Jim Ross Discusses Jerry Lawler Breaking Paul Heyman’s Jaw On Purpose, Why They Didn’t Get Along

– Jim Ross discussed the famous animosity between Paul Heyman and Jerry Lawler on the latest episode of Grilling JR. Heyman and Lawler worked together during the ECW “invasion” of WWE in 1997. The two reportedly did not warm to each other, to say the least, and as Ross brought up, Lawler admitted to intentionally breaking Heyman’s jaw during a segment in Memphis in 1987.

Highlights from the discussion, and the full podcast, are below:

On Lawler and Heyman’s relationship behind the scenes at the time: “It was controlled animosity. I don’t think either guy liked the other very much. I think they both respected each other’s abilities as professionals, because they both knew how good the other was at doing their job. You’d have to be a recluse and have your head up your ass not to see the both of them were highly skilled. But just, they just didn’t get along culturally, personally. You know, we did one of those shows on WWE Network [the Legends of Wrestling “Heatseekers” episode] where we talked about things that happened in the ring. And I asked Lawler, he broke Paul Heyman’s jaw. And I asked him point blank, was it an accident or did you do it on purpose? ‘I did it on purpose,’ says Lawler.”

On why the two didn’t get along: “So there’s always some heat there, and it’s generally one of the two C’s. I don’t know which one it is, but I can promise you, if Heyman and Lawler didn’t exist well in that era, it was because of one of the two C’s. Cash or creative. But they also had a lot in common, in the fact that they could make you love ’em or hate ’em just by what they said and how they said it. So they were highly-skilled in all the right areas, but they just — and maybe it’s the fact that Heyman’s from Scarsdale, Westchester County, New York, father’s very successful and affluent attorney. And Lawler was raised in more of a blue collar atmosphere, growing up in Memphis, become the local hero there. They had different backgrounds, different routes to get where they’re going. So there was just no commonality there, other than some wrestling stuff. And some of the wrestling stuff was tainted because cash and creative.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Grilling JR with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.