It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes

It's good to be king sometimes is so far the best wrestling autobiography out there. Jerry Lawler is truly The King, and with this book he takes you all the way through from when he was a struggling DJ to his first stay with the WWE to his nasty divorce from wife Stacy "KAT" Carter, to his long awaited return to the announce booth beside Good Ol' JR. In this book you will certainly laugh, with and at the King, as well as cry with the King. This book truly takes you through the ups and downs of the biggest kid in wrestling life. I recommend it and stand by my 5 star rating of this incredibly awesome book.

I have held up Mick Foley?s book ?Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood, Guts, and Sweatsocks? as the pinnacle of wrestling autobiography. Since I have read that book, nothing has come close to being nearly as good or as honest. I was skeptical about reading Jerry Lawler?s autobiography because all I knew of him was the joke he has become as a WWF/E announcer. I was aware that he was a legend in Memphis wrestling and that he had the famous angle with Andy Kaufman (I learned about this from the film ?Man on the Moon?). That was all I knew of Jerry Lawler. I decided to read the book anyway and I?m glad that I did. While Mick Foley is a more sympathetic person and it is easier to care for Foley, Jerry Lawler has written (with a co-writer) one of the best wrestling biographies on the market. Even though the narrative jumps around a little bit, this is a straightforward and mostly chronological account of Jerry ?The King? Lawler?s life and career in professional wrestling. We are introduced to a young Jerry Lawler going to local wrestling events with his father, but having no interest in being a wrestler himself. It was only through his art (he originally wanted to be an artist) that he even had any contact with the world of professional wrestling and the men outside the ring. It was only later, as a radio DJ that Lawler ended up with the exposure and interest to try to be a professional wrestler. Since then, Lawler has led a charmed career in the ring. We learn about the scope of his career in Memphis and finally his entry into the WWF (later WWE). If Lawler?s professional life has been charmed, his personal life has not been. While Jerry Lawler reveals that he has never drank alcohol or done any drugs, he does admit that his one vice has always been women and sex. Lawler freely admits that he has been a horrible husband and father and that he has not been able to stay faithful to his wives. The pattern has been that near the end of a marriage, Lawler meets a very young woman (early 20?s) and ends up leaving his wife for the other woman. The only exception to this is his last wife, Stacy Carter. Stacy (former WWF Diva, the Kat) married Lawler when she was 19 and she ended up leaving him. Lawler has continued his interest in young women. Lawler makes no excuses for his lifestyle and he does not attempt to wallow in pity (nor does he try to incite others to pity him). This is a very honest book and revealing of many aspects of the culture of professional wrestling. Jerry Lawler does throw in a bit too many jokes and references that one would expect from Jerry Lawler the announcer, but as a whole, this is one of the best wrestling biographies that I have read. In terms of quality, I would place this one second behind Foley?s first autobiography.

This was a great book, perhaps one of the better wrestling books that have come out lately. Jerry Lawler goes into his personal life with great detail as well his great career. This is a book that will have you laughing and shaking your head at some of the stories. Learn about all the ribs (pranks) that he played on people and even the ribs played on him. He goes into great detail about why he left the WWF when his wife Stacy Carter AKA The Kat was released for no reason. He talks about his painful ongoing divorce.This was a great read and I would highly recomend it.

I am a big fan of the WWE and of The King. I've been following him since he was in Memphis, though only through magazines since I grew up in California. I thought this book was going to be a fun read, which it was. But I didn't know how out there The King was going to put himself emotionally. Bad father. Bad Husband. BAD divorces. I couldn't put this book down, it was a great read. This isn't some ghost written, egotistical book about some wrestler. This is a real inside look at wrestling and at the life of a really interesting performer. Wrestling may be phony, but The King is REAL.

I want to completely disagree with the Publishers Weekly review of this book by wrestling legend Jerry "The King" Lawler. In my opinion, this is the most well-written book of all the WWE biographies.Lawler is amusing with his stories and gives us great insight on how wrestling territories used to be ran. Lawler is a legend and this book is a good education for anyone that doesn't realize what an impatc he has made on wrestling.My only beef is with some of his sexual exploits. He admittedly lusted after other women when he was married and basically cheated on his first two wives. When the roles got reveresed with the Kat, I can't help but feel he got what he deserved in some regards.However, this book is a great read and I highly recommend it to everyone.