1993 WWF Surprises: Jerry Lawler vs. Jim Powers

Jerry Lawler vs. Jim Powers WWF Raw 4/5/93 

ER: How great is it that WWF allowed a segment like this to happen for Lawler's WWF TV wrestling debut, a wrestling build that played out like a Mr. Show sketch. Three different times throughout the episode we got a "Jerry The King Lawler In Action Next" graphic, and the first two times Lawler came out he just berated the Manhattan Center fans, acted disgusted by them, and baited them into chanting Burger King (an adorable-in-retrospect taunt) so many times. So early in the episode we get the onscreen graphic that Lawler's match is coming up next, and Lawler comes out, decides he doesn't want to wrestle for these fiends, and heads to the back. Middle of the show, same exact thing. By the time the same In Action Next graphic came up a third time, I was dying. And all of that just to build to a match with freaking Jim Powers!! I love it. 

And eventually, Lawler goes out and gives Powers more of a match than Powers had in at least two years, and what has to be the best singles match of Powers' career. Powers jumps Lawler at ringside before Lawler can go to the back a third time, which is a nice excuse for Lawler to take a bump into the ringpost. He gives Powers a ton of this match, bumping around for armdrags and dropkicks and two big backdrops. He whiffs on punches, really gives Powers every chance to shine that he hadn't had in ages. Lawler transitions to offense by holding the ropes to avoid a Powers dropkick, and I love how he gives Powers that extra rub, not even coming back by strikes but by narrowly dodging an attack. Lawler bumps all around for Powers' offense, but Powers doesn't do him as many favors, somehow botching Lawler throwing him into the turnbuckle. Powers thinks he was supposed to be choked on the top rope, and actually fights Lawler's movement, like he knew better! Lawler actually gives him a comeback, which was an unexpected twist. I assumed once Lawler took over he would take over for good, but this guy lets Powers have one last flurry and then catches him with a quick piledriver. To add icing, he held the front of Powers trunks as he pinned him, giving Powers a front wedgie and showing that he was still cheating just to beat Jim Powers. So good. Only Lawler can, in his WWF singles match debut (he was in the Royal Rumble a few months prior), make the choice to get *at most* 20% of the offense against a man who hadn't had a TV win in 3 years, and then cheat to win just in case. What absolute King sized confidence.

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE JERRY LAWLER