It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Life
Review: "It's Good To Be The King...Sometimes" is the autobiography of legendary wrestling personality Jerry "The King" Lawler. For fans of wrestling or biographies Lawler's got a lot of stories to share and does not disappoint.

For longtime wrestling fans Lawler takes a sweeping view back across his life and gives you the lowdown on just about everything from his childhood, his multiple marriages, his family, his hobbies and interests and - of course, his life in wrestling. Among the things he shares with the reader are:

1. His interest in art and how it kept him out of Vietnam

2. His time spent as a radio DJ

3. How he broke into the wrestling business with in the Tennessee territory

4. How he met each of his wives

5. His connection to "The King" Elvis Presley

6. TONS of road stories with guys like Jackie Fargo, Jerry Jarrett and Sam Bass

7. The REAL story of his infamous feud with Andy Kauffman and his later filming of "Man on the Moon"

8. A few stories about his time in the WWE

9. The Story Behind the firing of the "Kat" and his divorce from Stacy Carter

10. His running for Memphis Mayor

11. Some of his "Ring Rat" stories (oh boy...)

THE COOL STUFF

If you're a Lawler fan you'll definitely love the stories King has to share (he's got a lot of them). The book reads very much like a sit down chat with a friend as Lawler doesn't hold much back. For old school wrestling fans his stories of the old Memphis territory are the real gems in this book. For WWE fans Lawler really doesn't share too much about his WWE experiences (he does cover his Bret feud and that's about it really) that most long-time WWE fans already know about. A comic at heart Lawler does spice the book out with a bunch of his one-liners he'll use of commentary which was pretty funny.

THE VERDICT

If you love bios Lawler's a good one for you. You come away from the book knowing the guy's poured his heart out to you (kudos to him for being able to open up his heart about all his failed marriages). You get some nice stories about art, music, wrestling, life on the road, a bunch of good one liners and some pretty nasty tales about all the ladies he's met over the years. Yup, this one's got it all.

Highly Recommended

Total Pages: 384
Total Read Time: About 9 hours over 6 nights

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Life
Review: "It's Good To Be The King...Sometimes" is the autobiography of legendary wrestling personality Jerry "The King" Lawler. For fans of wrestling or biographies Lawler's got a lot of stories to share and does not disappoint.

For longtime wrestling fans Lawler takes a sweeping view back across his life and gives you the lowdown on just about everything from his childhood, his multiple marriages, his family, his hobbies and interests and - of course, his life in wrestling. Among the things he shares with the reader are:

1.His interest in art and how it kept him out of Vietnam

2.His time spent as a radio DJ

3.How he broke into the wrestling business with in the Tennessee territory

4.How he met each of his wives

5.His connection to "The King" Elvis Presley

6.TONS of road stories with guys like Jackie Fargo, Jerry Jarrett and Sam Bass

7.The REAL story of his infamous feud with Andy Kauffman and his later filming of "Man on the Moon"

8.A few stories about his time in the WWE

9.The Story Behind the firing of the "Kat" and his divorce from Stacy Carter

10.His running for Memphis Mayor

11.Some of his "Ring Rat" stories (oh boy...)

THE COOL STUFF

If you're a Lawler fan you'll definitely love the stories King has to share (he's got a lot of them). The book reads very much like a sit down chat with a friend as Lawler doesn't hold much back. For old school wrestling fans his stories of the old Memphis territory are the real gems in this book. For WWE fans Lawler really doesn't share too much about his WWE experiences (he does cover his Bret feud and that's about it really) that most long-time WWE fans already know about. A comic at heart Lawler does spice the book out with a bunch of his one-liners he'll use of commentary which was pretty funny.

THE VERDICT

If you love bios Lawler's a good one for you. You come away from the book knowing the guy's poured his heart out to you (kudos to him for being able to open up his heart about all his failed marriages). You get some nice stories about art, music, wrestling, life on the road, a bunch of good one liners and some pretty nasty tales about all the ladies he's met over the years. Yup, this one's got it all.

Highly Recommended

Total Pages: 384
Total Read Time: About 9 hours over 6 nights

Rating:
Summary: ****1/2 for a very good book
Review: Before I begin, my advice for all the graders of this book is that your reviews should be based on the quality of the book and how the story is written rather than your judge of his character... people are interested in the book, not your opinion of Lawler, I think the brass at Amazon.com would agree on that.

"It's Good to Be the King... sometimes" (Pocket Books, 384 pages) is one of the greatest wrestling books regarding pro wrestling that I have ever read, it would certainly rank in my favorite top five of all pro wrestling autobiographies. Unlike Hulk Hogan's book, there was very little censoring, just the story as it should be told. Jerry "the King" Lawler is one of the greatest wrestlers of all times because of his amazing run in the Memphis territory only rivaled in history by Jackie Fargo, his historic run as a booker with Jerry Jarrett, and the infamous feud with Andy Kaufman in the 80s. The thing that's different about Lawler than any other legend is that he is still prominent in the business; he is still on national TV every week.

The book pulls no punches either, when it comes to his personal life, which is a story all in it's own. Lawler recounts his personal experiences with three wives, several lawsuits, and battles with himself... outside of the ring. This book will also not disappoint the old school fans, as Lawler spends a great deal of time discussing the old days, prior to his peak, during his peak, and after his peak through such feuds as Terry Funk, Andy Kaufman, a great deal about Tojo Yamamoto and Jackie Fargo, most recently Bret Hart, and his announce position nowadays.

Lawler's stories about being a wrestler, being a child, and being a veteran of the business are well-told and do not attempt to alter history or bloat figures for self-gain and Lawler remembered things surprisingly well. The last several chapters of the book are far from anti-climatic but are very sad in retrospect. Lawler's addiction with young women and the pathetic nature of these latter years of his life are recounted in personal ways with few details hidden. All done without Lawler attempting to paint himself as a character worthy of pity or begging to be allowed time to wallow in his own self-pity yet not lazy enough to seem apathetic, simply telling it like it is really... any reader can appreciate his style.

Regarding pictures and illustrations, this book is way ahead of the game, page after page will include many old pictures with people from Lawler's life and infamous wrestlers. A special bonus comes at the beginning of every chapter with Lawler's own exhibition of his greatest wrestling-related illustrations. The middle of the book, as is customary with WWE books, contains several pages of color photos.

This book does what it is supposed to do and does it in a style that Lawler is to be admired for. If you do not want to take a trip down memory lane for quite a while, however, this is not the book for you, but after all, this is a book about all of Lawler's career, not just as an announcer.

Rating:
Summary: If there's one thing I can't stand about 'The King'
Review: I didn't read his book, I didn't even buy it or ever open a page of it, I just figured this is the perfect place for viewers to hear my opinion out on what I think of him on RAW.

He seriously annoys me nowadays, ever since I really, fully noticed he is extremely biased and constantly favors the guy booed and never shuts up about it. It's not that I find his voice annoying, it's that I hate hearing him constantly cheer for those Evolution members and then put down all those who oppose them.

For example, when Goldberg had an extremely unfair 3 on 1 handicap match with Evolution with Ric Rlair being at ringside, Jerry started blabing how it was wrong for Goldberg to go after Flair after Flair slammed Goldberg's injured ankle into the steel ring post. Isn't it bad enough Goldberg has Batista, Randy Orton, and Triple H to worry about? Ric Flair had no business out there. Goldberg should've hospitalized him.

Also, the way Jerry 'The King' Lawler puts down Edge, Shelton Benjamin, Shawn Micheals, (and the list goes on and on) and how he severely verbally abuses Chris Jericho. Just listening to him makes it torture for my ears when he does that.

And of course, he also picks on Chris Benoit. Chris Benoit had 3 or 4 members of Evolution in that ring all around him, and when Benoit had a steel chair to slightly improve his odds, Jerry is all like 'he can't do that,'. Isn't bad enough they'd beat him as bad as they want?

I am so tired of his prejudice. He's got a big mouth. Because of him, I hit the mute button whenever Evolution or Christian face off in a match against their opponents. At least on Smackdown, the ring announcers Micheal Cole and Tazz are much more fair to the wrestlers. If anything, they'll always agree that the booed guys are out of line.

Why don't Jerry 'The King' Lawler just join Evolution and be the fifth member if he likes them so much?

Rating:
Summary: The Southern Wrestling HIstory is Where it's At!
Review: I enjoyed this book immensely, but Jerry Lawler's description of his early years in the business, coupled with the detailed look at Southern Pro Wrestling in the 1970s, absolutely stole the show for me. This book is invaluable for fans of the pro wrestling regional territories of days past, and Lawler recounts his experiences on both the mainstream and independent circuits of that era.

This book has great accounts of Southern Wrestling personalities like legendary heel Sam Oliver Bass, successful ---albeit eccentric, cheap and often irrational--- promoter Nick Gulas, and wrestler/promoter Jerry Jarrett. The book also has a look at the local promotional wars throughout the years, which is one of my favorite features in the book; with pro wrestling being a big-money corporate player these days, it is fascinating to see how profitable but homegrown promotions competed.

Jerry Lawler talks in detail about his problems with fidelity, the toll his fooling around had on the women in his life, and the confession that it is his only vice. While he places most of the blame on himself, and is very complimentary to most of the women in his life, it is interesting to read his comments on vices. He does not drink or drug, and claims sex as his only vice. At one point he says something to the effect that this particular addiction has no repercussions; well, maybe not on the brain cells or the liver, but he seems to be overlooking the emotional toll it took on his relationships.

When finishing this book, Jerry Lawler comes off overall as a good guy, who you would love to hang out with. About the only thing that did not click with me were the numerous bad one-liners. It's true that the bad jokes are part of his character and work well on WWE TV, but somehow the "joke within a joke" does not translate well into print.

If you love pro wrestling history as much as I do, this is a great and timeless read. The descriptions of old small town shows and Tennessee pop-culture are so tangible I found myself wishing I could be there. Pick this book up!

Rating:
Summary: right up there with Mick Foley's book
Review: I have held up Mick Foley's book 'Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood, Guts, and Sweatsocks' as the pinnacle of wrestling autobiography. Since I have read that book, nothing has come close to being nearly as good or as honest. I was skeptical about reading Jerry Lawler's autobiography because all I knew of him was the joke he has become as a WWF/E announcer. I was aware that he was a legend in Memphis wrestling and that he had the famous angle with Andy Kaufman (I learned about this from the film 'Man on the Moon'). That was all I knew of Jerry Lawler. I decided to read the book anyway and I'm glad that I did. While Mick Foley is a more sympathetic person and it is easier to care for Foley, Jerry Lawler has written (with a co-writer) one of the best wrestling biographies on the market.

Even though the narrative jumps around a little bit, this is a straightforward and mostly chronological account of Jerry 'The King' Lawler's life and career in professional wrestling. We are introduced to a young Jerry Lawler going to local wrestling events with his father, but having no interest in being a wrestler himself. It was only through his art (he originally wanted to be an artist) that he even had any contact with the world of professional wrestling and the men outside the ring. It was only later, as a radio DJ that Lawler ended up with the exposure and interest to try to be a professional wrestler. Since then, Lawler has led a charmed career in the ring. We learn about the scope of his career in Memphis and finally his entry into the WWF (later WWE).

If Lawler's professional life has been charmed, his personal life has not been. While Jerry Lawler reveals that he has never drank alcohol or done any drugs, he does admit that his one vice has always been women and sex. Lawler freely admits that he has been a horrible husband and father and that he has not been able to stay faithful to his wives. The pattern has been that near the end of a marriage, Lawler meets a very young woman (early 20's) and ends up leaving his wife for the other woman. The only exception to this is his last wife, Stacy Carter. Stacy (former WWF Diva, the Kat) married Lawler when she was 19 and she ended up leaving him. Lawler has continued his interest in young women. Lawler makes no excuses for his lifestyle and he does not attempt to wallow in pity (nor does he try to incite others to pity him).

This is a very honest book and revealing of many aspects of the culture of professional wrestling. Jerry Lawler does throw in a bit too many jokes and references that one would expect from Jerry Lawler the announcer, but as a whole, this is one of the best wrestling biographies that I have read. In terms of quality, I would place this one second behind Foley's first autobiography.

Rating:
Summary: I was expecting so much more
Review: I have to say i was very much looking forward to this book, but was very disappointed with the end result. To start with, the narrative is all over the place, jumping back and forwards in time and mentioning people who are not explained till much later in the book! Also, I would have expected a lot more anecdotes form someone with Lawler's time and experience in the world of wrestling - what do we get instead? What we get is several silly stories regarding his sexual experiences and then three whole chapters devoted to his breakup with Stacey and his subsequent (rather sad and embarassing) search for a replacement! His years in USWA and it's closure are glossed over,his involvement the Memphis Pro Power barely mentioned and his huge rape trail incedent (in which he was totally exonorated) is given one sentence. He plugs local eateries unmercyfully and...kises Vince throughout. Added to this, his one-liners become tiresome by page 30. Did this book pass by an editor at any stage? Jerry i expected so much more from you!
If you are looking for some great anecdotes and a bit of honesty check out the Hardy Boyz book!

Rating:
Summary: A marvel of a wrestling book!
Review: I loved this book from start to finish! The book went into depth about how Lawler got into wrestling (from drawing?, to start) and spent a good portion on when and how he made his mark in the Mid-South Coliseum. I thoroughly enjoyed when the book covered when wrestling was "territorial" and what that meant in the business sense and how Lawler and other bookers drew in crowds and got their product on local television.
You also get the truth about Andy Kaufman! Did Lawler REALLY put him in the hospital??? Find out! (if you already didn't know). If you also wanted to know about how and what happened to his marriage to Stacy Carter, Lawler writes about it in heartbreaking fashion.
Anyway, if you are an "older" wrestling fan, this book should be a great read. From his start in the business to the Mid-South Coliseum days to stories from the road to wrestlers pulling ribs on each other to his marriages(plurl) to his unceremonial exit from the WWE and his later return, etc, etc, etc. Upon completion, I was left VERY satisfied with this book!

Rating:
Summary: A Kingly Read
Review: I want to completely disagree with the Publishers Weekly review of this book by wrestling legend Jerry "The King" Lawler. In my opinion, this is the most well-written book of all the WWE biographies.

Lawler is amusing with his stories and gives us great insight on how wrestling territories used to be ran. Lawler is a legend and this book is a good education for anyone that doesn't realize what an impatc he has made on wrestling.

My only beef is with some of his sexual exploits. He admittedly lusted after other women when he was married and basically cheated on his first two wives. When the roles got reveresed with the Kat, I can't help but feel he got what he deserved in some regards.

However, this book is a great read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT Read on the KING
Review: If you aren't fimilar with the place that made wrestling what it is today then you need to read this book. Memphis is where it all comes from. If you are fimilar with Memphis wrestling then take a look into the past with wrestlers being mention that are legends in the wrestling world but are not really known world wide....even though they might be since Memphis wrestling was known world wide at one time. This is a good read for any wrestling fan. Sit back and take a look on how wrestling was when there wasn't one big buisness running it all.