10 Wrestlers Who Walked Out On Live TV

5. Jerry Lawler (27 February 2001 - SmackDown)

Jim Ross Jerry Lawler
WWE.com

Admittedly, the 27 February 2001 episode of SmackDown wasn't "live", but it's nonetheless true that Jerry Lawler was scheduled to do commentary on a broadcast that'd go out just two days later. His decision to walk out on the show caused some panic behind the scenes in the WWF.

'King' didn't care - he thought he was perfectly justified.

Jim Ross wrote in his excellent 'Under The Black Hat' book that he was depressed upon hearing from Vince McMahon that they were letting Stacy 'The Kat' Carter go. Ross knew his friend Jerry wouldn't be happy to learn that the company planned to fire his wife, but hoped he could talk him out of following her through the door.

He couldn't. Lawler was livid and viewed McMahon's termination as a slap in the face to his family. He decided to stick by Carter and leave the promotion too, which is precisely what JR had tried to avoid. The next week, Paul Heyman was introduced as Jerry's replacement on commentary.

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