Jerry Lawler shoots on the Wrestling Industry

From September 1991, Jerry Lawler talks about "company champions" from the WWF and WCW. He talks about how he's the true world champion that defends it around the world.
This is pretty famous as it was supposed to lead to a Lex Luger vs Jerry Lawler unification match in the Mid South Coliseum. That never happened as Lawler and Jerry Jarrett thought Paul Heyman and Eddie Gilbert would leak it and knew too much.

[@samtheacman]

Jerry Lawler is a class act...period

[@wolfieform9514]

Every time I see Jerry Lawler he looks really down to earth outside of the ring 😎👍

[@jeremyjames1659]

He is. They use to invite fans backstage for poker games after their matches. Tojo Yamamoto, Bill Dundee, Jerry Lawler, and others.

[@MrNWA4Life]

The NWA was supposedly going to have their World Title tournament in Memphis and Lawler was supposedly supposed to win it and then have an NWA/WCW unification match with Luger winning. Would have been interesting, but it got scrapped, and the tournament ended up in Japan with Masa Chono winning the World Title.

[@RedneckLuchador]

The good old days are way better than today. Regional champs and big promotions, now all we have is... WWE (okay) and TNA (sometimes better)... ROH is so so... NWA, AWA, WCCW, WWWF, ECW, and the other promotions from the 50's, 60's 70's 80's and early 90's... just awesome.

[@jeremyjames1659]

Memphis and Smokey mountain wrestling was always the best. More on action then drama.

[@DefLeppardVanHalen]

It's because The Snowman didn't return the Unified title belt.

[@scenariomckinney]

Jerry is a smart,cunning,and shrewd businessman.

[@buford1977]

miss those days

[@pmtheone2009]

Lawler is a great man.

[@AldenRDavis]

And he still is

[@fatharold1788]

this was on cable and local TV not cable access and no web then. If you saw one of the UWSA wrestlers in public it still gave you a surreal feeling like you saw any other star on TV.

[@jeremyjames1659]

USWA was great until the WWF basically used it like a minor league of wrestling. The Rock and Stone Cold wrestled there before they became the Rock and Stonecold. I believe his name was stunning Steve Austin back when he had some hair, it was bleached blonde lol. Funny stuff.

[@travismcdowell954]

I used to catch it at about 11pm or midnight along with Global. From that point on, I became fascinated with any non-WWF wrestling.

[@Crusader7077]

I was never a big Lawler fan, but considering that he could carry a promo well beyond 5 minutes, he's doing something right (some people have trouble carrying a 2 minute promo).

[@jonathanmitchell8752]

Thatś talent.

[@bigpoppanard]

@RyanKBoman this was 1991, if you didnt know that Lawler kept the AWA belt when Verne Gagne refused to pay him & Jerry Jarrett any proceeds for Super Clash 3, which broke off the super promotion collaboration between the AWA, CWA, WCCW & CWF. He started using the AWA title belt as the USWA title after The Snowman refusing to give the belt back over a pay dispute.

[@lizardman77]

Exactly, Vince knew Lawler would be a huge asset, he never used him properly in my opinion but still he saw the value in having him rather than fighting it out.

[@gamingsagepro1018]

Vince is weird. He has never truly liked having a commodity that he didn't create come into his company and be the guy. It has only happened a handful of times plus back then if you were 35+ he would try to get them to just commentate as opposed to wrestle which is what he did with Lawler.

[@BishopAP]

7:59 - Cheap pop! Also, it's funny how he debuted in the WWF the very next year.

[@mcwhorter141mcwhorter8]

Jerry realized he couldn't beat them so he joined them just like everyone else.

[@MrCarl220]

Jerry hit it on the head..though later HE himself went to WWF (now WWE)

[@lizardman77]

Couldn't agree more.

[@blkfnxbrand]

The reason so many wrestling fans are sour on Jerry Lawler is because they never heard or saw THIS version of Lawler. They only associate him with his Attitude Era persona and "Puppies".

[@buddyrevelle736]

The Kiss my foot match with Bret Heart.

[@MSH786]

Jerry Lawler was absolutely right about what he was saying about the WWF/E Champions and NWA/WCW Champions being their own companies' champions, not true world champions.

[@chadk890]

Flair was a World Champion, he went to all the territories, Hogan didn't

[@MSH786]

Chad Kerwin, but he didn’t actually go all over the world to wrestle all the top wrestlers from every continent to be awarded with a real WORLD Championship. He was just the main Champion of the company or territory that he worked for.

[@lizardman77]

@RyanKBoman Yeah it is. Snowman ripped off the Unified title in 1990 and wouldn't give it back, so Lawler started using the AWA belt again.

[@ddk999]

Right, Jerry, because Memphis has absolutely no homeless people to speak of.

[@benjamin29471]

Jerry loved plugging his softball. Haha

[@BikiniDeathSquad]

useless trivia: that midsout fair lawler refer's to at 0:16 also had a young justin timberlake performing.

[@MrNWA4Life]

@c102484 In the late 90's Lawler traded the original AWA World belt to Dave Millican in exchange for a new copy. That new copy was stolen by Dutch Mantel. Lawler eventually had yet another copy made, which was on the WWE DVD. Trust me, Lawler's is a copy. It's just like mine in that both have Dave's name stamped into the leather. The original has the bars bent in and has Reggie Parks' name stamped in it. Go to the DaveMillicanBelts site, he has pics there.

[@theinfamousmrsleep]

.... and later, the internet

[@MrDavidBix]

@MrNWA4Life He was referring to WCW, which had first dropped NWA branding earlier that year.

[@MrNWA4Life]

What's Lawler talking about? Luger was never NWA World Champion. And the NWA didn't just "come along". The NWA has existed since 1948, even his little Memphis promotion was once part of it.

[@raw1981]

Luger was wcw champion the misconception was wcw was nwa in 1991

[@travismcdonald6576]

Richard Wolff True. Earlier in 91 WCW had officially changed their world title from the NWA to WCW title.

[@melfarrr]

within 15 months Lawler's up north in the WWF

[@dirtyworks13]

that's when it was great cause there were SO many different organisations giing now we have WWE and thats it

[@taichi29]

He's talking all that mess about the WWE, yet he's working there right now but that's none of my business.

[@jonathanmitchell8752]

+taichi29 This was before he went into the WWF, and for the record Vince called him.

[@kingsports1113]

On god because of Jerry Jarret relationship with Vince machon

[@hoss1962]

...and 15 months later he joins WWF....

[@SteveHolsten]

Only because Jerry Jarrett had a deal with Vince.

[@MaestroDawg65]

Lawler is speaking here as a babyface, but in 1988 when he defeated Kerry Von Erich he carved him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. So how can he be talking about traditional "wrestling" when he stabbed someone like a voodoo doll to get the belt.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Well blood and wrestlers blading was always part of what most wrestlers see as being "traditional wrestling", what Lawler is bashing here are the cartoonish characters and PG oriented wrestling by WWF and WCW at the time. And about the match vs Kerry at Superclash 3: to Lawler's defense, Kerry cut his own arm before the match started (no idea how he did it) and they had to incorporate this to their match so the match was not supposed to be as bloody as it was.

[@MaestroDawg65]

I completely understand that Lawler was being a face for his home promotion, but in order for the CWA, AWA and World Class to cross promote, he had to act as a heel when facing Von Erich.

[@MaestroDawg65]

Maybe my way of thought. LOL

[@SteveHolsten]

Kerry had bladed himself too deep or too much which caused the blood to pour out of himself!

[@chitownace777]

Steve Holsten being high as a kite

[@MrNWA4Life]

@c102484 Dave's Email address is posted on his website so if you don't believe me you can ask him. He's told me the story of how he got it from Lawler, sold it, and had to pay 5 figures to get it back!

[@angelacallaway2195]

now this is what I'm talking about the way wrestling should be like you said Jerry Lawler,best way to be.see you face to face somewhere close to me where I'm at would be great.busy as you are doing show's would take a large miracle by God Almighty himself.

[@kingsports1113]

Jerry Lawler n Jerry Jarret was the first wrestling company to vs all the other wrestling company LMAO 😂 LMAO

[@thedarkchild86]

LOL ... I forgot about the 70's AWA

[@badstr33tusa]

"That's where the fans became losers..."

[@EXPLISITemcee]

Nice belt...I'd rather hold this then the universal Or WWE title if you wanna talk about cool belts

[@jeremybarcel]

@TheIronSheik: is jerry lawler the real or jabroni

[@MrNWA4Life]

@lizardman77 Yep. And that AWA belt now sits in Dave Millican's house!

[@jonathanmitchell8752]

Saw Jerry with it two years ago at a signing looks like he has it now.

[@MrNWA4Life]

@@jonathanmitchell8752 He doesn't have the original. He has a Dave Millican made copy. Dave has the original. Only way to tell the difference is the one Lawlee has has Dave's name stamped in it. Dave has the original with Reggie Parks' name stamped in ir.

[@jonathanmitchell8752]

@@MrNWA4Life I always wonder why he didnt have a copy of the Unified belt made instead of trying to convince people the AWA belt was the same.

[@MrNWA4Life]

@@jonathanmitchell8752 Probably didn't care to. Lawler doesn't like big belts. His favorite belt was that Southern belt and I heard he wanted it and was pissed that Jerry Jarrett sold it to a fan. I'm surprised he didn't have Dave make him one. Dave made one for me.

[@mixhaelamikovich]

wasnt he stripped of the AWA world title?

[@dannyelrod6005]

There's a difference between a company champion and real world champion

[@Raiderdawg71]

It is a shame he became what he spoke out against. Once he joined the WWE his contract allowed him to come back to Memphis as long as he could not be in a show in competition against WWE.

[@kingsports1113]

Damn Jerry Lawler talking about the company he work for now LMAO 😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO😂 LMAO

[@deanw0rmer]

Lmao @ that being a shoot

[@lizardman77]

Tons but a lot less than NYC.

[@MrNWA4Life]

@MrDavidBix No duh! But listen again, Lawler doesn't mention WCW by name, he mentions the NWA. And he's wrong.

[@MagicKirin]

Laler you won while bleeding from iron claw flat on your back

[@scooterdog29]

Memphis has the best fans, all 10 of them.

[@landrykkb]

But Koko B.Ware was pushed better in the USWA.

[@kingsports1113]

He a Jerry Jarret guy pyt

[@Gamebox27]

Boring chants are slightly better than "what?" chants.

[@SteveHolsten]

They both sucked!

[@thedarkchild86]

USWA ... when I have trouble sleeping ... I come to youtube and watch a USWA match .... instant nooze fest ....

[@rahowhero]

you forgot feud with 125 pound (soaking wet) reporter

[@rickt7304]

Lawler lumping USWA with the NWA and the WWF , lol!!!!!

[@travismcdonald6576]

MemphoWrasslin1 Really? USWA never had the sizzle that the CWA had.

[@bigdaddythunder1982]

ha ha they booed Garth Brooks

[@jayporks]

think about the company your shape is in when your put your belt on Lex and the boys let that happen. Funny thing is a year later when he's cashing those checks in New York!

[@kienspicer4476]

Who are half the people he naming ? No wonder they went under nitty gritty dirt band lmao

[@gamingsagepro1018]

Um Garth Brooks Reba McIntyre Travis Tritt, George Jones.... Nobodies??? Yeah, ok.

[@calamaty]

Wow if only Lawler could see this vid on his annoucement table on Monday night and say fuck wwe I'm gone. The sad thing is that most "fans" these days are the ones who chant boring during wrestling matches and just want the pyro technics and hollywood writing bullshit.

[@akguzman]

i only know conway because of family guy

[@ianhitman]

@calamaty Lawlers got the best deal in wrestling he works 5 days a month in WWE on TV and PPV. He came wrestle indy dates and in his own promotion as well. He's the only man in the business making huge money for the WWE, with his own promotion in Memphis and on the indy scene. Its no wonder he sucks as a commentator now. He's rolling in the money no matter what he does.

[@teamchb3143]

The unified championship that Lawler is talking about meant nothing..it didn't draw a dime.Jerry never wanted to job the title esp outside of Memphis and that is why that blet went nowhere....

[@Votedjt2024]

Uswa memphis beat WWF

[@waynejumper2791]

Its been a soap opera ever since it was started back in the early 1900's so for those of you who believe its real then get a reality check.

[@kienspicer4476]

Memphis suck lol

[@crow672008]

Wrestling is a soap opera now. It's never going back to the way i was. That's why i stop watching.

[@Canadian_Skeptical]

Hulk Hogan is a wuss.

[@seanalf]

You are officially the biggest mark of all time! You watch wrestling with intuition of a 7 year old. Please understand that every woman who took a pile driver knew it was coming and loved knowing how much it was going to pop the crowd. His wife was also completely in on the deal. I love you for being one of those old school "marks" but really should get with times and know this business works.

[@RPenta]

@samtheacman Don't call guy whose memorable matches include punching out women and pile driving his former wife a class act. . .unless you mean low class. What's his beef with Bruno except envy?

[@SteveHolsten]

Get Fucked, you Stupid Fuck Nut!!!

[@ECWGuy420]

Yeah, WWF is awful Lawler, that's why you took only a few months to start taking their paychecks.