Jerry Lawler needed a "cheat sheet" because he wasn't familiar with Smackdown talent?

[Avrusha92]

Are you guys fucking kidding me?!?! Big whoop! So what? this guys been commentating for so many years!!! So he used a "cheat" sheet one event...

So many young guys and young talent especially from other brands id be confused to if I would be an old school guy and on RAW for years. Sure Lawler's not Striker, or Grisham that study each wrestler. But who cares? This is a stupid topic imo

 

[johnbragg]

You know, there would be a good way to do this and a bad way to do this.

The bad way, of course, is having to have a picture book with each wrestler's name because you are so lazy and disinterested in the industry that you don't keep up with SmackDown, ECW, TNA and ROH. (I have to say that I think if any of us were a full-time commentator without other full-time responsibility, we would make it our business to watch Raw, SD, ECW, Impact, ROH, Dragon Gate and to at least try to keep up with CMLL, AAA and the top Japanese promotions.)

The good way would be to use that laptop that they show on screen and have half-page files open for each wrestler on the roster with a pretty complete file on them, and maybe something about them you worked out to say during the week.

But that would involve taking your job seriously, so screw that. PUPPIES!

 

[hatehabsforever]

Personally, I don't see why it's such a big deal. Sure he should know the names of all of the guys from all of the brands in a perfect world, but he doesn't, so what?

If Lawler came on and called some guy by the wrong name, the chronic complainers on this site would blast him for it. "How could he not know who ___ is?" He just had a cheat sheet to refer to if necessary to avoid the embarassment of making a mistake. I doubt he needed to use a cheat sheet for Taker, Batista, etc., but rather just some of the younger talent who would be less known by anyone.

Personally I don't watch ECW, so was unfamiliar with Sheamus. So when he moved to Raw a few weeks back, I didn't know who the hell he was (and now he's getting a main event push. He's "ready," but John Morrison isn't, but I digress to an earlier thread of mine). Granted I don't work for the WWE, but I can understand why Lawlor wouldn't know who someone like this is.

Some guys, including this thread's starter, just like to complain about everything. Everything is wrong with the WWE, everything is negative, and if you don't agree with him, you're a WWE shareholder. Better a shareholder than a chronic complainer in my opinion.

 

[BWRBrett]

I don't blame Lawler one bit. The WWE product is horrible right now and you can tell he hates it, everything Lawler says doing commentary these days comes off as phony and forced because he knows the product sucks and he can't pretend it doesn't. The same goes for Michael Cole, who didn't use to suck nearly as bad. It's a reflection of the current product.

 

[wolvdog316]

Maybe Lawler has Alzheimers, and forgets all the smackdown and ecw talent he meets in the backstage areas. Maybe he has dementia, or memory loss due to headbangin puppies all those years. Maybe all the blade jobs has skewed his brain a tiny bit. Maybe he always talks about puppies because it's the only thing he can remember.

The OPs issues with WWE is rather disturbing. Especially when the topics he creates, or comments on is so beyond laughable you just have to feel sorry for him. Like Lawler needs a cheat sheet with a laptop,with dvds and Vince in his ear the whole damn time. Actually in the words of Gregory House, It could be lupus

And I'm still laughing

 

[jazzua]

Well, number one would be to question the report's validity. Internet sites are about as reliable as The Sun sometimes.

However, if it is true, I don't see anything too terribly bad about it. I think it is fairly obvious that Lawler isn't a huge fan of the WWE product these days, or maybe he has just finally had his fill with wrestling for a while. If that's the case I'm sure many would say he should leave. I also then expect that anyone who says that has never stayed at a job they disliked, ever, in there lives to collect the paycheck. Again, to expect more from wrestlers or wrestling personalities simply because we are wrestling fans isn't fair. I think Lawler has just as much right to go to a job he may dislike as the guy at the Taco Bell counter does. It's not up to us to decide if he should be calling matches anymore, it's up to WWE management, which I suppose is Vince.

I don't worry about what is going on in another part of my company unless I have too. If Lawler doesn't watch other shows who cares? He is a Raw commentater, his job is to work Raw. I didn't notice anything wrong with his delivery on Monday. He didn't mess up anyone's names or things of that nature so I suppose it's a job well done, with the cards or not.

 

[Kanye South]

I personally don't see what the big deal is here. I know that I record ECW on a DVR, but I barely have time to actually watch it. Lawler is probably busy with his political career, and might not have the time to watch SmackDown or ECW. As stated above, it was better than if he had messed up on air so we could all bitch about it. The way I see it, the show ran smoothly, and if a "cheat sheet" is needed to do that, then so be it.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I think, because we see wrestling as a 'for fun' hobby or activity, we don't think about the fact that to many who work there, it's just a job. Now, assuming that this report is true (I have my doubts over the reliability), I don't see it as a big deal. Many of you will have your jobs, and I'm sure you know how to do them very well. But you don't know how to do other peoples, and you don't know everyone who works there. It's not Lawler's job to know about anyone other than the wrestlers he needs to know about each week - those on Raw.

At a school, your maths teacher isn't expected to be able to teach a history lesson, or even know all those in the history department. If he was asked to cover a lesson due to short staff, he'd have notes on what he needed. To fans, we seem to expect the WWE to be Lawler's entire life, when in reality, he's being paid to do a job.

 

[gd]

Who really cares? Lawler is shit now, we all know that, but it isn't his fault he doesn't know some of the newer guys. Really, why should he? I doubt he goes home and studys to tapes of SD and ECW while taking notes, there really is no reason. He's been with the WWE for awhile now, there isn't any reason for him to learn up on these guys.

What did it take away from the show? Nothing at all. If this report wouldn't have come out, no one would've noticed and life would've moved on. It's not like he says anything interesting for the guys his does see every week, what's the difference if he doesn't know the SD guys?

As for Ventura not knowing, that seems rather obvious. Who cares whether or not he's been following the WWE?

 

[Dagger Dias]

I'm disappointed with Lawler. For someone who has been with the WWE as long as he has, he should know everybody by now. Even some of the new guys. I'm not saying the announcers need to sit down and have the rosters for all 3 brands memorized.... well, ok, I kind of am. Striker would have known all the Raw guys even though he is on Smackdown, and Saxton probably knows more than Lawler if Lawler needed a "cheat sheet"....

I do agree with General Disarray in that if this would not have been reported then we would all have just moved on without noticing it, but at the same time I'm a little disappointed with this because Raw is the flagship show (or so they claim, anyway.) so therefore they should have the best and most dedicated announcers. Announcers who care enough about the product to know who the superstars are without needing a "cheat sheet". I say move Striker to Raw, he could make fun of Cole's use of "vintage" or "you're watching the longest running episodic television show in history" (I can't keep a straight face at the latter myself lol). That probably won't happen though.

Lawler could at least have known the names of the superstars who were going to be on the show that week. Memorizing the roster may be asking too much, but if a Smackdown or ECW superstar is going to be on Raw, then the announcers should know who he is. That's my two cents.

 

[P. Nut Butters]

You got fans who only watch certain shows. Lawler works on RAW, that's his primary focus. Lawler needs to prove nothing in order to cement himself as an announcer, as a wrestler or as somebody who knows what they're talking about. To come to the conclusion that Lawler should be fired and the straw that broke the camel's back was that he needed a cheat-sheet is utterly laughable. Lawler could very well be put out to pasture and do something other than commentary now, but quite honestly it's not the right time nor moment. I'd believe that J.R and King will retire around about the same time and when you have established guys like that doing commentary, it becomes more of a familiar thing, almost for the novelty of, You know who Jerry Lawler is and you recognize his voice.

WWE's commentating positions are a mess and have been for a while. Wait till J.R comes back and as I said before, maybe those two can have one last run because I think it'd be fitting for them to retire from the booth about the same time. Todd Grisham and Matt Striker are the most enjoyable commentating tandem I have heard since JR/King... Cole has become infamous for his "vintage" unenthusiastic, heavily-criticized announcing, and the one guy In My Opinion who is worse than Cole is Josh Matthews.

Lawler and Ventura can and did sell commentary with Cheat-Sheets better than either Cole or Matthews have in a very long time. If you're gonna bash anyone for commentary skills or lack-thereof, it shouldn't be directed towards those who are unfamiliar with the product, but those who make the viewers change channel in boredom.

On a final note, the one man who has been exciting at the desk since his first night is Saxton. I reckon that chap is the future of WWE commentary! He deserves a promotion down the line.