WWE News: Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler Suspended After Arrest
The news that WWE Hall of Fame superstar and Smackdown commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler was arrested for domestic violence was met with a swift reaction by the WWE. The company website, WWE.com, reported on Friday morning that Lawler has been suspended from the WWE following his arrest. Jerry and his girlfriend, Lauryn McBride, were both arrested on the charge of domestic assault-bodily harm, a misdemeanor.
The WWE released a statement on their official website.
“The WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Jerry Lawler has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest.
According to USA Today, Lawler and his girlfriend were arrested after an incident in Jerry’s Memphis home. McBride said that Lawler held her against the counter, hit her in the head, and shoved her into the stove. She also said that Lawler brought in an unloaded gun and told her to kill herself.
Lawler said that they argued about her allegedly lying about where she had been. He said that she was drunk, the argument turned violent when she scratched his face, threw a candle at him, and kicked him in the groin. Jerry then said that McBride brought the gun into the situation.
Wrestler Jerry Lawler, girlfriend arrested in Memphis https://t.co/mNH4veXi2r pic.twitter.com/3cNIhK3YdX
— Boston Herald (@bostonherald) June 17, 2016
This arrest and suspension came just a short time after former NXT star and WWE talent Adam Rose was arrested for domestic violence in a case with his wife. In that situation, Rose was already suspended for a drug violation, one in which he struck back publicly to make sure that people understood that he was not suspended for illegal drugs. He then was arrested for the domestic violence, and the suspension became indefinite, the same as Lawler’s, and he was later released from his WWE contract.
TMZ reported this week that Adam Rose was let off of all charges against him after the WWE released him. According to the site, the charges were dropped because both Rose and his wife argued that the charges were inaccurate, and Rose was innocent of any violent acts. Both claimed that Rose cupped her face to talk to her and never once tried to hurt her.
Wrestler Jerry Lawler and his fiancee were arrested on domestic assault charges: https://t.co/FHuaRhXWgV pic.twitter.com/yPTSZTrNms
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 17, 2016
The WWE has long held a hard-line when it comes to domestic violence. The Jerry Lawler suspension is in keeping with every other case of domestic violence the WWE has encountered in recent years. This is a nice change of pace as they often turned a blind eye in the past to these issues. With Jerry Lawler, the case seems much more dangerous than the Adam Rose case as both parties claimed the other person physically tried to cause them harm.
There have been other cases of domestic violence involving WWE superstars over the years. Former WWE champion Stone Cold Steve Austin had long been suspected of abusing his wife while he was wrestling in the WWE. An even more damaging incident occurred in the 1980s when Superfly Jimmy Snuka was alleged to have killed his mistress while on the road with the WWE. The case never went to court at the time, and Snuka continued to wrestle for the WWE, becoming one of their most popular stars at the time.
Jimmy Snuka’s case went back to court this year, but the Inquisitr previously reported that the WWE Hall of Fame star was found incompetent to stand trial for the murder because of dementia. The judge in that particular case said that this is what happens when justice is postponed for so long.
As for Jerry “The King” Lawler, the WWE will likely keep him suspended until this case runs its course. This is a tough deal for Lawler because the WWE will need all hands on deck when the brand split happens in July. However, when it comes to domestic violence accusations, not even a WWE Hall of Fame star like Jerry Lawler is above reproach.
[Photo by Jonathan Bachman/AP Images for WWE]
