JERRY THE KING AND STACY UPDATE
The following is directly from KingLawler.com dated 07-15-01

Once again the time has come to sit down in front of the computer and try to put my thoughts into words....unfortunately, the time is 2:55am on Sunday morning, so if I have a little trouble with the "thoughts into words" thing, please excuse me. 

The reason I am at the computer at this late hour is that I just got home from wrestling in Nashville, Tennessee (about 200 miles from my home in Memphis) on Bert Prentice's annual Tojo Yamamoto Memorial Show. There was a great crowd on hand as well as a lot of "old" friends that I had not seen for some time. Wrestlers from the past were in attendance to meet and greet the fans. I must admit I had my camera out as well to get some shots of the guys that I used to watch on TV and some that were ending their careers just as I was beginning mine. Mid-South wrestling stars like Corsica Joe, Sara Lee, Don and Al Greene, George Gulas, Jerry Barber, Ronnie P. Gossett, Sylvia Hackney, Bald Eagle Paul Morton, and of course, the Fabulous Jackie Fargo were all there and looking great. Jackie Fargo was actually the special referee for my match. It was a very good night, and when I got home about 30 minutes ago, I just wasn't ready for bed.  

So, it's a good time to check some e-mail and look at a few websites. One of the first e-mails I read is from a fan telling me of a story he has just read on a website...I think it was ProWrestling.Com. The story went like this...."WWF has decided to end any chance of a reconciliation with Jerry Lawler and move on to using in house talent to fill the empty announcer slots on Raw, Smackdown, Heat, and PPV's. Currently Al Snow, Dean Malenko, and Mike Sanders are trying out for the jobs. It's likely that Snow will get Smackdown with Michael Cole and either Sanders or Malenko will get Raw with Jim Ross. Whoever ends up in the open Raw spot should be teamed with J.R. full time, ppv's, etc. Whoever is teamed up with Michael Cole on Smackdown will end up with Cole on Sunday Night Heat as well." 

That is what the story said, but is it fact or another Internet rumor? The last few days, rumors have been running rampant again about the possibility of my returning to the WWF in light of the fact that both WWF color commentators left their chairs open to return to the ring. One website reported that my wife Stacy had been urging me to return to the WWF without her, if the offer was made. Was that a fact? Yes, it was, and the WWF knew that. So did the WWF contact me? Yes, they did. But as you can tell from the above story, they did not make me an offer. 

Yesterday, I had a long (over an hour) heart to heart talk with a person who I consider to be a true friend of mine...a person who I think would like to have me back in the WWF...and a person who I think has my best interests in mind. That person is Jim Ross. We spoke at length about my current situation and the WWF's current situation. We talked about both professional lives and personal lives, because in this case, they are very much intertwined. I value J.R.'s opinions very much. He was very open and honest with me and I was with him as well. I felt we had a very good talk. He assured me that the WWF is aware of my benefit to them and even said I had a "unique talent" that couldn't be replaced by anyone. But he said at this time, the WWF doesn't have anything for me. 

So, hey...I'm cool with that. Let's move on! There is no need for any more rumors, or speculation. I will not be a part of the WWF in the foreseeable future. I will not be sitting next to J.R. on Raw this week or any week. I want to thank everyone who has campaigned for my return through letters, phone calls, and e-mails to the WWF, but we can stop now. The WWF and I are in agreement on this decision. I am convinced that the WWF and I will work together at some time in the future and that is good enough for me. In the meantime, they have wished me well, and I wish them well. It is actually like a big weight is lifted off my shoulders, because up to now, there has been so much uncertainty. Now we have some "closure"....I really hate that term...but I mean we know for sure what our status is. So now it's time to get about the business of life outside the WWF, and that involves a lot of wrestling, a lot of traveling, and meeting a lot of fans!  

And it is also going to involve working hard to repair some damage that has been done to my relationship with Stacy by this whole ordeal. I have been in the wrestling business for nearly 30 years, and I have seen and experienced it all... nothing really surprises me. But Stacy is still very new to this crazy business, and some things that happen in business can be taken very personally if you let it. Stacy has taken all of this very personal and it has hurt her a lot. And since I was the person who got her into the wrestling business to begin with, I guess I am ultimately responsible for that hurt. I intend to help her feel better....about herself and about this crazy business. She is not only my wife, she is my best friend, and though we can't go back and make a brand new start, we can start from now and make a brand new ending.

This coming Thursday, July 18th, I will be wrestling in Austintown, Ohio, (I knew it was just a matter of time before they started naming towns after Stone Cold!) Then on Saturday, July 21st, both Stacy and I will be signing autographs at the TRI-star Collectors show in Houston, Texas. The show is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. We will be appearing on Saturday from 2 until 5pm along with Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Earl Campbell, Jim Kelly, Bob Lilly, Marcus Allen, Ed "too tall" Jones, Kerry Wood, Ron Santo, Dan Pastorini, and many more great athletes! WOW! What a show that is going to be!! Then on the 25th of July, I will be wrestling at the Delaware State Fair in Wilmington, Delaware. The next day, the 26th, I will be in Wildwood, N.J....On the 27th in Cherry Hill, N.J....On the 28th in Red Bank, N.J. and in Asbury Park, N.J. See what I mean when I say a lot of traveling??!!? Check back here in a day or so for a more detailed list of appearances and exact locations. Just to let you know how slow a typer I am....It is now 4:45am!!!! I got to go to bed!!!!!!!!!

Jerry Lawler

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