Jerry Lawler

[10.0] "One of the absolute best ever. Many don't see how big of a deal it was for a wrestler in the territory days to last as the top draw in Memphis (or any major town) for 25+ years. For many of those years Lawler was drawing 5, 000-7, 000 on average WEEKLY to the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis. Some years is was more than that. Memphis was Jarrett/Lawler's biggest town but in addition to Memphis they also ran Nashville, Louisville, Evansville, each and every week in addition to running spot shows the other days of the week. He was every bit as big a deal in the Memphis territory as Bruno in New York, Flair in the Carolinas, etc. and actually lasted on top longer than those guys. His in ring talent was second to none. A true magician of the squared circle, who could pull a 3*+ match out of almost anybody. If you haven't watched the classic Lawler matches then you should stop what you're doing and do that this instant.Lawler vs. Funk, Lawler vs. Dundee, Lawler vs. Bockwinkel, Lawler vs. Jimmy Hart and the First Family (which saw Hart manage an endless series of legend against The King. Basically Hart & the top heel in the terriroty vs. Lawler for years), the Lawler vs. Austin Idol/Tommy Rich feud, Lawler vs. Jos LeDuc, Lawler vs. Fargo, Lawler vs. Savage, Lawler vs. Flair, etc. I could go on and on but hopefully you get the idea. Watch Rick Rude prior to going to Memphis and watch him after his time there and main event feud vs. Lawler. I can't believe I'm even having to try and come up with a hard sell for Jerry F'N Lawler on a wrestling fansite like this lol. Anyone genuinely familiar with territory wrestling in the 1970s, 1980s & 90s knows what I'm saying here. Unquestionably a 10/10. No question, no debate here whatsoever"

[10.0] "One of the greatest babyfaces in American wrestling history & probably the best heel commentator of all time. I love his perverted & ANNOYING character in the WWF. I watch his match with Ric Flair in Memphis TV 1982 so many times, it is such a joy to watch. Jerry Lawler was a TREMENDOUS babyface performer for Memphis in the 80s. Terry Funk vs Jerry Lawler in 1981 is still one of the most popular matches ever known in the history of wrestling, & it is that good. The King of Memphis may have been the greatest asset to Vince McMahon Jr. in the history of the WWF."

[5.0] "I completely understand the appeal of Lawler and the Memphis/Southern style of wrestling but I just can't get into it at all. Like the last thing I care about in pro wrestling is a guy throwing a 'real' looking punch or whatever. I've given his stuff a fair shot but I can admit it's just not for me. But I get that in the 70s and 80s, that was more of a thing. He is definitely a good talker, I'll give him that. And growing up, I loved him on commentary but naturally a lot of that stuff hasn't aged amazingly."

[10.0] "Jerry Lawler the commentator is not a 10 but if you rate him off his work in Memphis then he is one of the best pro wrestlers of all time. Incredible promo and storyteller and an overall excellent wrestler."

[10.0] "Simultaneously one of the greatest babyfaces and one of the greatest heels of all time. One of the greatest commentators of all time. In contention for throwing the best punches ever the business. Some of the most memorable feuds pro wrestling will ever see. Tremendous promoter and storyteller. No one could go one vs. one with him on the stick. First guy to truly take pro wrestling mainstream post 1960's with his Letterman appearance. Jerry Lawler rules."

[10.0] "One of the best to ever do it. And that's a fact not an opinion. Watch all of his Memphis matches and you'll immediately notice how good he truly is, it's about the small stuff truly, and he really gives everything it's worth, his punches the way he sells moves ? Absolutely incredible, truly goat."

[10.0] "I feel ashamed that I have only recently gotten into Lawler's Memphis work, because I sure have been missing out. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his work as a commentator (aside from his perverted antics), but he's so much better as a wrestler than a commentator. As a commentator, he was funny and witty, knew how to heel on the babyfaces and get the best out of Jim Ross, having natural chemistry with good ole JR (the less said about his later years when he became babyface, the better). As a professional wrestler, Jerry Lawler might just be the best wrestler who isn't actually a great wrestler (meaning, very limited arsenal of moves), you can watch any of his Mid South matches and see just how magnificent of a worker he is. Seriously, this guy would get Steve Austin level crowd reactions during his prime in the 1970s & 1980s, he was mega over in Memphis and the true King of Memphis. Don't really need to say much aside he might have the single greatest work punch of any wrestler, only rivaled by Bret Hart IMO. On the mic, Jerry Lawler knows how to make you laugh, make you rout for him, make you hate him and want to pay to see his ass get kicked, promote an upcoming match, etc. Easily in the upper echelon of the best mic workers from Dusty Rhodes to CM Punk, really need more of his promos on here. Classic rivalries such as his iconic feud with Andy Kaufman (R.I.P.) that brought a ton of attention to wrestling, Terry Funk, Austin Idol, Bill Dundee and so many more to mention. While Jerry Lawler may not be a saint, he sure is one of the greatest of all time to ever lace up a pair of boots, please go out and seek his matches and promos, you won't regret it."

[5.0] "As a comentator, one of the greatest of all time, genuinely outstanding (although in hindsight, the constant sexism is a little bit much back in the early 00s etc) but his later in ring work (which is what I base my ratings on) has let him down ever so slightly"

[8.0] "Jerry Lawler might not be everyone's favorite technical wrestler, but there's no denying his impact on the business. Over 50 years in the game, one of the best talkers of all time, and a key figure in Memphis wrestling history. His feud with Andy Kaufman alone is legendary. Not to mention his commentary run in WWE added a whole new chapter to his legacy. Definitely not perfect, but undeniably iconic."

[9.0] "One of the best ever. Could work, bump, cut promos, and book. Lawler had a great comeback with fire. The strap went down and people went crazy. And #1, he drew huge money for years. People say he was big only in Memphis, that is like saying Bruno was only big in New York. Many greats do not need to leave."

[8.0] "A legendary commentator during the Attitude Era with JR and a key figure during the territory days in the AWA, CWA, and other promotions. He is a 110 time recognized world champion beating Ric Flair by a landslide."

[0.0] "0/10 - Much like some other reviews on Lawler I understand and acknowledge that Lawler is a legend in his own right, but I cannot stand the guy. His commentary fit the attitude era to an extent but it got so formulaic and just downright repetitive, I couldn't help but become blasé about all of it. Almost every single one of his 'jokes' was either retroactively or even in-era offensive, and lazy, and his cocky holier-than-thou King of the ring gimmick doesn't fit when it doesn't look like you could beat 99% of the WWE in a fight. Also this is very very nitpicky, but his voice is like running nails across a chalkboard. "oOh, LoOk aT tHiS! " "AaAaAa", shut up! Dang, lewd jokes and cringy commentary are made even worse with crappy wrasslin' and bedazzled shirts."

"Probably the worst wrestler. He was only a big deal in Memphis and was a joke even in the Heyday of the territories and was outsold and outperformed by anyone in that era, and all he does is coast on his victory in Memphis and did the same hacky and very creepy jokes but no one wants to admit that he's being a creep"

[10.0] "One of the most all around talented people to ever be in the wrestling business. He mastered the art of working both sides heel and babyface. He also mastered the microphone on both sides as well as he was a great heel and babyface promo. He carried, booked, and was the top name in his own territory/area for well over 3 decades. He worked with everyone who was or became anyone throughout his 6 decade in ring career. He perfected the psychology of being able to get the most out of the least as an in ring performer. His voice is plastered across many of the most memorable moments in pro wrestling history. He also is the only wrestler to be in the top 100 moments in television history for slapping Andy Kaufman on letterman. A bonafied legend for sure and easily in the top 7 American wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots."

[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers ever he's so fantastic Baby face and also fantastic heel he's run in Memphis wrestling was so great he got the greatest punches in wrestling history great he's so good at the microphone and in ring skills he's matches with funk Savage was one of the best matches in wrestling"

[10.0] "Jerry Lawler, The King of Memphis! Lawler is undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and to many people the best wrestler on US soil that ever lived, and I think he's a contender for that position as well, Lawler is a complete wrestler, his ring work is minimalist, but extremely effective, he's a fantastic storyteller, his selling is impeccable, and he is, without a question, the best puncher of all time, the way he executes the strikes is formidable, he's an artist. Lawler is THE legend in Memphis, he was the guy there for many years, the ace, and absolutely deserved the recognition and popularity, his stories against guys like Dundee, Funk, Kaufman and Idol are among the best feuds that wrestling has ever seen, his promo work is elite too. I'm not a guy that likes to rate commentators very much and I don't really care tbh, it doesn't enter in the equation here, but his long tenured run as WWF/E commentator is solid, he and JR made a legendary duo."

[10.0] "Legend of Memphis, maybe never a top tier wrestler but since 90s probably the best color commentator of all time. His screams combined with JR's voice made many memorable moments legendary. 50 years of breathing by sport entertaiment. Truly THE king."

[6.0] "Lawler had some of the best fire in the history of wrestling but other than that, he was lacking in the ring, massively lacking. He was a good talker tho and obviously meant a lot to Memphis."

[8.0] "Jerry Lawler truly is king to a certain vintage of wrestling fan. The man had Memphis eating out the palms of his hand. Never matched the heights in promotions he wasn't the booker. 4 stars."

[2.0] "I am very aware that he was an absolute legend in the 80s, and a great wrestler from that time too. He had psychology and charisma, and his style of promotion with the inclusion of comic book inspired characters and angles is fun. But, unless you're a wrestling historian whose an expert and a fan of 70s/80s wrestling and/or the USWA, I really don't think that's what you think of Jerry Lawler when his name is mentioned. I know him primarily for his color commentary work, which frankly isn't bad at all in the grand scheme of things and for the time. Personally, however, it's hard for me to really enjoy his commentary without cringing all the damn time. Again, I get it of the time and our sensibilities have drastically changed since then, but that really isn't an excuse. Believe it or not, I really don't wanna hear an old ass man talking about women in the most perverted, disgusting way possible, mentioning he likes them younger and getting horny whenever any woman enters the ring even for a second. Not to mention all the weird shit he's said asides from being perverted. Do I need to mention the Chinese hospital line from the 2000 edition of the Royal Rumble? And of course, the big allegation from the early 90s that while he didn't get convicted of, a lot of the information around it really makes him absolutely suspect in my opinion. That, and his feud with Micheal Cole was shit. I just can't stand him."

[10.0] "It's easy to forget since he's spent the last two to three decades being the most perverted man with a microphone but prime Jerry Lawler was a titan in the ring. Insane amounts of charisma and great ring psychology, he knew exactly what to do for each match. Just ignore that match with Michael Cole, please."

"9 The King. Jerry Lawler is an all time great. His work in Memphis is legendary. The King was there for the 80s boom with the right cast of characters Andy Kauffman Jimmy Hart and Jim Cornette helped Jerry shine with Memphis greats like Jimmy Valiant Tojo Yamamoto Bill Dundee Dutch Mantel and many more."

[9.0] "A legend of the business and one of the most entertaining color commentators of all-time. I couldn't imagine the Attitude Era without him, his commentary alone could redeem bad matches or angles it was so funny. There's many reasons late 90s WWF was so entertaining to watch (despite the wrestling itself not always being the best) and Lawler was definitely one of them."

[10.0] "One of the ten greatest American wrestlers of all time. Yeah, he had the advantage of basically *being* Memphis, but... he was. And so those are the matches of his we can watch. And we watch him against Dundee and Dutch and Funk and Bock... well, some of us do.. not just classic after classic matches, it's also the way he drove the TV shows week after week in that region, and provided a body for everything else to orbit around. Anything he did under Vince and as a commentator frankly is what it is."

[10.0] "Lawler alongside JR is easily the greatest commentating duo I have ever heard in my life. Their voices were a crucial part of the attitude & ruthless aggression eras. Lawler was a great heel commentator but could also be a good face commentator when he needed to be & clearly outshined Michael Cole during the PG era (of course, I'm talking about commentating here). The best part about Lawler was how easy it was for him to be funny on the spot, especially during promos. I would say the most hilarious commentator I've heard & him going crazy for the women definitely resonated with the crowd. He was a good wrestler during his heyday but he will forever be known as outside of JR, as the greatest pro wrestling commentator of all time."

[10.0] "This another one of those moral dilemmas like he's absolutely one of the biggest stars in history and was a gigantic one town draw in Memphis. But Like it's not really a secret this guy is a huge pedo. I honestly hate this guy's guts for that, if there's one thing pro wrestling has no room for it's sex pests, this business is very popular with kids you can't have someone on your roster creeping on them. I'm choosing to rate him based on his historical value like Flair but holy shit this guy is a monster that's been allowed to get away with atrocities just because he's a legendary wrestler. Big ew."

[8.0] "My first ever favorite wrestler. I wasn't even into wrestling yet, but I always liked Jerry Lawler. I thought The King gimmick was very cool as a kid. His feud with Andy Kaufman pretty much started the Rock'n'Wrestling Connection. I love his commentary especially with Jim Ross. All though I never really liked his matches from the 90's to the 2010's nor did like his USWA run, since it felt like he was way too overbooked. but besides that, he gets an 8/10 for me."

[10.0] "The best color commentator of all time, But as a wrestler He leaves a lot to be desired. I love what He says about the women, During the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras. Oh and also those clips of Him with The Bella Twins and staring at Paige, Are great. 10/10"

[5.0] "I am not sure how to properly rate him. He was a very good wrestler back in the 80s, horrible afterwards, good at the beginning of his career as a commentator but then soon after he became so annoying. I think 5 is fair."

[9.0] "Him and Jim Ross are the closet thing we have to Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon in modern-day WWE/AEW commentary. I haven't seen too much of his in-ring work, but I do love what he does on commentary, at times he can be pretty funnny."

[9.0] "One of the most entertaining wrestlers and commentators to ever do it, man manged to get Andy Kaufman over as a decent threat and star in the wrestling industry. His commentry while a bit over the top and inappropriate at times, it was still full of life and love for the sport."

[7.0] "Lawler is a legend. His work in Memphis is the top tier and his work in WWE was solid. In the ring he was good with his abilities to tell the story and get the crowd going being his specialties. He was outstanding on the mic. As a commentator he is good at times but women's matches are almost unwatchable and some wrestlers he just does not seem to get."

[5.0] "I've seen some of his stuff in Memphis where he was a god, but once he game to the WWF, it didn't take long for them to turn him into a cowardly comedy heel. Whenever he would head back South he would turn the character around but he wasn't allowed to be who he was once he went North. Took a long time to warm up to him on commentary after having Bobby Heenan for years. After 2009ish, he started losing his passion with age and it's just kinda "whatever" these days. One of the biggest names of the territory days, but wasn't anything great in the national expansion market."

[5.0] "This man should not be ranked this high, since the only remarkable thing that he has done in the modern wrestling days has been, and forgive the spanish expression here, "babeando como un cabron" in commentaries whenever a woman would come out and wrestle."

[9.0] "A legendary figure in the Wrestling business. His work in Memphis is historic and his heel work in WWE was always incredibly entertaining. The Kaufman - Lawler feud is part of Wrestling history for a reason."

[5.0] "An abundance of both negatives & positives result in a somewhere in the middle score every time. It should be noted that in the 80's, I did not find him a believable/credible champion and thus the entire territory of Memphis did not come off as credible or believable to me at any point. In the 80's this was a death blow. Memphis was GLOW with men to me (that's not a good thing). He was better served as a campy cheesy commentator in Vince's circus. Found his true footing in the attitude era but when the whole "puppies" obsession began leaking over into EVERY F#%KIN WOMENS MATCH, I found "mute" to be the only option. 4.5 rounded up."

"Fantastic commentator. Added a ton of little things and exclamations to RAW was just perfect for what he was asked to do. Never was as good without JR. He and JR had perfect chemistry. Also he was a really great promo in wrestling and knows how to work."

[2.0] "Shitty promo and an overrated commentator, only redeeming quality is his wrestling, and even he stopped caring about that after awhile. Also kinda a racist and xenophobe. He can fuck all the way off from WWE these days."

[10.0] "Lawler? s work in Memphis is legendary. That man was literally the King of Memphis. Plus the feud with Andy Kaufman was iconic. I would? ve loved to see what Lawler would? ve done if he came to WWE a lot earlier than he did, but as an in ring competitor. In addition to that, he was the one that made the piledriver iconic. Also, a lot of people disagree but I believe he? s the best heel commentator of all time. Along with that, I also believe he? s the funniest commentator I? ve ever heard. He was a more explicit version of Bobby Heenan, and he was the perfect match with Jim Ross in the attitude era, as was Bobby Heenan with Gorilla Monsoon."

[10.0] "WWE needs to put him back on the commentary table, along with Michael Cole he was 50% of the reason why many watched the shows, an iconic voice and he has been faithful to WWE for many years. Nothing more to comment, I see no flaws in him, the times he has fought being older, he has not done badly."

[10.0] "Legendary in-ring worker. May be the greatest "limited" worker in pro wrestling history. Best punch thrower in pro wrestling history. Amazing feuds & rivalries with numerous wrestlers that spanned for decades. Brought mainstream attention to pro wrestling for his feud with Andy Kaufman. Amazing commentary team with the legendary Jim Ross. One of the best promos in pro wrestling history. He was the King of Memphis Wrestling as he was the biggest draw throughout that territory for decades. Excellent Babyface & Excellent Heel which tells the story of his charisma to be believable at all times. Held a ridiculous number of career championships."

[9.0] "As a commentator I despise him but he is genuinely amazing wrestler who could do it all. Some of the tapes out of Memphis look absolutely wild and that is the house Jerry built."

[9.0] "Lawler is the embodiment of the "less is more" philosophy of wrestling. Legitimately fantastic in terms of charisma and could bump and sell like a boss when needed, got some great matches out of people who certainly weren't capable of them....while wrestling a style that many would consider to be "below average" today, because the guy didn't do crazy flips or smack someone with a forearm for half the match. What you get most from the guy is consistency: there's no bad weeks or terrible matches with Lawler for the most part, just a lot of solid material, regardless of if he's a hometown babyface beating down the heel, or a heel himself working the crowd into a frenzy. I can get not being a huge fan of his style but legit, Lawler could work a lot more athletically when needed, and you see small aspects of that in heated matches. Don't base your views on him with the comedy WWE shit or whatnot, go out and check his Memphis stuff. In terms of ring IQ, there's honestly not many with the range and the ability like him. -1 for the commentary stuff."

"An absolutely abysmal commentator, he has awful jokes, that have aged awfully and stayed the same in quality, he is a negative to any match he is a commentating on. I did heard his commentary when I was younger, as a neighbour gave me in his tv with a video played and some tapes, and I did not find his jokes good then, and I do not now."

[9.0] "From what I understand he was a great wrestler in his own right, but I'm only familiar with his work as a color commentator. And as a commentator, I think he was amazing, though some may disagree. From 1994-2010 he was great, especially when working alongside JR. And granted, he wasn't nearly as good as JR at commentating, but he was still great and worked extremely well with JR. Together, they were the voices of the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era, which are easily the best periods of WWE history."

[5.0] "I respect that he's a legend in Memphis wrestling, but as a commentator? Yikes. When I was a teenager he was funny at times, but I'm not a teenager anymore and his work has aged like milk."

[6.0] "I can respect his time as a massive star down in Memphis back in the day, but his work in WWE has been ROUGH for at least the past two decades."

[5.0] "I get it, he's supposed to be a heel and he's supposed to act like an ass, but I never liked his gimmick. That said, he was a good heel commentator and worked well with the likes of JR. I've little to no experience with his wrestling abilities so this rating is based solely on his work as a commentator."

[1.0] "Awful, creepy misogynistic commentator who lost any semblance of worth as soon as the 2010s hit, a boring wrestler who could only draw in Memphis and only has one good piledriver sell against Terry Funk to his name. Not even Bret Hart could get good work out of him in the 90s, which is saying something."

[6.0] "Lawalr was synonymous with Memphis wrestling, and was a huge draw. A very consistent worker, and a great heel. Him and Andy Kaufman got the piledriver over as one of the most damaging wrestling moves at all time. Jerry Lawler will be remembered for being an uncooperative worker for his in-ring career, and for being a godawful color commentator. Just look at his commentary during any women's match in the attitude or ruthless aggression era."