans of Bristol some moves they might not expect from the Monday Night Raw commentator.

?I?ll throw in a piledriver, I?ll go to the top rope; Bristol is going to see some things they would never expect from me,? he said.

The crowd that will fill the seats at the Central gym would expect nothing less from a Northeast Wrestling show. And Lawler is ready to give NEW and its fans a performance to remember

Lawler, who has been working with NEW for the past six years, loves the way the group does business. He points to Michael O?Brien, the promotion?s president, as reason why he keeps coming back for more.

?I?ve never been part of an unsuccessful show,? Lawler said of NEW. ?Michael is probably the best at producing independent shows. They are always sold out. Plus, Indy shows don?t usually lead to grudge matches or a return match. But that?s what I?m going to have here with Michael Sane. A cage match is a very unique thing to have at an Indy show.?

These independent shows are a lot different than a WWE or TNA event. But the more intimate showcase is something Lawler is looking forward to. After all, when wrestling or commentating in front of 20,000 fans, the personal touch just isn?t there.

?This is a throwback to old school wrestling,? he said. ?There?s nothing like a WWE show. But when they?re as big as they are, it?s a little impersonal. There is no interaction. Here the fans are so up close and personal. It?s an intimate venue. Fans will get a chance to meet and greet the wrestlers, get a photo taken, get an autograph.?

And, once again, NEW will be bringing the biggest names in the business with them to Bristol. In addition to the Lawler-Sane cage match, the event will feature WWE Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper, TNA heavyweight champion Samoa Joe, TNA women?s champion Awesome Kong, ?The Velvet Sky? Talia Madison and Bristol?s own Kurt Adonis.

Last year NEW brought Kurt Angle, Christian Cage and more to the Mum City.

?There is a lot of Indy shows where I?m the only well-known name at the event, and the rest are local guys,? Lawler said. ?It?s different with Michael O?Brien. His events are loaded with stars. He brings in TNA wrestlers, WWE guys. NEW shows have the big names.?

Lawler is one of the bigger names in the history of wrestling, and a great deal of that notoriety comes from a feud that took place outside the ring. Lawler gained national fame when he slapped comedian Andy Kaufman in the face on the Late Night with David Letterman show in 1982. It is still considered one of the top moments in the history of television.

?That?s probably the highlight of my career,? Lawler said. ?I was suddenly in the national spotlight ? and so was wrestling. The Letterman people still call that episode their ?famous show.??

Now, a new generation of wrestling fans may best know Lawler for his role as color commentator on WWE television and pay-per-view events. But ?The King? still sees himself as simply a wrestler.

?I never dreamed of being a commentator,? he said. ?When the Monday Night Wars were going on, Macho Man Randy Savage was doing color commentary on Raw, but he soon jumped ship to WCW. I was a last-minute replacement. I remember Vince McMahon coming up to me and asking if I wouldn?t mind doing it. Fifteen years later and I?m still the main color commentator.

?But I still think of myself as just a wrestler watching a match and talking about it.?

Lawler has had a long and historic wrestling career. He has held the most championships in wrestling history (127), was elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007, and has feuded with some of the biggest names in the sports-entertainment world ? including Roddy Piper.

?I think a lot of people think I?m semi-retired,? Lawler said. ?I could still wrestle full time, but it?s the travel that kills you. I?m tired of wrestling and traveling five days a week. Commentating on Raw and wrestling occasionally is perfect for me.?

Make no mistake; Lawler is ready for his match with Sane at Bristol Central High School. Even though he may only wrestle part time now, that doesn?t mean he wants the fans leaving the arena disappointed in his performance.

?I?m hopefully going to show everyone that I?ve still got what it takes,? Lawler said.

?Maniac? Michael Sane gets to experience that first hand on Saturday night.

Tags: Jerry Lawler, WWE, TNA, Roddy Piper