Jerry Lawler Speaks On Announcing, Kaufman, Indie Shows, More

The Bristol Press in Connecticut has a good interview up today with Jerry Lawler promoting Saturday’s Northeast Wrestling event in Bristol, CT. Highlights are below.

On why he enjoys working independent shows: “This is a throwback to old school wrestling,” he said. “There’s nothing like a WWE show. But when they’re as big as they are, it’s a little impersonal. There is no interaction. Here the fans are so up close and personal. It’s an intimate venue. Fans will get a chance to meet and greet the wrestlers, get a photo taken, get an autograph.”

On becoming a RAW announcer: “When the Monday Night Wars were going on, Macho Man Randy Savage was doing color commentary on Raw, but he soon jumped ship to WCW. I was a last-minute replacement. I remember Vince McMahon coming up to me and asking if I wouldn’t mind doing it. Fifteen years later and I’m still the main color commentator. But I still think of myself as just a wrestler watching a match and talking about it.”

On the Andy Kaufman incident: “That’s probably the highlight of my career…I was suddenly in the national spotlight – and so was wrestling. The Letterman people still call that episode their ‘famous show.'”

Check out the full interview here.