Jerry "The King" Lawler has been a part of the WWF/E broadcast team for most of the last 24 years, save for a large chunk of 2001, when he quit in protest of the company cutting his then-wife, Stacy Carter. Only recently had Lawler returned to his original assignment when he first came to the company in 1992, as a pro-heel color analyst.
Unfortunately, last night's Smackdown may have been Lawler's last call.
This morning, WWE suspended Lawler indefinitely after he and his fiancee were arrested on domestic abuse charges, mere hours after Smackdown, recorded two nights earlier, had signed off for the night. That means Lawler won't be in Las Vegas for Money in the Bank on Sunday, and, perhaps, he won't be returning at all.
Lawler is 66, a few years younger than his insane boss, Vince McMahon. If WWE needs to skew younger at the announce desk, which would explain why Saxton is on both Raw & Smackdown, well, a case can be made that they had been in the process of phasing out Lawler by moving him to the blue brand last year. Regardless of which way he stands on the moral fence, Lawler's act had gotten old, and listening to him last night between innings of a Mets game, he was using the same tired tropes he had 2 decades earlier, calling certain babyfaces "idiots". I don't think the audience likes to have their intelligence insulted, but that is what Vince does.
Coincidentally, former tag team champ David Otunga, largely missing the last four years while serving as a legal analyst for other cable networks, has joined the broadcast team on a full-time basis, as Uncreative simply has nothing for him in terms of storylines. His expertise in matters outside the business will come in handy. Since I don't see Main Event or Superstars, I can't judge how he can call a match, but the input he can provide if there's a dispute with an official would be a help instead of a hindrance.
Could Otunga be the next Lawler, but without the girl-chasing schtick?
I'm not sure. With the brands being split again next month, there's the possibility that Otunga could be fast-tracked to Smackdown to replace Lawler, or, at worst, Vince decides to stick a headset on Booker T again. Who can figure out a 70 year old executive who acts like he's deranged?
As for Lawler, four years removed from an on-air heart attack, his arrest may mean the end of a 40+ year career in wrestling, but instead of walking out with his head raised, he leaves with his head bowed in shame. The shame of hanging on too long.
