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What a great crowd today, huh?
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50th anniversary of Jerry the King
Lawler.
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We've got all kind of superstars and
legends here, a lot of WWE Hall of
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So it's a wonderful day.
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Man, I'm just so excited to be here for
the 50th anniversary of Jerry Lawler.
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It's most of my... I thought you were
older than 50.
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Huh? I thought you were older than 50. I
am a little older than 50, but I've
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been wrestling for 50 years.
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It's a great honor for me to...
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I don't, Jerry.
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Never got a chance to wrestle, Jerry.
Thank you for coming.
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00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,380
Thank you for allowing me to be here.
Oh, are you kidding? In your damn ears.
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Understand me. He's in the top three in
the whole time of wrestling.
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When I hear somebody say,
congratulations on being in the ring for
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years, I can't believe it myself.
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I still enjoy going into the ring. I
still enjoy competing.
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I still enjoy being in front of the fans
and that as much today as I did 50
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years ago.
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He was a big deal. I
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still is.
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I could just see myself standing up
there and all those people saying, look
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that Lawler.
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He's great, isn't he?
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Jerry Lawler was a cornerstone of
wrestling. He was one of the foundations
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led us to where we're going now.
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He beat everybody from Andre the Giant
to Ric Flair to Hulk Hogan. He beat
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everybody. Brother, you don't touch me.
I am from Hollywood.
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The king of Memphis who became king of a
lot more than that.
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The king himself.
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Get down on your hands and knees and
kiss my feet.
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Gary was one of the greatest villains in
wrestling history.
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He was the voice of the Attitude Era.
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I look back on all the things that
happened here and there, all the
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coincidences, all the things that
shouldn't have happened that did happen.
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to get me where I am today, I've never
thought about quitting. It's just a way
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of life to me.
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Without a doubt, my favorite piece of
memorabilia is my Batmobile.
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I mean, that's my coolest piece that I
own anywhere.
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I realized that I have the Peter Pan
syndrome.
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I've never grown up, and I really don't
want to.
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I was born in Memphis, Tennessee,
November 29, 1949.
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My childhood was like watching Leave it
to Beaver. I had an older brother.
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My dad went to work every day. My stay
-at -home mom.
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And it was just a great time.
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We are in what I refer to sometimes as
my bat cave. Most people call it a man
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cave.
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This is all stuff that really meant
something to me from my childhood.
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Gosh, as a kid growing up, Moved to a
little town right outside of Cleveland
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with my parents and became a huge
Cleveland sports fan.
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00:03:50,940 --> 00:03:55,760
I was right at the age, I was like in my
teen years when Beatlemania hit.
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Still there wear a Superman ring instead
of my WWE Hall of Fame ring because
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five years old, I became an unbelievable
superhero fan.
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00:04:06,220 --> 00:04:08,660
And that's when I first realized I could
draw.
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When it comes to art.
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I realized that, you know, it's a God
-given talent that all my life have
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taken for granted.
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I think in my first grade, and the
teacher wrote to my parents, you know,
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about what great artistic ability I had.
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It was just something, like I said, that
just always came natural, and I was
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always just shocked that everybody
couldn't draw.
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I think the first time that my artwork
got any real attention was when my dad
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and I were going to the live wrestling
shows.
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This is Lance Russell from the Memphis
Mid -South Coliseum.
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Memphis wrestling, it was the biggest
thing that happened in the city.
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What a match this one has been so far.
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The first time I watched wrestling was
with my dad. My dad actually worked as
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usher, and that way we got free ticket.
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When I was watching the wrestling, I
watched it really, really closely.
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I watched the moves that the guys were
doing, and I would try to think in my
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mind how you would emulate those things.
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I remember starting to draw some
pictures of the wrestlers.
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Somebody said, man, you ought to take
some of those pictures and send them
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the TV station that airs wrestling every
week.
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Jerry was 14 or 15, and he came to me by
the mail.
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He sent in some drawings on wrestling.
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Sure enough, about halfway through the
show, he says, Dave, we have a young fan
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that sent in some pictures that kind of
illustrate what took place.
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And I would use it to tell people about
what happened last week down at the
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auditorium. I thought, man, it couldn't
get any better than that.
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But it did. Because a week later, I got
a call from Lance Russell himself.
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And he said, listen, everybody loved
your artwork. Maybe you could come over
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the studio next week, show your artwork,
and everybody wants to see what you
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look like. Plus, Jackie Fargo wants to
check with you about having you do some
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artwork for his nightclub in Memphis.
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Fabulous Jackie Fargo. I mean, he was
like The Rock or John Cena.
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He was the top guy in the Memphis
territory at that time.
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He and a guy named Eddie Bond.
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owned a nightclub in Memphis, and he
wanted me to come to that nightclub and
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literally paint caricatures of he and
Eddie Bond all over the inside of his
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club.
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For the next few years, he would send me
on errands and all of this different
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kind of stuff, but I didn't mind. I
still got to be around him, you know.
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Being around Jackie Fargo, the huge
celebrity that he was, I mean, it just
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really turned my head. Girls were going
crazy, and I'm looking around.
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And I look up at him and I say, now that
is what I want to be. Forget about
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being an artist.
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I'm thinking, oh my gosh, I would love
to get into this business as a wrestler,
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but I was just too embarrassed to say
anything to Jackie. I mean, I just think
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he was just looking at me as just a punk
kid that had some artistic ability.
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At that time, I had heard that every
Saturday night in West Memphis,
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right across the bridge, they have live
wrestling matches.
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I would talk to the promoter, and next
thing you know, I'm in the wrestling
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business. Now, I had never even been in
a ring before.
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I'm fixing to step into a ring, an
actual wrestling ring, without having
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training.
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I get tagged in.
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First time I'm in the ring now.
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So, man, he grabs me. He throws, runs
across the ring. He throws me out of the
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ring. The next thing I know.
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I'm waking up. I'm like this. I'm waking
up. We're already back in the locker
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room. And I said, well, what happened?
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All I remember was like hearing a loud
pop when I got thrown out of the ring.
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Yeah, that was your head hitting the
concrete floor. You've been knocked out
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about five minutes.
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Stepping into that ring for the first
time with people, they're cheering for
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you. They're clapping their hands. It
was just something I had never
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before. And I knew I wanted to do it
again.
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Jackie Fargo hears about this, and he
gets upset.
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He said, kid, you don't want to do this.
You're too good an artist.
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Stick with art.
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Don't mess with the wrestling.
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And I said, Jackie, please.
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I just want to do it in Memphis.
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He said, all right, kid.
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If I stick my neck out to the promoters
and tell them to book you on TV, will
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you do the one match and then forget
about it, go back to being an artist?
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I said, I promise you, Jackie, I will.
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And, of course.
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Here, 52 years later, I'm still doing
it.
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00:09:06,420 --> 00:09:11,760
Lawler, from very, very early on, was a
star.
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All I cared about was being on TV.
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And, you know, I just loved it if
somebody would ever ask me for an
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Even though I was only getting to
wrestle once a week, it was a great
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process. He was terrific at bumps.
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His basic wrestling knowledge was
advanced for the experience that he'd
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But what he did that really set him
apart was that he
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connected with the fans.
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People related to him. He was one of
them. Jerry Lawler was different in the
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fact that he was real. It just kind of
came natural to me.
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Jerry Jarrett started putting me higher
up on the card until I would reach main
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event status.
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Jackie Fargo was getting older, and I
was in
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need as a booker, a promoter, of a
single wrestling star.
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And I'm suddenly pushed into the
limelight in a feud with Jackie Fargo,
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mentor.
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He's a very tough opponent, and he's
always competition when you get in the
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ring.
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It was the program that passed the torch
from Fargo to Lawler.
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And Fargo taunting Lawler. I said,
Jackie Fargo, you're a legend.
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You're the best. You've been the king of
Memphis wrestling for years.
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But you're looking at the kid that's
going to knock you off your throne.
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And somehow I won the match.
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00:11:02,030 --> 00:11:05,150
And as I was going back to the dressing
room, I saw a lot of young people. They
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00:11:05,150 --> 00:11:08,130
were patting me on the back. And some of
them were saying, hey, you're the king
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00:11:08,130 --> 00:11:10,230
now. You beat Jackie Fargo. You're the
king.
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The next morning, Memphis TV, I come
walking out with the crown on, the robe
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And I was, from that moment on, the king
of Memphis.
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A little surprised that you didn't
elaborate on all of your talents. I was
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positive that he would tell you, in
addition to being the greatest athlete
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wrestler in the world today, in addition
to that, he is a brilliant artist, he
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is an outstanding businessman, a
connoisseur of all fine foods and wine,
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addition to that, just a general all
-around fella. And I do it like you
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it. Well, I don't think I'm a general
all -around fella, but what's my opinion
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against millions of others, you know?
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Man, Jerry came up the ranks really
quick. It didn't take him that long,
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year or so, and all of a sudden he was
known in all the different territories.
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Waller, a man with enormous confidence.
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00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,600
I was different from what they had had
in the Memphis territory in the past. I
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was a different type of bad guy. I was
young, brash, outspoken.
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00:12:11,780 --> 00:12:13,580
He knows they want to see the king.
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00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:16,660
You think anybody would pay to come down
and see a thought -off runt?
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00:12:17,070 --> 00:12:20,610
Bug -eyed Bill Dundee? No, they come to
see me, baby.
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He had this phenomenal ability to
entertain.
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00:12:29,250 --> 00:12:34,670
Verbally, he could have you laughing one
minute and ready to kill him the next.
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00:12:35,030 --> 00:12:38,110
Bill Dundee was just like that big steak
dinner, baby.
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It's good when you eat it, but there
comes a time to go to the bathroom, and
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just had to get rid of you, Dundee,
baby.
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You're low down. You're a backfighter.
You're a coward.
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00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,920
You're low, man. That's all you are.
You're just low bread.
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00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,400
He was unnatural.
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00:12:54,700 --> 00:12:58,220
He had one of the greatest mouths that
I've ever run into.
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00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,260
Merry Christmas, you rednecks.
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00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:02,440
He tried everything he could.
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00:13:02,820 --> 00:13:04,180
What are you looking at your watch for?
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00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,900
Don't be looking at your watch when I'm
out here, you goof.
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00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,680
These people tune in to see me. These
people tune in to hear me tell what I'm
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00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:12,180
going to be doing to people like
Buckwinkle.
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00:13:19,850 --> 00:13:26,190
When I first started in Memphis, I was a
heel. And then I became so popular as
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00:13:26,190 --> 00:13:28,870
being a heel, I became a babyface.
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00:13:29,470 --> 00:13:36,230
The scream of the many people who have
come out to support the king
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of wrestling.
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00:13:37,770 --> 00:13:41,270
Jerry Lawler was definitely the king of
Memphis. He owned that town.
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00:13:43,070 --> 00:13:48,670
It was the same way in Tupelo,
Louisville, Fayetteville. It was over.
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00:13:49,540 --> 00:13:50,540
Everywhere.
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00:13:53,820 --> 00:13:58,420
As my career was really, really just
getting off the ground, I had a
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00:13:58,420 --> 00:14:00,040
at the time, Kay Williams.
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00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,360
Went to the same high school and that
sort of thing.
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00:14:03,140 --> 00:14:05,380
Before we knew it, she became pregnant.
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00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:10,180
So we immediately went down to Florence,
Alabama, in front of a Justice of the
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Peace, and she and I got married.
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00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:15,140
Nine months later, my first son is born.
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00:14:15,580 --> 00:14:18,480
And then, ten months later, I had
another son.
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00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,320
During that time, I'm having to travel
more, I'm away from home, and it was
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00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:30,420
tough. He'd be gone on the road and
doing everything. When it happens at
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00:14:30,420 --> 00:14:32,420
early age, that's all you know.
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00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:39,160
I justified it by saying, hey, I'm going
to provide for them in a way by being
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00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:43,800
successful at a wrestler, but it took a
full -time devotion to my career. It
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00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,160
cost me my marriage.
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00:14:47,939 --> 00:14:50,380
They got divorced when I was probably
about four years old.
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00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:57,060
You know, just the schedule, the
lifestyle, you know, it probably just
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00:14:57,060 --> 00:15:03,640
work out as far as on your time off,
wanting to have the kids around and be
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00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:04,940
family type guy, you know.
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00:15:05,580 --> 00:15:10,180
I sometimes look back and think, would
it have been a wise decision maybe at
214
00:15:10,180 --> 00:15:13,020
that time to maybe look for another
career?
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00:15:15,310 --> 00:15:21,110
I just felt in my heart and in my mind
that something was there, that something
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00:15:21,110 --> 00:15:22,210
was going to come out of this.
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00:15:22,550 --> 00:15:27,790
And just a couple of years later, I'm
red hot. I'm on fire. And I didn't think
218
00:15:27,790 --> 00:15:29,750
could get any higher in the wrestling
business.
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00:15:29,950 --> 00:15:35,690
But my next rivalry, my next feud took
me to the next level.
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00:15:35,990 --> 00:15:39,070
Hello, Mr. Lawler, Jerry Lawler. Do you
remember me?
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00:15:39,430 --> 00:15:41,490
I'm Andy Kaufman from Hollywood.
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Andy Kaufman was this legendary,
absurdist comedian.
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He was somebody that became very famous
for starring on the sitcom Taxi, which
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was huge, but also very famous for
getting just as much of a buzz
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out of getting somebody to laugh as he
did getting somebody to hate him.
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No, seriously.
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Why everyone is...
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Going boo on like the joke when I told
some of the joke.
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And then when I don't want you to laugh,
you're laughing.
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Just trying to do my best to have some
fun. And if you don't like it, that's
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Okay, thank you very much and good
night.
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He loved to never let the audience in on
what was a performance and what was
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real life. And there is no art form on
earth that does all of that
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better than professional wrestling.
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As we said, one of the rising superstars
in the world of comedy. Welcome to
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Madison's Burgard, Andy.
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Hi, how are you?
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Thank you. The wrestling here tonight,
unfortunately, most exciting. But you do
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wrestling on your own, as a matter of
fact. But generally, what's the ladies?
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Andy had been wrestling women on TV and
in different nightclub performances.
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But it wasn't really being accepted the
way he wanted it to. He wanted to
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wrestle in front of wrestling fans, in
front of people that had actually come
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see wrestling.
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That's right.
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That's right. I just don't think that
it's possible for a woman to beat a man
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wrestling. He was backstage at Madison
Square Garden a lot.
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He said, I'd love to, you know, like,
wrestle here at Madison Square Garden
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all that. Later on in the evening, I saw
Vince McMahon, and I mentioned this,
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Vince Sr., and he said, he's a nice boy
and all this, but, you know, we don't do
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comedy here.
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Eddie, the best of luck to you against
Diane and Ed or whomever it may be.
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They said, you know what?
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I have a friend in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Do you know who Jerry Lawler is? The
next day, I get a call from Andy
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and he introduces himself, and he tells
me that whole story that he wanted to
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live out his fantasy of being a bad guy
wrestler.
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So I said, Andy, come on down.
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Okay, now just be quiet!
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00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:10,240
Now, Andy Kaufman came down to Memphis
just to live out his fantasy of being a
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bad guy wrestler.
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Two, three, got her.
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I'm going to send you back to the
kitchen where you belong. I'm going to
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you scrubbing the potatoes and washing
the carrots.
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Because that's where you belong, ladies.
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Had legit wrestling matches. He had
never seen them before. We had never
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these women before.
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And Kaufman on top, going for a pin.
One, two, three, and that's it.
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People hated him.
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They wanted to see Andy get his
comeuppance.
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I mean, we sold out 11 ,500 people that
night.
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We talked Andy into coming back to
Memphis, and that's how it all got
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He said, I...
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Didn't like being called a comedian.
I've never told a joke in my life. He
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I was a performance artist.
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And in my performances, I would rather
make people not like me or be
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uncomfortable than for them to like me.
And that was the wrestling influence on
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him. I just thought he was misguided
terribly.
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He's a real nerd, a real jerk.
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I said, Andy, you've gone just about as
far as you can go wrestling women.
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I said, it's time for you to have a
match against a man.
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I am from Hollywood. I'll get Hollywood
against you, baby.
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I'll sue you, baby.
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Lawler.
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The match was set.
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Mid -South Coliseum.
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00:19:51,030 --> 00:19:53,010
Once again, turned away crowd.
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Couldn't get him in the building.
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Hawkins in the ring.
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00:19:58,390 --> 00:20:00,710
Not for long. Look at him. He's outside.
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00:20:09,870 --> 00:20:13,670
We really had kind of, I felt,
shortchanged the people in so much as a
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00:20:13,770 --> 00:20:18,230
There was really no match to speak of.
The only involvement was he finally
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00:20:18,230 --> 00:20:22,350
grabbed a headlock. I immediately picked
him up, dropped him with a back suplex.
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And he slammed Kaufman.
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And then the pile driver.
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00:20:29,470 --> 00:20:33,830
And bang goes Kaufman. It's going to be
a disqualification.
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00:20:34,670 --> 00:20:37,050
People are going crazy. They loved what
they saw.
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The amazing thing was, I'm thinking in
my mind, I don't think I heard Andy
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00:20:45,220 --> 00:20:49,640
Kaufman. You know, he certainly didn't
need an ambulance. He was staying in
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00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:55,620
character, and he stayed in the hospital
in traction for three days. You know,
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I'm just...
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00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,320
Been under this macho delusion for the
last few years. It was building up to
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00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,960
point where I could actually seriously
think that I could beat a Jerry Lawler
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00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:11,540
a wrestling match. It made headlines all
over the world. So the fallout was it
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00:21:11,540 --> 00:21:15,460
became bigger than just professional
wrestling.
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00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:21,640
And then one week out of the blue, Andy
calls me up and he says, hey.
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00:21:22,350 --> 00:21:24,070
You want to be on the David Letterman
show?
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00:21:24,270 --> 00:21:29,590
There are a lot of people watching who
probably view wrestling as being a show,
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00:21:29,710 --> 00:21:31,350
a display, a demonstration.
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00:21:31,570 --> 00:21:37,370
And this may be as the pinnacle
representation of that. Was this thing
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00:21:37,370 --> 00:21:39,950
rigged? Are you guys really friends? No,
not at all.
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00:21:40,270 --> 00:21:42,790
I couldn't warm up to this guy. We were
cremated together.
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00:21:43,730 --> 00:21:46,150
He is a wimp. That's exactly what he
thought.
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That's what he thought about wrestling.
He thinks it's all a big joke, a big fix
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00:21:49,710 --> 00:21:50,329
or whatever.
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00:21:50,330 --> 00:21:52,830
And then you're right. There are a lot
of people that think that.
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00:21:53,450 --> 00:21:56,730
Well, you're just trying to prove a
point because I was a Yankee and I heard
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00:21:56,730 --> 00:21:58,890
this from so many people and members. I
was going down there and because there
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00:21:58,890 --> 00:22:03,330
are a lot of people that think that. And
he was one of them. On the morning of
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00:22:03,330 --> 00:22:07,170
the taping of the show, they said, Dave
would like for you guys to be a little
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00:22:07,170 --> 00:22:09,450
bit antagonistic. Not too much, just a
little bit.
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00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:14,920
and then Andy will apologize to you for
making fun of wrestling, and then you
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00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:19,180
apologize to Andy for hurting his neck,
and then Andy's going to get up and sing
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00:22:19,180 --> 00:22:22,040
what the world needs now is love, sweet
love.
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00:22:24,300 --> 00:22:28,400
And I said, okay. I get back to the
hotel, and my hotel phone rings.
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00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:30,079
Pick it up.
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00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:31,080
It's Andy Kaufman.
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00:22:31,660 --> 00:22:34,040
He said, did they tell you what they
want us to do tonight?
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00:22:34,500 --> 00:22:36,800
And I said, yeah, they did. What do you
think?
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00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:39,240
I'll never forget how he said this. He
said,
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00:22:40,010 --> 00:22:43,690
I wonder what would happen if you just
hauled off and slugged me.
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00:22:43,950 --> 00:22:47,250
My father said, my father said, my
manager said, they all said that I had a
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00:22:47,250 --> 00:22:49,650
right. I could have gotten a lawyer and
I could have sued you for what you did
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00:22:49,650 --> 00:22:51,430
and I didn't. All I want is an apology.
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00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:55,350
Even you asked me last time I was on
your show if I was going to have a
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00:22:55,590 --> 00:22:58,150
I could have sued you. I could have sued
you for everything you're worth. And I
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00:22:58,150 --> 00:22:59,790
didn't because I'm not that kind of a
guy.
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00:23:00,070 --> 00:23:02,110
You know what kind of a guy are you?
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00:23:06,090 --> 00:23:07,270
I'll just be over here.
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00:23:08,290 --> 00:23:11,970
We're going to do a pause here for
station identification and get the hoses
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00:23:11,970 --> 00:23:12,970
of here.
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00:23:14,310 --> 00:23:20,370
This was one of the most famous guys in
the world.
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00:23:20,650 --> 00:23:24,050
And Jerry Lawler just bitch -slops him
right in the middle of the show.
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00:23:24,290 --> 00:23:29,230
As soon as that aired, my phone started
ringing. It was the New York Post. It
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00:23:29,230 --> 00:23:30,189
was the New York Times.
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00:23:30,190 --> 00:23:34,470
It was just like went all over the world
immediately.
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00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:40,500
Everybody was talking about it. The
whole nation was talking about it. It
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00:23:40,500 --> 00:23:42,880
Lawler a household name.
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00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,120
This put me on a worldwide stage.
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00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:59,440
After the David Letterman Show aired,
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00:23:59,620 --> 00:24:01,920
it was a bombardment of attention.
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00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,140
Now it's the mid -80s, and...
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00:24:05,370 --> 00:24:06,670
Along came cable television.
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00:24:06,990 --> 00:24:10,410
This was the evolution of the wrestling
industry.
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00:24:10,790 --> 00:24:15,470
Most of the territories, their top
wrestlers went to either work for Vince
355
00:24:15,470 --> 00:24:20,850
McMahon in WWE or they went to Atlanta
and worked for Ted Turner in WCW.
356
00:24:21,330 --> 00:24:25,990
I didn't want to go to the WWE because
then I knew our territory would fall by
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00:24:25,990 --> 00:24:30,170
the wayside because I was the biggest
star at the time. And the reason I
358
00:24:30,170 --> 00:24:32,030
want to go is because I was part owner.
359
00:24:32,460 --> 00:24:37,200
I didn't want to lose my part of the
business that I was a partner in. So I
360
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,740
stayed. And if you think it's not going
to be a struggle to take it away from
361
00:24:40,740 --> 00:24:45,520
me, you got another thing coming. We
were able to last longer than almost any
362
00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:46,520
other promotion.
363
00:24:46,540 --> 00:24:50,380
Almost everybody had fallen by the
wayside except our Memphis territory.
364
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,400
And Vince and WWD.
365
00:24:53,850 --> 00:24:57,970
Kept contacting us. I think they
thought, well, you know what? We need a
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00:24:57,970 --> 00:25:02,470
territory like this so that we can bring
in young guys and train them. This
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00:25:02,470 --> 00:25:06,290
could be a developmental territory. We
were the very first developmental
368
00:25:06,290 --> 00:25:08,410
territory for the WWE.
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00:25:08,690 --> 00:25:14,050
They would send guys down to us that
turned out to be huge superstars. Guys
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00:25:14,050 --> 00:25:18,870
Kurt Angle came down to Memphis. The
Rock, oh my gosh, The Rock came to
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00:25:18,950 --> 00:25:21,790
had his first matches right here in
Memphis, Tennessee.
372
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:28,400
And then later on, WWE and Vince McMahon
said, look, King, we want you to come
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00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:32,800
and work for us. We'll help keep your
territory going down there in Memphis.
374
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,700
so that's where the relationship started
with the WWE.
375
00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:44,880
At this time, it is my pleasure to
introduce the King himself, Jerry, the
376
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,040
Lawler.
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00:25:47,820 --> 00:25:51,720
My goodness, Mr. Lawler, what brings you
to the WWF? First of all, let me thank
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00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,580
my good friend Bobby Heenan for that
introduction.
379
00:25:53,900 --> 00:25:55,820
He's been a loyal subject of mine for
years.
380
00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,280
And let me tell you, you don't have to
refer to me as Mr. Lawler.
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00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,100
King will suffice nicely.
382
00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,100
When I made my debut in WWE, it was the
same character.
383
00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,640
I had the crown. I had the robe.
384
00:26:07,980 --> 00:26:09,300
I went in as a heel.
385
00:26:09,540 --> 00:26:12,360
And that's always been my forte.
386
00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:17,020
You are without a doubt the most
repulsive bunch of peons.
387
00:26:17,629 --> 00:26:21,370
Jerry really fit in because Jerry was
quick on the one -liners that made
388
00:26:21,370 --> 00:26:22,490
want to just kill him.
389
00:26:24,270 --> 00:26:30,730
Jerry Lawler is as corny as it gets from
that era, but he was so
390
00:26:30,730 --> 00:26:34,590
funny that it made him cool at the same
time in a way, you know?
391
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,880
And credit to Jerry. Jerry was one of
the greatest villains in wrestling
392
00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,860
history. And he had a real genius for
being against the good guys.
393
00:26:56,740 --> 00:27:03,180
When Jerry Lawler went out, they were
going to cheer for me. Like, for sure.
394
00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:04,380
They hated Jerry Lawler.
395
00:27:12,270 --> 00:27:15,590
Whether it was with Bret Hart, whether
it was with Roddy Roddy Piper, no matter
396
00:27:15,590 --> 00:27:18,950
who he had a match with, everything that
they did with him up there was bigger
397
00:27:18,950 --> 00:27:19,950
than life.
398
00:27:20,310 --> 00:27:22,510
All right, we're back, ladies and
gentlemen. We'll have more action for
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00:27:22,510 --> 00:27:26,570
momentarily. At this time, obviously
conspicuous by his absence is the Macho
400
00:27:26,570 --> 00:27:27,570
Randy Savage.
401
00:27:28,110 --> 00:27:33,070
At this time, Randy Macho Man Savage was
doing the color commentary with Vince
402
00:27:33,070 --> 00:27:34,070
on Monday night.
403
00:27:34,410 --> 00:27:36,930
But then he had jumped ship without
telling anybody.
404
00:27:37,310 --> 00:27:38,990
He was on WCW.
405
00:27:39,370 --> 00:27:41,650
Randy Savage is here tonight.
406
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:47,000
And Vince, he just looked around the
room and he looked at me and said, King,
407
00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:50,500
would you do color commentary with me
tonight? We're back, ladies and
408
00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,780
for Monday Night Raw. And are you really
missing us? Yes, I am. And I want to
409
00:27:53,780 --> 00:27:55,460
know who's going to pay for it or who's
going to replace him.
410
00:27:55,820 --> 00:27:56,779
There's some green hair there.
411
00:27:56,780 --> 00:28:00,300
Give me that Burger King. Take that
Burger King crown off. I think he
412
00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:04,620
that Jerry had a gift for Gab. You fit
in that role so well because he knew so
413
00:28:04,620 --> 00:28:07,820
much about the wrestling business. But
then, when you least expect it, he was
414
00:28:07,820 --> 00:28:10,200
able to hit you with a one -liner.
You're a coward, aren't you?
415
00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:11,640
What?
416
00:28:12,170 --> 00:28:14,590
You have the audacity to say something
like that to my face, McMahon?
417
00:28:15,010 --> 00:28:18,190
Why not, Eastman? Give me a slap in your
toupee off. I will, you know.
418
00:28:18,490 --> 00:28:22,190
And then went from Vince McMahon being
my broadcast partner to good old JR.
419
00:28:22,870 --> 00:28:26,950
I got to tell you, fans, it is great to
be back in the saddle. Well, Jim Ross, I
420
00:28:26,950 --> 00:28:30,330
must say, it's good to see you're back,
especially after seeing your front.
421
00:28:31,010 --> 00:28:34,610
And now we're at a point in time when, I
mean, wrestling is on fire.
422
00:28:35,030 --> 00:28:37,650
Well, we're about to see the most
electrifying move.
423
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,860
I'm the voice of Monday Night Wrestling,
and it's the most watched thing on
424
00:28:45,860 --> 00:28:46,860
television.
425
00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:57,060
We are live tonight here on pay -per
-view here at Madison Square Garden. The
426
00:28:57,060 --> 00:29:00,720
end of the road is in sight, and there's
going to be a collision. It's fixing to
427
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,420
happen in just a few short minutes.
428
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,260
So now I'm at the commentary desk like.
429
00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:13,280
Almost full time. I was there for, gosh,
the dawning of the Attitude Era. I
430
00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,880
remember when, of course, doing the
commentary for Stone Cold Steve Austin
431
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,440
showing up and becoming the biggest star
in the company.
432
00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:24,000
And it's a damn good thing he ain't here
tonight because I damn sure would dump
433
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,080
him flat on his head.
434
00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,840
And then The Rock coming in.
435
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,960
The rock kick came between his legs, and
it felt like the rock was kicking a
436
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:37,960
damn pillow.
437
00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:45,160
Well, I've said this before, and I'll
say it again. I never really liked the
438
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:49,840
commentary. I never really liked it as
much as I like wrestling. A lot of
439
00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,980
just don't realize that the commentary
is tough.
440
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:58,040
The commentators, they got to sit out
there and try to be entertaining for the
441
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:03,600
entire three hours. I would much rather
go out there and do a wrestling match
442
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,900
for 10 minutes rather than being there
under that scrutiny, under that pressure
443
00:30:07,900 --> 00:30:10,480
of trying to entertain people for three
straight hours.
444
00:30:11,220 --> 00:30:15,520
One of the questions I get asked a lot
about my commentary is, like, people
445
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,840
remember the jokes or the insults and
that sort of stuff, and they'll ask me,
446
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,140
that just off the top of your head?
447
00:30:20,750 --> 00:30:24,550
And naturally, I tell them, of course it
was, you know. But in reality, I did a
448
00:30:24,550 --> 00:30:29,150
lot of preparation for that. I have
reference books, joke books, insult
449
00:30:29,390 --> 00:30:33,810
But this was, this is actually Stone
Cold Steve Austin's blood.
450
00:30:34,010 --> 00:30:37,750
If I'm not mistaken, I think it was
Triple H that came over and slammed
451
00:30:37,750 --> 00:30:42,130
Cold's head. It was covered with blood
into my notes. I'd be going over my
452
00:30:42,130 --> 00:30:46,730
to see who's coming up next and getting
ready to insult the next person, you
453
00:30:46,730 --> 00:30:49,590
know. These are just things that I would
say to J .R.
454
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:55,360
J .R., I read so much about sex being
bad for you, so I finally gave up
455
00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:57,680
You heard of an idiot savant?
456
00:30:58,120 --> 00:30:59,840
Well, he's that without the savant.
457
00:31:00,860 --> 00:31:03,940
You know, that was just like I said. I
didn't take it serious. I was just
458
00:31:03,940 --> 00:31:04,940
a good time out there.
459
00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:11,160
The Attitude Era was a really unique
time for WWE because of the sheer amount
460
00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:17,580
eyeballs that were on the product every
single week. And every single week.
461
00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:23,960
It would be Jerry Lawler's voice that
was painting the picture of everything
462
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:28,020
that you were seeing. It really made him
the voice of the Attitude Era.
463
00:31:28,420 --> 00:31:30,100
I'd suggest we get out of the way, J .R.
464
00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:31,460
You can get out.
465
00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:33,120
God almighty.
466
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,780
I told you. For gosh sakes, they're 70
-something years old. That's why I'm
467
00:31:37,780 --> 00:31:40,500
getting checked by the doctors in the
back. Moolah's birth certificate was in
468
00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:41,500
Hieroglyphics.
469
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:46,880
Lawler, as a commentator, was the
perfect guy.
470
00:31:47,210 --> 00:31:48,370
He was so entertaining.
471
00:31:48,650 --> 00:31:51,850
And plus, it was the attitude error. So
there weren't restrictions on language.
472
00:31:51,890 --> 00:31:56,290
There weren't restrictions on what he
could say. It's very edgy. It's very
473
00:31:56,290 --> 00:32:00,050
-oriented now. And it's become very
sexy.
474
00:32:00,490 --> 00:32:05,850
And every time a beautiful diva would
come walking out, I'd say, Hey, J .R.,
475
00:32:05,850 --> 00:32:06,850
look, puppies!
476
00:32:08,449 --> 00:32:14,410
He was the epitome of not having a
filter. If he thought and thought it, he
477
00:32:14,410 --> 00:32:16,890
it. Oh, look at Lita. She's got the
puppies in a net.
478
00:32:17,450 --> 00:32:21,250
If you want to try to put a positive
spin on it, at least Jerry was always
479
00:32:21,250 --> 00:32:22,730
excited when we came to the ring.
480
00:32:23,890 --> 00:32:28,030
One of the women heavily involved in the
Attitude Era and all the sexy scenes
481
00:32:28,030 --> 00:32:29,690
was Stacey Carter.
482
00:32:30,190 --> 00:32:31,190
better known as the cat.
483
00:32:31,310 --> 00:32:35,830
And she and I had actually been together
in a relationship for almost 10 years.
484
00:32:35,970 --> 00:32:40,110
And I could go a little bit further
because at that time, you know, I was
485
00:32:40,110 --> 00:32:42,030
married to her. Yeah, Merry Christmas!
486
00:32:42,290 --> 00:32:43,229
Woo -hoo!
487
00:32:43,230 --> 00:32:44,230
Oh, my God.
488
00:32:44,610 --> 00:32:48,410
Actually, for the women's segment,
especially the ones that I was obviously
489
00:32:48,410 --> 00:32:52,210
part of, him being involved in it made
it easier for me.
490
00:32:53,450 --> 00:32:54,670
There you go, King.
491
00:32:55,010 --> 00:32:56,010
Thank you, cat.
492
00:32:56,170 --> 00:32:57,190
He made it.
493
00:32:57,450 --> 00:33:00,770
It seemed so easy to be on camera, so
you'd have to relax about it.
494
00:33:00,970 --> 00:33:06,410
Then one day, out of the blue, they
called me in and said, Vince wants to
495
00:33:06,410 --> 00:33:07,590
Stacey her release.
496
00:33:08,290 --> 00:33:12,050
Well, if they're going to release
Stacey, I'm going to have to go with
497
00:33:12,510 --> 00:33:13,690
And I'll never forget.
498
00:33:14,810 --> 00:33:19,610
Vince stuck his hand out and said, well,
King, nice working with you. Thank you
499
00:33:19,610 --> 00:33:20,930
for everything you've done for us.
500
00:33:22,590 --> 00:33:24,590
I was there for 10 years.
501
00:33:25,090 --> 00:33:26,650
And so just like that.
502
00:33:27,210 --> 00:33:30,430
Me and Stacey were gone from the WWE.
503
00:33:30,730 --> 00:33:35,110
I'm joined by Paul Heyman. You're joined
by Paul Heyman because last Tuesday
504
00:33:35,110 --> 00:33:41,530
night, the cat was released by the WWF
and her husband, Jerry the King Lawler,
505
00:33:41,610 --> 00:33:45,010
to his credit, walked down right
alongside with her.
506
00:33:45,370 --> 00:33:49,110
It was really difficult. And then it
just ended up being about him quitting
507
00:33:49,110 --> 00:33:50,390
not about me being fired.
508
00:33:51,130 --> 00:33:52,770
It was just really hard for me.
509
00:33:54,540 --> 00:34:00,160
That lasted for, like, it was about a
year that went by. In the meantime,
510
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:06,120
and I got a divorce, and then I got a
call from the WWE saying, hey, we'd like
511
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:07,120
you to come back.
512
00:34:08,420 --> 00:34:12,560
The next few years of my life, my
career, I'm still wrestling.
513
00:34:14,420 --> 00:34:18,739
Jerry the King Lawler has won this
matchup. I'm doing the commentary every
514
00:34:18,739 --> 00:34:19,739
single week.
515
00:34:19,929 --> 00:34:22,510
I'm in my 60s and still going strong.
516
00:34:22,949 --> 00:34:28,630
2010, I get my first ever WWE title
match and almost became the WWE
517
00:34:29,610 --> 00:34:36,510
In 2011, I'm wrestling at WrestleMania
in
518
00:34:36,510 --> 00:34:38,989
front of like 100 ,000 people. It's
crazy.
519
00:34:39,409 --> 00:34:45,489
The first WrestleMania for the king, his
first WrestleMania dropkick.
520
00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:49,540
Jerry always will be that kid that's
living his dream. I don't think Jerry
521
00:34:49,540 --> 00:34:54,080
to grow up, and why should he? I'm
thinking, what could possibly go wrong?
522
00:34:54,580 --> 00:34:56,940
And then along comes 2012.
523
00:34:59,620 --> 00:35:00,620
Jerry.
524
00:35:01,180 --> 00:35:02,180
Jerry.
525
00:35:04,740 --> 00:35:05,740
Talk to me, Jerry.
526
00:35:05,860 --> 00:35:06,860
Jerry, talk to us.
527
00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:08,180
Jerry, talk to us.
528
00:35:09,740 --> 00:35:13,140
Oh, yeah. Welcome to Monday Night Raw,
live tonight in Montreal.
529
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:17,360
So now it's September 10th, 2012.
530
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,000
Big night.
531
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,340
It was one of those nights where I'm
going to have to come up out of my
532
00:35:23,340 --> 00:35:26,880
commentary spot to actually wrestle in a
match.
533
00:35:29,460 --> 00:35:35,520
We win the match.
534
00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:37,640
So I go right from the ring.
535
00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:42,200
Down to the commentary desk, put my
jacket back on, and Michael Cole and I
536
00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:43,400
doing commentary again.
537
00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,640
Well, back at ringside, I'm once again
joined by Jerry the King Lawler.
538
00:35:46,900 --> 00:35:49,120
Congratulations are in order after your
victory moments ago.
539
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,620
Well, thank you, but let's hand it to
Randy Orton. He was the victor in that
540
00:35:52,620 --> 00:35:56,960
match. It was a two -man booth, and I
was watching my monitor to my right, and
541
00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:02,500
Jerry was on my left. And there was a
match in the ring, and all of a sudden I
542
00:36:02,500 --> 00:36:03,500
heard snoring.
543
00:36:13,180 --> 00:36:16,460
And I thought Jerry being Jerry was
making fun of the match.
544
00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:20,440
I thought it was Jerry saying, this
match is boring. I'm falling asleep on
545
00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:25,640
air. I looked over at Jerry and he face
planted right on the announce table.
546
00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:34,200
And his mouth was quivering and he
turned blue.
547
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,200
I hit my mute switch and I screamed.
548
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,140
Doc, get over here. Something's wrong
with Jerry.
549
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:40,300
Jerry. Jerry, talk to me, buddy.
550
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:42,060
Jerry. Jerry, talk to me.
551
00:36:42,580 --> 00:36:45,800
Jerry. Jerry, at this point, I realize,
is having a heart attack.
552
00:36:46,940 --> 00:36:47,940
We're giving him CPR.
553
00:36:52,540 --> 00:36:54,280
They're dragging EMTs in there.
554
00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:57,000
They're dragging him out on a stretcher.
555
00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,840
I was in the arena for it. I saw it
happen.
556
00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,550
It was really scary because I think
everybody kind of knew, oh, he...
557
00:37:06,550 --> 00:37:07,550
have a heart attack.
558
00:37:08,030 --> 00:37:10,930
And you just kind of assume the worst
when stuff like that happens, you know?
559
00:37:11,310 --> 00:37:14,250
I don't think I was aware of what was
happening because all of a sudden my
560
00:37:14,250 --> 00:37:19,870
is blowing up, you know, and I'm looking
at all these messages and it's, you
561
00:37:19,870 --> 00:37:23,550
know, people asking, hey, you know, what
happened? What's going on? Is this part
562
00:37:23,550 --> 00:37:26,250
of the show? I didn't know what people
were talking about.
563
00:37:28,370 --> 00:37:34,990
Apparently, I had a cardiac arrest,
which means your heart just stops.
564
00:37:37,170 --> 00:37:41,570
When they put me in the ambulance and
taken me to the hospital, everybody
565
00:37:41,570 --> 00:37:42,890
thought I was dead.
566
00:37:44,050 --> 00:37:50,250
My broadcast colleague, Jerry the King
Lawler, passed out while working here at
567
00:37:50,250 --> 00:37:52,750
Ringside. He has been taken to a local
hospital.
568
00:37:53,010 --> 00:37:55,870
You know, Jerry, my friend, my prayers
are with you.
569
00:37:56,410 --> 00:37:57,410
Beat this thing.
570
00:37:57,850 --> 00:37:58,850
Get him, King.
571
00:38:00,190 --> 00:38:01,190
Good night, everybody.
572
00:38:01,690 --> 00:38:04,670
Crazy situation. I mean, probably the
scariest thing I ever had.
573
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:06,360
you know, had experience.
574
00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,160
I didn't have a long stay in the
hospital.
575
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:15,800
When I got back to Memphis, there was
this huge poster that a radio station
576
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:20,380
put up, a huge sign, you know, like a
welcome home sign that had been signed
577
00:38:20,380 --> 00:38:26,260
thousands of people. And it was kind of
humbling to realize that there are that
578
00:38:26,260 --> 00:38:27,900
many people out there that care for you.
579
00:38:28,780 --> 00:38:33,310
Only the king would make a comeback like
that. That's a freaking... egotistical
580
00:38:33,310 --> 00:38:38,350
baby face isn't it to die on air and
make a comeback ladies and gentlemen
581
00:38:38,350 --> 00:38:43,390
of us thought this night might never
come but without any further ado please
582
00:38:43,390 --> 00:38:50,090
join me in the wwe universe and
welcoming back wwe hall of famer
583
00:38:50,090 --> 00:38:52,230
and my friend terry
584
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:16,060
From the bottom of my heart, I
appreciate it. And I love each and every
585
00:39:16,060 --> 00:39:19,360
you. Thank you all so much. And it's
great to be back.
586
00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:26,960
I tried to, in my mind, play it down. I
tried to say, hey, there's nothing wrong
587
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,860
with me. It was just that blunt trauma
that happens, you know, once in a
588
00:39:30,860 --> 00:39:36,320
lifetime that stopped my heart. It
wasn't because I'm out of shape or
589
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:37,320
be doing this anymore.
590
00:39:37,340 --> 00:39:39,000
So I just looked at it.
591
00:39:39,290 --> 00:39:42,990
from that standpoint, and I just kept
going.
592
00:39:43,730 --> 00:39:48,610
It was my last match on the Indies
before I came to WWE, and it's funny
593
00:39:48,610 --> 00:39:52,750
it was after his heart attack, and I
don't remember in the match even
594
00:39:52,750 --> 00:39:57,430
about it, how good he's doing and that
he kept wrestling after.
595
00:39:57,730 --> 00:40:01,030
It's pretty incredible when you think
back at that moment and how that felt.
596
00:40:03,270 --> 00:40:06,270
Believe it or not, when you do something
for so long, it's really hard to put it
597
00:40:06,270 --> 00:40:07,049
behind you.
598
00:40:07,050 --> 00:40:08,050
It's all you know.
599
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:12,140
Wrestling has been my life from the time
I became an adult.
600
00:40:13,240 --> 00:40:20,180
You know, I've had several marriages,
several relationships that all meant
601
00:40:20,180 --> 00:40:23,980
a lot to me, but they sort of came and
went.
602
00:40:24,580 --> 00:40:30,640
But the wrestling was the constant. When
I ask myself, why do you continue on?
603
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:36,800
And I just think, what else would I do
if I'm not a wrestler?
604
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:44,100
The legend, the king, Jerry Roller.
605
00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:51,580
Wow, how many people can say they've had
a 50 -year anniversary?
606
00:40:51,820 --> 00:40:52,940
You know, not a lot.
607
00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:54,960
Like I said, he's one of a kind.
608
00:40:59,180 --> 00:41:03,040
A 50 -year career means you're hooked,
you've got it in your blood.
609
00:41:07,020 --> 00:41:08,920
And there's no way out for you.
610
00:41:09,240 --> 00:41:10,240
This is your destiny.
611
00:41:12,100 --> 00:41:17,200
I think the secret to Jerry Lawler's
success is that he loves being Jerry the
612
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,200
King Lawler.
613
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,720
He was a big deal, and still is.
614
00:41:23,660 --> 00:41:26,360
I don't think Jerry wants to grow up,
and why should he?
615
00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:32,260
He's enjoying life. He's getting through
life the same way he's made a ton of
616
00:41:32,260 --> 00:41:36,700
freaking money. He's this incredibly
legendary historical figure, and he
617
00:41:36,700 --> 00:41:38,480
want to grow up, and I hope he doesn't.
618
00:41:41,670 --> 00:41:46,290
I've never met an individual who is
constantly happy, who constantly has
619
00:41:46,450 --> 00:41:47,930
who loves this business.
620
00:41:48,290 --> 00:41:55,250
As a promoter, as a worker, as a baby
face, as a heel, as
621
00:41:55,250 --> 00:42:00,650
an announcer, as an entertainer, he's
going to go down as one of the greatest
622
00:42:00,650 --> 00:42:01,650
all time.
623
00:42:02,630 --> 00:42:06,090
I mean, you know, it's one of those
things that never gets old.
624
00:42:06,410 --> 00:42:10,110
I still had as much fun in there tonight
as I did back in 1970.
625
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:16,640
I think that as long as I still have
that train of thought, I don't see any
626
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:18,060
reason to stop.
58494
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