WWE Hall Of Famer Remembers The Bizarre Reason They Sued Vince McMahon

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler shared a surprising story about a lawsuit he once filed against Vince McMahon well before he became a prominent figure in the company.

In a conversation with Bill Apter on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Lawler detailed how a legal battle over his famous “King” persona almost ended his chances of ever working with WWE. The conflict began in the mid-1980s when WWE introduced Harley Race as “The King” during events in Memphis, where Lawler had been using the “King” moniker since the 1970s. Feeling that his gimmick was being infringed upon, Lawler decided to take legal action to protect his identity. Reflecting on the lawsuit, Lawler said:

I remember I sued Vince McMahon when he brought in Harley Race as the King in Memphis, and then in Nashville. I sued him, and I won the case.

Winning the case, however, left Lawler convinced he had severed ties with the company for good.

I thought I was done with him for sure then.

He remarked, certain that his legal battle had shut the door on any potential collaboration with McMahon’s organisation. But in a surprising twist, McMahon reached out to Lawler years later with an unexpected offer. Recalling the call, Lawler shared:

I don’t really know what happened, but he just called me one day and said, ‘Hey, want to come up and work for us and continue to work in Memphis?’

Stunned yet intrigued by the offer, Lawler accepted, seeing it as an opportunity to expand his career while staying true to his Memphis roots.

And I said, ‘Well, if I can do that, then yeah, I’ll do it.’

Lawler remembered. This unique arrangement allowed Lawler to work in WWE while maintaining his presence in Memphis wrestling, a rare deal that set the stage for his enduring legacy in the sport.

Which WWE Hall Of Famer Said They Beat Jerry Lawler In Their First-Ever Match?

WWE Hall of Famer The Godfather recalled how he faced off against fellow Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler in his first-ever wrestling match. Godfather spoke about how he thought wrestling was semi-real back when he first started and that he was surprised to learn that he was going to be beating Lawler in Memphis in his first match.

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