Jerry Lawler

• Main
• YMMV
• Crowners
  • Awesome
  • Funny
• Wikipedia
• All Subpages
• Create New

"Puppies!" —Jerry "The King" Lawler, Attitude era

Jerry "The King" Lawler is an American professional wrestler, illustrator, almost-politician and color commentator from Memphis, TN.

Starting in 1970, Lawler wrestled for numerous promotions including AWA and the Continental Wrestling Association. He gained the title "King of Wrestling" after winning the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. He worked primarily as a Heel, and had a memorable feud with Andy Kaufman. Lawler would eventually join the WWF in 1992 as a color commentator and wrestler. Lawler was noted for his humorous digs at popular wrestlers and, once the Attitude Era was in full swing, his... um... appreciation of certain aspects of the female anatomy, which he gleefully called "Puppies!" at every opportunity.

Lawler is the father of professional wrestler Brian Christopher, cousin to the Honky Tonk Man, and ex-husband of Stacy "The Cat" Carter.

That Other Wiki has more information on him. Read it here.

---

Tropes associated with Jerry Lawler:

• Actor Allusion: As with most wrestlers turned announcers, things from his career are referred to. For example, during the Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels match at Wrestlemania XII, Lawler asked "How'd he kick out of a piledriver?!" The piledriver, of course, is his finisher.
• Annoying Laugh: Lawler has a grating laugh as a heel. As a face, he uses his real, much more bearable laugh.
• Arch Enemy: Michael Cole, and before that the entire Hart family, minus Owen (who was usually a heel).
  • The former was such a Jerkass that it prompted an Enemy Mine with Bret Hart.
• Badass Grandpa: At the ripe old age of 61, Lawler took on The Miz, thirty years younger than him, for the WWE Championship. How did he earn this title shot? By winning a battle royale that also included the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk and King Sheamus.
  • Made all the more badass by the fact that he would've beaten The Miz if Michael Cole hadn't interfered.
• Batman Gambit: Pulls off one on Michael Cole on the May 16th edition of Raw. He tells Cole that he respects Cole's Dragon-in-Chief Jack Swagger because he's a former champion and that Cole has made Swagger nothing but his sidekick. Cole's own ego results in hims saying no one remembers Jack being champion and being his sidekick was the best thing to ever happen to him. Jack responds by telling Jerry "he's all yours" and walking out on Cole. The look on Jerry's face can only mean this was exactly what he'd planned to happen.
• Berserk Button: You think Cole is bad when he gets on a rant these days, don't bring up ECW to Lawler because he will outdo Cole by a mile.
  • Also, messing with Jim Ross, even back when Lawler was a heel, was a good way to bring out his malice.
• Big OMG: While is more Joey Styles'... er... style to say it, Lawler used it beautifully during Backlash '04 in the match between Mick Foley and Randy Orton when Foley dropped Orton into a pile of thumbtacks.

Lawler: *Foley drops Orton into the tacks* Oh my God! *sees the actual tacks in Orton's back* OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

• The Cast Showoff: Lawler is a decent cartoonist, which was put into an angle with him and the Ultimate Warrior in the mid-90's when Warrior's comic series came out.
  • Also did the illustrations for Mick Foley's WWE Christmas-themed children's book.
• Create Your Own Villain: Maybe just maybe if he and Bill Dundee hadn't ruthlessly mocked a young Jim Cornette, Jim wouldn't have snapped and turned into the Hot Blooded Motor Mouth we all know and love.
• Costume Porn: Even as a heel commentator, Lawler would dress up in gaudy royal looking attire. When he turned face, he started to dress like a normal person.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Most fans today would know Lawler as the laid-back, mammary-obsessed commentator and only-occasional wrestler. What most fans don't realize is that he holds the world record for most championship reigns in a career.
• Dirty Coward: As a heel in his wrestling matches. He even hid under the ring during a Royal Rumble while not technically eliminated yet, just to wait it out so he could jump in later.
• Dirty Old Man
• Downer Ending: Finally gets his revenge on Michael Cole at Wrestlemania 27, but the Raw GM decides to reverse the decision of the Match since Austin got physically involved in the match after being waylaid by Cole.
• Era Specific Personality: Watch a match with commentating today. Now, watch one from 1999. Then, watch one from 1994. It's like night and day.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Deeply entrenched in the heel role at the time and trolling Jim Ross at every turn, Lawler still didn't think too highly of Taz bullying JR and finally socked him out before Taz could punch out JR. After that, Jerry would wobble between face and heel for a good long while before settling on face.
• Exact Words: Used after he grabs Michael Cole by the tie and uses it to slam him head first into the side of the "Cole Mine" over and over again. When Swagger tries to envoke the protection the "GM" gave Cole from Jerry, Jerry replies that he didn't lay a hand on Cole. He only touched his tie.
• Fan Boy: Of Vince McMahon during the Attitude Era. Lampshaded by Jim Ross on numerous occasions. What makes this interesting is that Jerry Lawler was the first face that Vince ever feuded with as a heel, though it happened in USWA and not WWE, and they were on opposite sides during commentary with Vince being the face and Lawler being the heel.
  • His fanboyism also extended to Triple H.
• Finishing Move: The Piledriver and the Diving Fist Drop, currently he only uses the Fist Drop because the Piledriver is too dangerous.
• Fire-Forged Friends: With Jim Ross as his broadcast commentary partner.
• Gondor Calls for Aid: For his "Kiss My Feet" Match with Michael Cole, Jerry suspected that Cole would try something, so he called for the help of Eve Torres, Jim Ross, and even Bret "The Hitman" Hart to make sure Cole got payback for all the crap Cole put all of them (except Hart, who was just there because he really hates Cole anyway) through for months in the for of a Humiliation Conga.
• Heel Face Turn: A very slow, gradual one. Completed once he was paired with Michael Cole.
  • He was a face while commentating alongside Jonathan Coachman too, but went back to being a heel when Jim Ross returned.
• Ho Yay: You know Michael Cole is currently gay for The Miz? Lawler was that for Triple H, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Vince McMahon, Heel Rock, and pretty much every big name villain in the WWE while he was a heel.
  • He always practically drooled over Chris Masters' entrance as well, forcing Jim Ross to be quiet while the music started up.
• Hidden Depths: Lawler is a skilled artist (he did the artwork for Mick Foley's children's book, Christmas Chaos.)
• Money, Dear Boy: Lawler has admitted in a 2011 interview that he hasn't been interested in calling matches for years and the only reason he still does announcing these days is for the paycheck.
• Older Than He Looks: He's aged pretty well. He's even put on some pretty decent wrestling matches as of late.
• Only Sane Man: With Michael Cole as his broadcast commentary partner.
• Playing With Fire: He threw fireballs way back early in his career.
• Rogues Gallery: In Memphis Lawler had a memorable series of arch-enemies including Nick Bockwinkle, Andy Kauffman, Bill Dundee, Tommy Rich, Randy Savage, Jimmy Hart, the Gilberts and Terry Funk.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something:
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Jerry quit the WWE in early 2001 after his then wife was fired. He was replaced by Paul Heyman who was even more irritating as a heel commentator than Lawler was. Jerry soon divorced his wife and replaced Heyman after Paul was "fired" after the Invasion story.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Jim Ross and him fits this trope to a T.
• Signature Move: Jerry is renowned for his punches, not because they're deadly, but because they look really good. Early in Memphis he was fond of fireballs.
• Stealth Insult: When Michael Cole(!) wished Jim Ross would get well soon and that he wants him back on commentary(!!!), Jerry Lawler added, "I really want you back."
• Trademark Favorite Drink: Coca-Cola, in Real Life. An episode of WWE Confidential had him reveal his extensive collection of Coca-Cola merchandise.