What's the story?
Jerry "The King" Lawler has spoken out regarding the controversy surrounding fellow commentator JBL. Lawler spoke out about the claims on the fifth episode of his new podcast Dinner With The King, alongside Glenn Moore.
In case you didn't know...
Over the last few weeks, the world of professional wrestling has been rocked by the news that Mauro Ranallo seems to be on his way out of World Wrestling Entertainment, with rumours suggesting that it's due to bullying suffered at the hands of JBL.
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These claims have yet to be confirmed or denied by WWE, however, quite a few former superstars have stepped forward to comment on the issue one way or another.
The Heart of the matter
On the aforementioned podcast, King said that he was a fan of JBL and that he was the same person in catering that he was on commentary. He said:
“I’m a JBL fan. Here’s the thing about JBL; you have to know the guy. And if you don’t get an opportunity to really know JBL, you can be offended. JBL is a funny guy. He’s a big guy. He’s boisterous. He comes across as, sometimes, crude and loud. But you gotta know him. That’s just JBL. He’s the same guy on commentary as he is in catering.”
With regards to JBL losing his job, Lawler added:
“I don’t [think so], but hey, that’s my opinion. I don’t think he will, not over something like this.”
What's next?
It seems as if this story will continue to unravel over the coming months, as WWE turning a blind eye and waiting for Ranallo's contract expire would only serve to increase the pressure on the company. If they do indeed choose to sweep this under the rug then it seems as if JBL would've gotten off quite easily, especially considering how many people are speaking out about it.
Author's take
Jerry Lawler is someone who doesn't really need to tow the company line at this stage of his life or career, as he's pretty much achieved everything he can as a commentator. He's obviously been JBL's friend for a long time, but there are way too many stories coming out to believe that this is all just laddish banter. There's messing around and there's taking it too far, and it seems as if Layfield may have fallen into the latter category.
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