Jerry Lawler / Nick Bockwinkel Promos 1985

[@DerrickMims]

Masterclass in promos from both guys. they manage to insult their opponents while still putting them over. And they created some heat based on their shared past, to build a feud that obviously had very little time to build.

[@DotDotkins]

@csaver I don't remember them mentioning this title change in Winnipeg either, the story I heard about this was that Memphis promoter Jerry Jarrett felt that a titile match between Lawler and Martel (both faces) wouldn't draw well so they cooked up this brief title change so Bockwinkel could defend the title in Memphis against Lawler and then after the match they could say on Memphis TV that AWA president Stanley Blackburn reversed the decision in the previous match and Martel was still champion

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Very underappreciated rivalry. It's pretty cool that both of them were inducted in the HOF on the same night.

[@danorthsidemang3834]

Garbage TURDBIDE

[@quadraticresidue]

Ken Resnick does a good job bringing Nick out of his shell. Bobby Heenan must have been in Beverly Hills.

[@psychosem17]

Bobby was already well on his way in the WWF

[@EXPLISITemcee]

Kinda surprised Lawler respecting Martel..but this was nice King and Martel at the time was very popular too...

[@csaver]

The whole title change controversy must have been for the local Winnipeg market because I don't remember them mentioning it in Minneapolis. But besides that, I don't know the story of this Lawler match, but I bet I know how it went... Bockwinkel goes down with belt, gets beat by Lawler. Memphis goes nuts. But then on the next TV show the AWA says Martel was champion all along, so the match didn't count. AWA still has a champion while local hero still comes out on top. Everybody's happy.

[@madbrowniac7871]

Important change between Lawler and Russell: Jerry Lawler as the Top Face in Memphis refers to Lance Russell as "Lance." As a Heel he incessantly called him "Banana Nose."🤔😂🎤🍌🎼🎸🤼‍♂️B.W.

[@ngawangr5324]

35 year old jerry bruh.

[@phillyflash43]

You mean this is not for the coveted "TV title"? lol

[@zt1053]

They used Nick Bockwinkel because they didn't think Martel could draw a crowd.

[@psychosem17]

Lawler-Martel sold out the Fairgrounds later that year in Nashville. Bockwinkel was the incumbent there though and had been AWA Champion for years so that probably was what they were aiming at. Going with the tried and true over something new.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

zt1053 Babyface vs babyface is way too risky if you want to draw a big crowd, it was logical of them to bring Bockwinkel into this as a good old face vs heel match is way more interesting and marketable.

[@DotDotkins]

Doesn't matter who Lawler is facing in Memphis. If Lawler is in the main event in Memphis it should draw. When Martel faced Lawler in Nashville Martel played the heel role.

[@timmypaxton4844]

Thisshowisbetterthangrandpamunstersleepingpillitisrelaxing

[@lonewolftrucker99ky90]

8 to 5 lifers

[@danorthsidemang3834]

Garbage