Wrestlemania 27 - Jerry Lawler vs Michael Cole w/Jack Swagger (Austin special ref)

[D-Man]

Another challenge was laid out last night on Raw between Jerry "The King" Lawler and Michael Cole. For the time being, it seems as if Cole is dodging the acceptance of the match. But I believe that in due time, he'll accept it... possibly with stipulations attached.

This match has been months and months in the making, ever since Cole robbed Lawler of the WWE title in a TLC match with The Miz on Raw some weeks ago. Ever since, there has been major tension between these two and it was only a matter of time before they collided. What better place to do this than the "Grandest Stage of Them All"??

Let's keep the discussion of this match in here. (The thread will be *Stickied* once it has been officially announced.)

 

[Kaneanite]

Kind of extremely early for this but I'll play along... I actually thought that since recently the GM has been favoring heels he might make it something like Riley vs Lawler with special guest referee Cole or something like that. I just can't picture Michael Cole being in a match at ALL even if it's a squash match. Even still, I expect King to reign supreme over whomever he faces (Riley or Cole) and it'll be a feel good moment of the night. I do think however that we'll see two major heels win, Del Rio and Punk, but that's something else entirely.

 

[TheKev]

I can see a good build up over the next few weeks for these two. I personally like the fact that they are allowing Lawler to wrestle at Mania. Im thinking that a handicap match would be the better option with whoever Cole partners doing the majority of the work til King is ready to be pinned and Cole will tag in. The smart thing to do would be to have Cole and Partner win and verbaly humiliate Lawer over the next couple of weeks and then have a rematch at Backlash with the loser leaving the announce table for good. Cole can leave, hopefully JR will return (personally I would like to see Styles back announcing but its not happening is it). Cole can then reveal himself as the Raw GM and torture King, Cena all the other Faces till VKM decides to do something else with the position. (They will never be able to top Foley as the commissioner though)

 

[Arkham Noir]

I'm certain that these two will have some sort of match against each other, that much is pretty much obvious. Cole has built up so much heat in the past months that it needs to have a pay off of some sort. Not only that, but with the promo they had this past week on RAW, something has to give. Are we just supposed to think that Lawler really cares enough about his job that he is going to let Cole get away with his remarks just so he doesn't get fired?

As for the match itself, I really hope it isn't literally Cole vs Lawler. The king is great, but I don't see him being capable of carrying Micheal Cole to a decent match. The Miz would have made the most sense as an opponent for Lawler with Cole in his corner, but obviously that isn't going to happen. I think Alex Riley would probably be the best choice at this point. Sure, he is basically a nobody, but with Cole/Lawler being the focus of attention than Riley just needs to put on a solid performance to hold up.

As for the stipulation of the match, I like the idea that has been thrown around about Lawler getting five mintues in the ring with Cole if he wins. Makes sense and would get people really behind Lawler (not like they aren't already). The only thing about that is I can't think of a reason why Cole would agree to that type of situation. Unless his representative was somebody like the Big Show.

Who knows, maybe the GM will force him into it.

 

[Kofi/ZigglerClassic]

I can you imagine Cole trying to do a SCF on Lawler? I personally can't wait for this match. It's kind of sad that this has a better story and build than the WWE Title match.

 

[JGlass]

I'm much more excited for this match than I was for McMahon-Hart last year. Even though McMahon-Hart had been brewing for over a decade it still felt forced, it was more like, "Hey, watch Wrestlemania because Bret Hart is gonna wrestle!"

But this Cole-Lawler feud has a realistic feel to it. Perhaps it's because Cole has been annoying us for months and Lawler has been fighting the good fight all the while. The tension between them is fantastic; it's probably the hottest feud in the WWE right now and I think you can attribute that to the fact that none of that heat has been released through violence.

I think we can all agree that nothing would be better than Lawler beating down Cole at Wrestlemania. I don't even want to see a real competitive match, I just want to see Lawler kick the living shit out of Cole. I don't know if the WWE will indulge that fantasy, but in the end I think Lawler manages to hit the diving fist drop on Cole and get the pin, humiliating Cole once and for all.

 

[AK2V8]

Cole vs Lawler does not sound like Wrestlemania. It would be WORSE than Eric Bishcoff vs Teddy Long at Survivor Series 2005, WORSE than Steve Austin vs Eric Bishcoff at No Way Out 2003, and WORSE than Hornswaggle vs "Swagger Soaring Eagle". YES this match has had BU but I would rather have the squash match on Raw, not where I have to PAY for it. Why the fuck would I pay to see a fucking 60-year-old vs a fucking commentator who has NO wrestling or fighting experience except for annoucing. YES I am marking out but that is how bad this match would be if the creative team decides to put this on the card. Seriously. FUCK!

I woudnt mind it finally ending in a in-ring segment fight similar to Micky Rourke and Jericho at WM25, but have it last longer and have Jerry beat the FUCKING SHIT out of Cole and it last about 3 minutes. But dont make it a MATCH.

 

[RKOrob]

I'm gonna go with a handicap match - Lawler vs Cole and Alex Riley

Would be a quick 3 minute match with Lawler winning. Riley hits his finisher on Lawler, then Cole tags himself in for the pin, but Lawler kicks out, then takes Cole down, hits him with the top rope fist drop for the pin. Cole misses the next match, getting "treatment", then comes back to the commentary table and sells his injury for the rest of the night whilst commentating

 

[Ferbian]

Even though it's an odd combination of an old wrestler mixed with a commentator who never wrestled at all, this has the potential to be rather intriguing, or absolutely hilarious in one way or another.

Like JGlass pointed out, there's a sort of Vince McMahon vs Bret Hart sort of feeling over it, two people that shouldn't really be in the ring wrestling, actually doing it anyway. The importance of the match, and significance of it from a storyline perspective is gonna be great. Especially considering the heat that Michael Cole gathers, and watching him getting his ass kicked will definitely be something the crowd wants to see.

I'm counting on Jerry Lawler just getting to beat the ever living crap out of Michael Cole for a little while, and then getting the victory after much effort. I don't think they'll push it for the same amount of time as Bret Hart and Vince McMahon, perhaps a 3-4 minute match though.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I usually do not care for these matches much. Someone outside of wrestling, stepping into the ring to face a wrestler, especially a Legend such as Lawler.

But, this has been building for a while and I am anxious to see Michael Cole get what is coming to him. Though I would rather have seen Lawler get his first and ONLY Mania win against another pretty big name in the business, this match works for me.

Lawler for the win...

I have a feeling, though, that Cole might possibly drag someone else into this to actually do the wrestling for him against Jerry. Alex Riley seems like the most obvious name here.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

It's quite rare for me to legitimately despise a heel. It rarely happens, but I hate Michael Cole. The WWE and Cole have done a fantastic job turning him from a disliked babyface play-by-play guy into a hated douchebag. Cole has become the best heat on RAW, arguably the best heat in the WWE and I think it's very fitting to see this feud come to its end at WrestleMania. There will no doubt be added stipulations for the match, even a possible retirement angle for the King. At WrestleMania, I'll be rubbing my hands together, begging for Jerry Lawler to kick Michael Cole's backside all over the Georgia Dome.

 

[Th3Vip3rRK0]

there is no way its gonna be Cole vs Lawler.

It's going to be a Tag Team Match or it could be like the Battle of the Billionaires and have Cole pick someone to represent him and The King picks someone to represent him and they face off at WrestleMania, and if The King's guy wins, he gets 5 minutes alone with Michael Cole and beats the crap out of him.

there is a rumor about a Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus U.S. Title Match at WrestleMania, so why not have Cole pick Sheamus and King pick Bryan and it would be an interesting match.q

 

[JGlass]

there is no way its gonna be Cole vs Lawler.

Why can't it be Cole vs. Lawler? Lawler has been wrestling for months now and Cole has been training to take bumps. All the signs point at this being a one on one match at Wrestlemania. A team Lawler vs. team Cole would not have the payoff that Lawler vs. Cole would. The fans (myself included) want to see Jerry stuff his fist down Cole's throat, we don't want to see team Jerry beat team Cole without seeing Cole get physically harmed.

 

[Richard]

It has to be Jerry Lawler vs Michael Cole, none of this Jerry Lawler vs Alex Riley nonsense.

The WWE has spent time building up Michael Cole's heat and heel persona and they've developed this tension with Lawler that absolutely has to have a pay off. We don't want to see Lawler give Riley the piledriver, we want to see Lawler give Cole the piledriver.

It's not going to be a technical match and it will be over in 10 or so minutes, maybe even less, it's going to be this WrestleMania's Hart vs McMahon. We'll see Michael Cole use heaps of dirty tricks, Lawler will come back, push Cole into Riley or something and then hit the piledriver and pin Cole and it will be over.

For what it's worth, it will be great to see Lawler exact his revenge.

 

[MoizH28]

A Ry just lost to Cena and they announced him fired. I thought he was gonna end up being the referee for Cole vs King. So my question whose gonna be the ref now?

In my opinion it would be a good way to bring Vicki Guerrero back garner some heel heat and with the draft usually after WM, Dolph can come to Raw while another heel or two from Raw go to Smackdown.

Thoughts and Comments?

 

[SirSqueak]

I know no one wants to pay for this match, but i love it this feud is carrying raw right now. I mean the main event at wrestlemania isnt even building up. Cena and The Dwayne i mean The Johnson, i mean Dwayne Rock, i mean Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are feuding more than Cena and The Miz are. I think Vince is afraid that Wrestlemania isn't going to sell and he's using The Rock like a 10 dollar hoooker

 

[ITALIAN NYC]

Only match on the card that makes me say oo that will be entertaining. Cole plays the role well and i cant wait to see him get smacked around.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Personally, I suspect that the Mystery GM's going to be revealed at Mania, with him being the guest ref. As to who the GM is, I hope it's not Vine, because it really wouldn't work or help anyone out. I'd hope for someone who we haven't seen in a good while making a guest appearance at Mania. With the tweener nature of the character, I could see it being someone like Stephanie McMahon or even Shane, but I'm hoping it'll be (and I know it's an incredibly long-shot) JBL. He has the money, the power and the influence to get into that position and he's someone that Vince could respect and hire. Of course this is merely some slight speculation on my part and wishful thinking.

 

[The Glamazon]

In my opinion it would be a good way to bring Vicki Guerrero back garner some heel heat and with the draft usually after WM, Dolph can come to Raw while another heel or two from Raw go to Smackdown.

Thoughts and Comments?

I think Vicki is a great idea as the special ref. Cole did say he would do what he could for her and she would draw tremendous heat.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

As it relates to the IWC, I can already see how this one is going to unfold. Most people have found the Cole/Lawler feud interesting, and have basically been begging for this match. However, when the match is said and done, most will piss and moan. Look at Hart/McMahon last year. In terms of match quality, this won't be much better, and every idiot smark on the planet will cry about how much time it took up. I can see it now.

So take note, smarks; this will NOT be a good match.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to seeing Michael Cole receive the beating of his worthless life, just like I was with Vince last year. Cole has been pushing Jerry's buttons for months, and it's time for Lawler to stick his boot straight up Cole's ass.

Special ref? I can see it being Riley. Just because he isn't currently working for Miz doesn't mean he and Cole are no longer buddies. Vickie is a solid option as well.

It's going to be a sideshow, and I'm cool with that. Watching Cole suffer will bring me joy.

 

[Dave]

I get why this match was made but I question what we will all get out of it. Will we get to see Michael Cole getting his ass whooped? Probably. But this match definitely has the makings another Bret Hart/Vince McMahon match written all over it and I, for one, am not digging that vibe.

The problem with this match is that Michael Cole is not a wrestler and you can bet your ass that most of the match will see Jerry Lawler going up against Jack Swagger. To me, that is not a good enough pay-off for something that the WWE have been cooking up for the better part of a year. Now, I could be wrong in assuming that Jack Swagger will be the one doing all of the heavy lifting in the match instead of Cole but who here would say that this assumption is too wide of the mark? Let's face it, if Jack Swagger is not doing it, it comes down to Michael Cole to perform and if his performance on the commentary desk is anything to go by, we shouldn't expect much.

I really like that they have given Jerry Lawler his moment at WrestleMania but surely there must have been something better out there for him? Perhaps a match with Alex Riley in the corner of Michael Cole would have made much more sense but I am not writing Riley off as the special guest referee for the match.

That being said, I am going to stay positive about the match and remain hopeful that the sentimental value of this match is enough to carry it through to a finish without being absolutely terrible.

We'll see.

 

[JGlass]

I don't see the point of making this match if it doesn't somehow involve Cole getting his ass kicked. Even if Cole wins as a result of cheating, screwjob, DQ or count-out, Cole still has to get hurt somehow. He has to. Putting Cole over in this match will do nothing for anyone, it will just give Cole something to be extra annoying about, and we all know Cole doesn't need any more material to be annoying with.

Seeing Cole get what he deserves will be a feel good Wrestlemania moment, and that's what these matches are supposed to be, feel good moments. It was good to see McMahon get his head shaved at 23, it was good to see Jericho get his lights punched out by Mickey Rourke, it was good to see McMahon get his ass handed to him by all the Harts, and it will be good to see Cole get his face pounded in by Lawler.

So like I said, Lawler doesn't have to "win" this match. In fact, I almost expect him not to win, the odds are stacked way against him. That said, after Cole achieves victory, I suspect Lawler is visited by some old wrestling buddies that will help overwhelm Cole and friends, and after a few minutes of a getting beaten by the older generation, we'll see Lawler drop a fist on Cole's ugly mug. Cole gets the win, but Lawler gets the last laugh. Beautiful.

 

[givemetoro]

So on Smackdown tonight Michael Cole announced that he will reveal his pick for special guest referee for his match at WrestleMania against Jerry Lawler on Raw this Monday.

He said that (And I quote) "The man who is going to be my referee is simply... awesome. Ladies, and Gentlemen, this man is one of the all time greats in WWE. And, the one thing that this man, that Mr. Swagger, that myself, and Lebron James have in common is that the four of us, we think Cleveland stinks!"

So who do you think will be announced as the guest referee?

Maybe Miz, maybe Alex Riley?

I don't think it will be either of them... it seems to obvious, thoughts?

 

[wwe australia]

Jimmy Heart, heard he was coming back,the awesome may have been used to trick people as they have done lately , i mean cmon alex riley? the match looks bad so far , riley would make it even worse and i like alex riley as a wrestler

 

[Vagrant247]

I don't see them double booking Miz at WM. They have too much talent to let one man hog so much time, especially at WM. I'd love to see a curve ball here, bring in an outside celebrity or a wrestler that's been gone a while. Unfortunately, I see the spot going to Riley. I don't think he has earned even a guest ref spot on the grandest stage, but he does seem to be the obvious choice.