Since 1992, WWE fans all over the world have seen Jerry "The King" Lawler on their TV screens as a color commentator, an in-ring competitor, and a pre-show panelist. But Jerry Lawler’s career actually goes beyond WWE, as he’s been wrestling since the 1970s and has been a staple of the Memphis, Tennessee wrestling scene.
Fans might not know much about Jerry Lawler’s accomplishments in Memphis, as much of it happened in the territory days of pro wrestling. Let’s take a look 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 several promotions.
10 Lawler’s DJ Gig Got Him Into Wrestling
Before venturing into the world of pro wrestling, Jerry Lawler — his real name — was working 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 wrestling shows on the air for free in exchange for free training in the sport. Lawler would make his in-ring debut in the 1970s and quickly begin amassing championships, starting the following year.
9 The Origin Of His King Nickname
Despite the Memphis connection, Jerry Lawler’s nickname of “The King” did not come from Elvis Presley. Instead, it was the result of a feud with “Fabulous” Jackie Fargo, one of the top stars in the territory at the time. Known for using the strut that would be made even more famous by Ric Flair, Fargo was also nicknamed “the King of Wrestling” and served as a mentor to Lawler. In the wake of beating Fargo in 1974, Lawler not only captured his NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, but also began calling himself “the King.”
8 Started His Own Promotion
When he debuted, Jerry Lawler wrestled for NWA Mid-America under promoter Nick Gulas, which was one of the first members of the National Wrestling Alliance, servicing Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. Lawler was arguably one of the top stars of the promotion, but there was increased frustration among the Memphis wrestlers due to Gulas pushing his own son, George Gulas, to an excessive degree.
In response, wrestler/promoter Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler broke away from NWA Mid-America in 1977 to start a new promotion, the Continental Wrestling Association. Bolstered by Lawler as its top star, CWA became the major promotion in Memphis, while NWA Mid-America folded in the early 1980s.
7 Had A Big Money Rivalry With Bill Dundee
The year 1977 brought one of Jerry Lawler’s biggest feuds, with Scottish-born Australian wrestler Bill Dundee, who’d become a staple of the territory. Over the course of several months, Lawler and Dundee would clash in 10 bouts total with varying stipulations as Dundee put everything on the line to capture Lawler’s Southern Heavyweight Championship, from his car to his hair to his wife’s hair. The rivalry drew a lot of ticket sales, and the King and Dundee would go on to become tag team partners.
6 Feuded With Jimmy Hart
Jerry Lawler brought a fellow Memphis wrestling icon, legendary manager Jimmy Hart, into the business, with Hart working as the King’s manager until the inevitable break-up angle. No wrestler himself, Jimmy Hart organized a stable, the First Family of Wrestling, giving himself a supply of wrestlers to feud with the King on his behalf. When Jimmy Hart signed to WWE, he was written out of the territory by way of his client Eddie Gilbert losing a match to Jerry Lawler that carried the stipulation that Hart would have to leave town.
5 Put On Classics With Terry Funk
Part of the Jimmy Hart vs. Jerry Lawler feud involved Hart tapping wrestlers from outside of Memphis to come in and take on 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, they were both 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 spike.
4 The Legendary Feud With Andy Kaufman
One of the most important things to know about Lawler’s time in Memphis was his feud with comedian Andy Kaufman, which transcended pro wrestling to become a matter of wider pop culture concern. Spinning out of Kaufman’s “Intergender Wrestling Champion of the World” bit, the feud — one of the earliest to feature a celebrity — included the heelis Kaufman trashing the Memphis wrestling fans, Lawler (kayfabe) breaking Kaufman’s neck with a pair of piledrivers, and a staged altercation on an episode of Late Night with David Letterman.
3 Took Part In An Inter-Promotional Rivalry With World Class Championship Wrestling
As the 1980s went on, WWE grew into a national promotion, overshadowing even the most successful territories. As a result, many territories started forging working relationships, including CWA and Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling. As a result, the rosters would cross over, with Jerry Lawler feuding with WCCW’s beloved top star, Kerry Von Erich.
Working with Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, the three promotions put on a pay-per-view called SuperClash 3, a poorly received pay-per-view in which AWA World Champion Lawler beat WCCW World Champion Von Erich in a title unification match.
2 Part Of The USWA
While SuperClash 3 didn’t work out, WCCW and CWA ended up merging in 1989 to form a national promotion called 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 USWA ended up forging a working relationship with WWE, resulting in various WWE stars showing up in USWA. However, by the late ‘90s, the Monday Night Wars would kill USWA’s business, as they ran shows on Mondays and couldn't compete with the match quality fans were getting on television for free.
1 Wrestled For WWE’s First Developmental Territory
The USWA shuttered 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-ever developmental territory. Jerry Lawler of course wrestled for this promotion as well, 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 coach Matt Bloom (a.k.a. Albert/Tensai). While he was unable to capture the PPW Heavyweight Title, he did team up with his old enemy/partner Bill Dundee to capture the tag belts.