As to your Verne Gagne comment. Verne was a beloved figure in AWA and Minnesota sports culture. He had wrestled and won 4 AAU and National amateur titles. He played for the Minnesota Gophers football team and he was a Marine Corp Veteran in World War 2. And back in the 60s when he was our hometown World champion he would fill the Minneapolis Auditorium and the St.Paul Civic center with 15-20,000 people on a regular basis when the Vikings and the Twins couldn't fill Met stadium. And what escapes people like you from the south Jim is that Verne was as near and dear to our hearts as Jackie Fargo was in Memphis or Bob Armstrong was in Georgia. The draw was Verne, (who was a generally tough and smart wrestler of the scientific vein) was getting older and you worried that some bigger, ugly, cheating wrestling bad guy was going to beat him and ruin wrestling as we had come to love it. That chaos would replace the order we needed to feel safe and that evil would triumph over good and destroy the quality of life that we were accustomed to. And that did happen when the evil Vince McMahon stole our wrestling talent and created the cartoon world of the WWF.
Race is a great friend of the family, when he was on top he'd do anything and double for you. Harley is a weird and awesome dude who has never been afraid of speaking his mind. Wrestled my uncle for the title back in the day.
Joseph Matthews I met Harley in a Wal Mart of all places years ago. He is literally the nicest guy. He stood there and talked to me as a fan like I was a long lost friend. What a great person!
My understanding of why Race hated Lawler was related to the tapes we all got to see growing up watching Memphis TV, but it wasn't just him beating up Race and the like. It was how Jarrett and Lawler would always build in a false finish where Lawler would win or hop up celebrating like he won, and they'd cut the tape off there. Then, Lance and Lawler would make up something like "See, I won the match right there, Lance, and they wouldn't give me the title." "Well Jerry, the ref said he got his shoulder up right before the hand came down." and on and on. So, it went from "The NWA champ is coming to town and going to win (because we're not dropping the title to podunk Memphis)" to "Lawler won and the big baby NWA champ turned tail and ran to keep the title from THE King."
In the Lawler / Tommy Rich feud in late-86 / early-87, Lawler repeatedly called Race a washed up drunk in the context of downplaying Tommy Rich's NWA Heavyweight Title reign.
You're arguing two different points when it comes down to it. Yes Race was a legit badass, but he also comes across as a bitter old man in the Ole Anderson mold. This IS show business with a wrestling veneer and that's what it's ultimately all about. Drawing and making money, which Lawler & Jarrett did exceptionally well.
Nah BS. Race is a great MAN screw wrestling altogether. Lawler was always doing bs moves like lawsuits and crybaby crap. Yes he was a good showman but he doesn't know the first thing about being a great MAN.
Joseph Matthews gee seems Harley did a lot of crying about a mean old video they put together to PROMOTE the match. Like I said Harley hands down is a bad man, but there’s far more to it than toughness and he comes off whiny about simple showmanship in my opinion.
The chief underlying reason I've heard about Race's dislike of Lawler was not an uncommon issue: Race was a shooter or close enough to count as one, an actual fighter, and like many other shooters he chiefly respected other shooters and not the showmen who, even though they could draw and work in the ring, couldn't go real if their lives depended on it. Everything else Cornette talked about, the lawsuit and videos, those were salt in the wound
In Jerry Lawler's book he wrote that Ric Flair was the reason Memphis started bringing Nick Bockwinkel and the AWA title. He emphasized in the book that he meant no disrespect to Flair but he and Jarrett had brought Ric in to defend the NWA title and feud with Lawler for a few weeks and the fans in the Memphis territory just didn't respond to Ric, they just weren't into him.
Jerry is a very likeable person is 1 reason . If you ever meet him you'll find him to be very down to earth when you talk to him and shows a I terest in what's up with you , he knows he's a huge star and the main attraction where he is but never shows it when talking to you . His son Brian was the same way .
Lawler wishes he was one third the wrestler Race was. I never got the appeal of Lawler. As an announcer, his work has aged about as well as a Mayo sandwich left in the car in mid summer. In-ring talent, he always seemed mediocre to me, always thought the reason he was so over was because of the territory he worked and essentially have way more TV time than anyone else in Memphis. His promos and stick work was nothing to write home about either, just felt like re-tread Shtick over and over again. Race however, was something else. An innovator that pushed the envelope and tested the boundaries...I always respected people that chose to do that. Again, just my opinion...I know alot of people love Lawlers wrestling style and even more people love his announcing. I'm not woke Social Justive Warrior or anything like that, but some of the shit he said was just cringe inducing and annoying as that shrill laugh of his.
Jerry might not have been a true athlete but when he was run down by Eddie Gilbert in the TV parking lot, Jerry was already in his 40s, and took the bump that would have made any stunt man proud. And he did it live and in one take.
Puresox333 Why would anyone care what UA-cam commenters think? The fact that people feel the need to rip on others for such a harmless little thing shows how petty, angry, judgemental, pointless , and downright pathetic they really are. Honestly, why do people care? Give me one valid reason why it warrants the nasty responses it receives? I don't like curry but I don't feel the need to slap every Indian I see.
Now for the hit country song, "Jobbing in Memphis!"
As to your Verne Gagne comment. Verne was a beloved figure in AWA and Minnesota sports culture. He had wrestled and won 4 AAU and National amateur titles. He played for the Minnesota Gophers football team and he was a Marine Corp Veteran in World War 2. And back in the 60s when he was our hometown World champion he would fill the Minneapolis Auditorium and the St.Paul Civic center with 15-20,000 people on a regular basis when the Vikings and the Twins couldn't fill Met stadium.
And what escapes people like you from the south Jim is that Verne was as near and dear to our hearts as Jackie Fargo was in Memphis or Bob Armstrong was in Georgia.
The draw was Verne, (who was a generally tough and smart wrestler of the scientific vein) was getting older and you worried that some bigger, ugly, cheating wrestling bad guy was going to beat him and ruin wrestling as we had come to love it. That chaos would replace the order we needed to feel safe and that evil would triumph over good and destroy the quality of life that we were accustomed to.
And that did happen when the evil Vince McMahon stole our wrestling talent and created the cartoon world of the WWF.
Race is a great friend of the family, when he was on top he'd do anything and double for you. Harley is a weird and awesome dude who has never been afraid of speaking his mind. Wrestled my uncle for the title back in the day.
Joseph Matthews I met Harley in a Wal Mart of all places years ago. He is literally the nicest guy. He stood there and talked to me as a fan like I was a long lost friend. What a great person!
He was the wrestler my grandpa compared all other wrestlers to...he hated ric flair lol
Was harley that tough?? I heard he was a shooter, he could hook you if he wanted??
@@michaelallanrubin2376 I think he was more of a street fighter
@@thatdude-xj4qe Your Grandpa was a smart man.
RIP Harley Race
My understanding of why Race hated Lawler was related to the tapes we all got to see growing up watching Memphis TV, but it wasn't just him beating up Race and the like. It was how Jarrett and Lawler would always build in a false finish where Lawler would win or hop up celebrating like he won, and they'd cut the tape off there. Then, Lance and Lawler would make up something like "See, I won the match right there, Lance, and they wouldn't give me the title." "Well Jerry, the ref said he got his shoulder up right before the hand came down." and on and on. So, it went from "The NWA champ is coming to town and going to win (because we're not dropping the title to podunk Memphis)" to "Lawler won and the big baby NWA champ turned tail and ran to keep the title from THE King."
I always liked harley saw him at kiel auditorium in st Louis in the 80s often
From all the rumors of Lawler sleeping with way underage girls over the years...
I always wondered if it was true and why did he get away with it ?
In the Lawler / Tommy Rich feud in late-86 / early-87, Lawler repeatedly called Race a washed up drunk in the context of downplaying Tommy Rich's NWA Heavyweight Title reign.
Ring general
Lawler had mic skills but Race is correct, Lawler was a slow,boring, lazy wrestler
You're arguing two different points when it comes down to it. Yes Race was a legit badass, but he also comes across as a bitter old man in the Ole Anderson mold. This IS show business with a wrestling veneer and that's what it's ultimately all about. Drawing and making money, which Lawler & Jarrett did exceptionally well.
Nah BS. Race is a great MAN screw wrestling altogether. Lawler was always doing bs moves like lawsuits and crybaby crap. Yes he was a good showman but he doesn't know the first thing about being a great MAN.
Joseph Matthews gee seems Harley did a lot of crying about a mean old video they put together to PROMOTE the match. Like I said Harley hands down is a bad man, but there’s far more to it than toughness and he comes off whiny about simple showmanship in my opinion.
Too bad that they didn't share part of their success with the boys.
@@84sp84 Your opinion sucks and is far from accurate. Thank you.
The chief underlying reason I've heard about Race's dislike of Lawler was not an uncommon issue: Race was a shooter or close enough to count as one, an actual fighter, and like many other shooters he chiefly respected other shooters and not the showmen who, even though they could draw and work in the ring, couldn't go real if their lives depended on it. Everything else Cornette talked about, the lawsuit and videos, those were salt in the wound
race was a consummate showman
Hooker shooter Street Fighter Street Fighter
@@grawakendream8980 and a shooter too
In Jerry Lawler's book he wrote that Ric Flair was the reason Memphis started bringing Nick Bockwinkel and the AWA title. He emphasized in the book that he meant no disrespect to Flair but he and Jarrett had brought Ric in to defend the NWA title and feud with Lawler for a few weeks and the fans in the Memphis territory just didn't respond to Ric, they just weren't into him.
Harley just didn't like Lawler period. Harley didn't like that was it. R.I P.
Never understood why lawler is so beloved. Harley was amazing.
Jerry is a very likeable person is 1 reason . If you ever meet him you'll find him to be very down to earth when you talk to him and shows a I terest in what's up with you , he knows he's a huge star and the main attraction where he is but never shows it when talking to you .
His son Brian was the same way .
Lawler wishes he was one third the wrestler Race was. I never got the appeal of Lawler. As an announcer, his work has aged about as well as a Mayo sandwich left in the car in mid summer. In-ring talent, he always seemed mediocre to me, always thought the reason he was so over was because of the territory he worked and essentially have way more TV time than anyone else in Memphis. His promos and stick work was nothing to write home about either, just felt like re-tread Shtick over and over again. Race however, was something else. An innovator that pushed the envelope and tested the boundaries...I always respected people that chose to do that. Again, just my opinion...I know alot of people love Lawlers wrestling style and even more people love his announcing. I'm not woke Social Justive Warrior or anything like that, but some of the shit he said was just cringe inducing and annoying as that shrill laugh of his.
Scott knows how much BS lawler pulled
Much ado about nothing
Lawler wasn't good in the ring..
Jerry might not have been a true athlete but when he was run down by Eddie Gilbert in the TV parking lot, Jerry was already in his 40s, and took the bump that would have made any stunt man proud. And he did it live and in one take.
IMO.... Lawler and Cornetto The last 2 professionals who understood 'wrestlin'. and transferred it to Vince :(
There is only one King
First
Puresox333 Why would anyone care what UA-cam commenters think? The fact that people feel the need to rip on others for such a harmless little thing shows how petty, angry, judgemental, pointless , and downright pathetic they really are. Honestly, why do people care? Give me one valid reason why it warrants the nasty responses it receives? I don't like curry but I don't feel the need to slap every Indian I see.