10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Feb 17)
3. Vince McMahon Told Jerry Lawler He'd Only Be Announcing For One Week
It's only recently that Jerry 'The King' Lawler has been removed from his full-time seat behind the WWE announce desk, and his departure is only due to the emergence of Corey Graves et al. According to the King though, he was never supposed to be a full-on commentator for the company to begin with.
Approached by Vince McMahon backstage, a helpful Lawler stepped up when he was needed most; 'Macho Man' Randy Savage had left the WWF for WCW the previous week, in turn leaving McMahon without a satisfactory colour commentator to join him.
For that very reason, the boss asked the King to fill the vacant position for one week only.
The fact Lawler was in a light-hearted mood for his YouTube chat with Bill Apter recently meant that the WWE Hall Of Famer could joke about his longevity as an announcer. More than 24 years on from that discussion with McMahon behind the scenes, the irony that such a role ended up being perfect for his heel character wasn't lost on Jerry.
McMahon found his replacement for Savage, and it turned out to be Lawler.