Jerry Lawler Says the Attitude Era Began in Memphis

– Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett discussed Memphis Wrestling’s influence on the start of the Attitude Era on Lawler’s Dinner With the King podcast. Audio is below, plus highlights per WrestleZone:

Lawler on the beginning of the Attitude Era: “I believe in my heart that [Memphis] was the beginning of the heel Mr. McMahon. I don’t think he had thought about being a television character until they came down to Memphis where the people didn’t like him and I think that was the start of what became the Attitude Era in the WWE.”

Jarrett on Memphis’ influence on the era: “Here’s where you just had to have been there. Vince was the face of the WWF. He was in the middle of the ring for Mania 1,2, and 3. He was the promoter. Yes, Hulk [Hogan] was the babyface; but, Vince was the face and he was the dominant promoter. They had come in…and we were the little engine that could. There was a lot of reality based promos–I hate to even call them promos; but, I can remember that little area at Memphis TV where the monitor was. The first one I saw with everybody looking around and when his promo was over everybody just sorta went, ‘Oh my God how good was that?’ Yes, I agree with you 1000%. However that got to market, the evil Mr. McMahon that is the first time they played that extension of his personality because it wasn’t a character. That was him. He was evil Mr. McMahon. It was great.”