Jerry Lawler No-Sells Terry Funk's Taped Promo - Re: Empty Arena Match (April 1981)

[2ColdScorpio18]

Terry Funk looks like Woody Harrelson in this promo

[volstar8]

No sell describes it perfectly. It also set up Lawler's stroll down the MSC aisle with his white robe and crown in tow.

[21sttnmemphis]

I don't think Terry Funk was lying about Jerry loving money. Lance really did love Jerry

Look at Jerry today in the crappy WWE. Michael Cole would be in the hospital by now. Terry is one you hate, love, fear.

[VolumedMusicMan]

Dusty was an egg sucking yellow dog, and lawler was a lover of chickens. Terry Funk rules!

[ninjajesus81]

That's some high quality production right there. WWE has nothing on this.

[joethecabdriver]

I love Terry Funk.

[HorrorFreak68]

LOL....."Jerry Lawler is a lover of chickens"......in other words, he's a chicken fucker!

[terminat1]

How did Jerry ever become king with such a bad attitude?

[blackstruggle77]

Those (2) white girls in the front row were eyeing Lawler down like a freah peice of meat!!!

[blackstruggle77]

Terry Funk calling Jerry Lawler a jackass, a lover of chickens, compares him to a pig. Classic. CWA: The best promotion next to Jim Croketts NWA.

[danielholmesmoo1]

my EYE, my EYE, i cant see DOCTOR, DOCTOR, god help me, help me PLEASE, help me, my EYE, my EYE!!!!!!!....

one of the greatest matches never to be seen live

[slezy108]

i think the best Funk Lawler promo was when they were in florida and funk poured dirt and oil on him and said this was what it was like to be jerry lawler

[frrrrrunkis]

Jerry Lawler is a lover of chickens? I thought he loved puppies.

[Allergic2StupidAchoo]

Wow, this looks like an after school special. And the generic title, just "Wrestling". Heh, I was 2 months away from even being born when this came on.

[mrbluto3]

Lance was horrible. Of course he was better than Tony Schvoni from wcw.

[DeepSouthWrestling1]

@mrbluto3 : You couldn't have said anything more idiotic...

[mrbluto3]

Lance was horrible.

[CombatSportFan]

@mrbluto3 Come again???

[JepMasta]

I remember one person said that this promo told us two things about Terry Funk:

1) Funk is crazy

2) He HATES Jerry lawler

[IRON5]

Do you have Terry Funks promo after the empty area match? Where he said he would break Lawler legs?

[patvilhauer]

I love this guy Mr. Terry Funk, himself. One of the hardest working NWA World Champions ever....and that is saying a hell of a lot right there. He (and Junior too of course) was born and bred to be an all time great and he is wrestling royalty. He has given way more than he has taken from the wrestling business and nobody in today's "sports entertainment industry (I hate that fucking term)" could hold a candle to this guy.

ps..Lance Russell is in the top 5 of all time wrestling announcers too

[moggy1231]

lance russell is the worst part of memphis wrestling.

[moggy1231]

lance can't sell anything.

[CombatSportFan]

@moggy1231 You obviously speak of some other lance because that's obviously not Lance Russell, one of the best commentators in the history of professional wrestling, that you are saying couldn't sell anything. Russell could not only get over some of Jerry Jarrett's more questionable ideas (a third concession stand brawl in Tupelo) but could also put more seats in the Coliseum and the Gardens by putting over just how amazing an upcoming card was.

[ChannelExtreme]

@CombatSportFan - Lance worked so naturally that I think some people--even today--can't tell they're being sold an angle. In this video, his and Lawler's unscripted reactions are quite natural: Very simply, they don't know what to make of Funk's proposal. And neither do I, so I'm with them and, rest assured, so was the home audience. Mission accomplished. :)

[CombatSportFan]

@ChannelExtreme More of that is needed in modern day pro wrestling. Everything is so tightly scripted and unnatural that people rarely feel it. That's why the CM Punk stuff got over so well; people FELT it for the first time in years. They knew that was what he felt and it sold them on it. Same thing in Memphis, but it used to happen on a weekly basis.

[ChannelExtreme]

@CombatSportFan - I liked CM Punk because he was anti-establishment, had mixed martial arts moves, and his acting was some of the best. But I haven't watched WWE in a year... until last Monday night. The show is mostly jaw-jacking, and I thought Punk's rant was pretentious, over-scripted and assumes much. "Who cares?" I thought, "little kids or online marks?" I think WWE pays too much attention to online smack. IMO, I'm seeing fan influence here--I'm not seeing angles that draw me in.

[CombatSportFan]

@ChannelExtreme I don't think Punk's rant was scripted. I think it was more akin to the old days where they gave him an idea of where to go with it and he did the running with the ball. That's the thing though. In 1990 this wouldn't have been much more than a news byte in the Observer and that is it. Today, we are so desperate for ANYTHING that we salivate at something fresh like this. It's a case of a starving man finding a ham sandwich and looking at it like Thanksgiving dinner.

[ChannelExtreme]

@CombatSportFan - If Punk's rant wasn't scripted, then he's a genius. His dialog reminded me of a common problem with scripts made by amateur scriptwriters: Wonderfully written lines "sound" great on paper but often seem ridiculous when spoken. Note: I realize his character is arrogant, and narcissistic bad guys usually get the most unbelievable lines. Still, I don't think he's experienced enough to wing it on a Monday night. I think the WWE is too money-minded now & afraid to take that chance.

[CombatSportFan]

@ChannelExtreme I think it all depends on just how much legit pull Triple H has in the locker room now. I know Shawn Michaels has been a huge proponent of CM Punk for years now (to the point that he actually chastised McMahon for misusing him) so it wouldn't be that far off that Triple H might take the chance. Not to mention, all of Punk's promos in the indies were old school style, and unscripted. So he might have been ready to step up to the plate for this one.

[ChannelExtreme]

@CombatSportFan - I must bow to your knowledge of the WWE because I'm basically ignoring them nowadays. But I'm still not convinced it wasn't entirely scripted. C'mon, the whole show was scripted! Scripting is safe--relying on Punk's genius is a risk. Give him a few talking points and a mic, yeah, and then pray. LOL. :)

[CombatSportFan]

@ChannelExtreme LOL I didn't know about the Shawn Michaels thing until this past week myself. A former booker (i refuse to call them writers) talked about Michaels sitting in on an ECW booking meeting and getting angry at them for running down Punk and the others not standing up for him. He basically said "either tell the kid what you don't like or cut him loose, but don't misuse him just because he doesn't fit your mold." As one guy put it "Yes, WWE is so bad now we NEED the clique in power!"

[ChannelExtreme]

@CombatSportFan - I watched Super Smackdown and now I understand: Punk's angle is clearly in response to online marks shouting "WWE sucks" everywhere they go. The WWE is taking the public's opinion of them head-on and attempting to deal with it by using Punk (a smart mark's kinda wrestler) as their mouthpiece. So, we can safely assume this angle is simply the WWE dealing with its army of online haters. Like me. :D

[CombatSportFan]

@ChannelExtreme And yet, they don't stop to listen to the criticism, see why Punk's angle is working, and actually try to change things for the better =P

[Marqui74]

@moggy1231 Like these fucking dumbass play by play fags like Cole

[alrussell1985]

i love how lance no sells terry funk's threats to him like he s so sure funk wont hit him. tna needs that kinda respect for there officials

[CombatSportFan]

@alrussell1985 Lance and Dave Brown both legitimately had that kind of clout and the fans knew it so it was understood that nobody better ever lay a finger on them. Russel could have someone run out of the promotion, and Dave, while not quite that powerful, could have someone banned from appearing on TV. After years of threatening, he actually pulled the trigger on that in 1996 with Randy Hales in a great TV moment.

[nettles3]

Just plain Awesome!!

[chriskoob]

you take this lance!!!