For just about three decades, Jerry Lawler was WWE’s go-to color commentator. The legend of the Memphis Wrestling scene first got behind a World Wrestling Federation announce table in the 1990s, sharing a booth with the likes of Vince McMahon, Jim Cornette, The Honky Tonk Man, and Michael Cole. The booth of Lawler and Jim Ross is credited as the voice of the Attitude Era. While play-by-play commentators would come and go, Lawler was always a staple in the color spot. He began to appear more sporadically in the 2020s, as Lawler’s declining health combined with WWE’s growing crop of announce talent made him best suited to be a recurring panelist for WWE premium live event pre-shows.
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Jerry Lawler Believes His WWE Career Has Ended
The King has made his last call.
It was reported earlier this week that WWE would not be renewing WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler’s broadcasting contract when it expires this year. That said, this did not mean Lawler was about to become a free agent, as his deal will pivot to a WWE legends contract instead. WWE legends contracts are typically given to retired talent, with the only obligations being the odd reunion episode televised appearance or in-person autograph signing here and there.
Speaking to PWInsider, Lawler noted he believes this switch signals the end of his on-screen WWE career.
“One other thing that a lot of people wonder about, my career has probably ended with the WWE,” Lawler said. “It’s just one of those things that goes with my getting over all the stuff that happened with the stroke. It was [also the fact that] just sitting behind a desk and commentating on a match again was the extremely difficult.”
Lawler is alluding to his most recent stroke, one that occurred in February 2023. He previously suffered a stroke in March 2018 and a legitimate heart attack while he was calling a live WWE Monday Night Raw broadcast in September 2012. He has been in good health since and has only worked with WWE as a pre-show panelist. His last time behind the announce table was in January 2023.
WWE Monday Night Raw is currently called by the fan-favorite duo of Michael Cole and Pat McAfee, while WWE SmackDown is voiced by the fresh pairing of Corey Graves and Wade Barrett.
