10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 2001

9. Jerry Lawler Quit For His Ex-Wife

Jerry Lawler The Kat Jerry 'The King' Lawler was one half of one of the most entertaining announce teams in history, hamming it up on a weekly basis alongside his real-life friend, Jim Ross for many years. The sheer quality of the commentary throughout most of the Attitude Era is tribute to the chemistry both guys had together, creating magic to accompany many of the timeless moments of that time period. In 2001, Lawler would walk out on WWE, quitting after the company released his then-wife Stacy Carter. Performing as The Kat, Carter had reportedly become difficult to deal with backstage, and officials felt it was time she moved on. Disagreeing with the decision, Lawler elected to leave too, something he has noted he regrets doing now. Splitting from Carter not long after the situation, The King would eventually return to the company later on the same year, but it's unlikely the loss of earnings (not to mention the loss of his wife anyway) was worth it. Thankfully, this was merely a minor blip in Lawler's association with WWE, but it must have been strange for him to sit and watch shows, seeing Paul Heyman tearing it up alongside Ross.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.