Dinner With the King Recap – Starrcast Experience, Hatred of State Athletic Commissions, Roasting Bruce Prichard, More!

Lawler is joined on today’s show by his co-host Glenn Moore.
Lawler informs that he had a tremendous time at Starrcast a couple of weeks ago. He thought the event totally exceeded expectations and he tips his cap to everyone involved. In his opinion, the event rivaled WrestleMania Axxess. He points out that he was initially supposed to do a panel with Terry Funk but Funk had to have surgery and couldn’t make it to the event.

Although his panel with Terry Funk didn’t take place, Lawler still did an autograph signing and took photos with some fans. He also was asked to be a part of the roast of Bruce Prichard along with several other wrestling veterans like Jeff Jarrett, Madusa, Eric Bischoff and more. He informs that this was a really fun event and he was happy to be a part of it.
Lawler flew home from Starrcast and immediately hit the road for indie show bookings. Lawler informs that he was supposed to wrestle last night at an event featuring Buff Bagwell, Ken Shamrock and more. Unfortunately, the Kentucky Athletic commission wouldn’t let him wrestle because he didn’t go through the trouble of getting a specific physical as well as a $100 wrestling license. He was able to be a part of a promo segment, but he couldn’t be touched in the ring which he thought was very stupid.

Lawler informs that he hates everyone associated with athletic commissions across the country, but he’s particularly critical of the athletic commission in Kentucky who’ve given him trouble for years. He points out that the commission had representatives present at every one of his Memphis shows from 1977-1997 and they’d take 5% of his ticket sales. They would also make all the wrestlers buy a “wrestling license”.
Lawler would often ask them why baseball or other sports didn’t fall under the athletic commission’s watchful eye. They’d say, “No, we just regulate wrestling”. Lawler met the athletic commissioner at the event this past week and publicly called him out for the way they rob money from the wrestlers and the promoters of these indie shows. He said he has no respect for anyone in the Kentucky Athletic Commission, and sent the commissioner on his way.

Lawler points out that he’s been challenging these State Commissions for years. Many states no longer have commissions because promoters from various promotions over the years have publicly challenged the commissions’ purpose and goal. Vince McMahon famously announced the scripted nature of professional wrestling in the 1990s in an attempt to protest the athletic commissions’ ability to tax his events.
Lawler notes that these state commissions would definitely play a factor in Vince McMahon’s decision making in terms of where he’d run WWE PPVs. He would be taxed 5% of his ticket sales if he ran a show in a state with an athletic commission, so it was always in his best interest to run his shows in a state where there was no commission.

He points out that these commissioners are often people who’ve been promoted to these positions by their friends and they have no idea what they’re dealing with. He notes that they probably pocket all the money they take from these wrestling shows. He’s really shocked that somebody hasn’t take this to court and had it completely banned.
Lawler informs that he’ll be wrestling James Ellsworth again at an upcoming indie show. He jokes that Ellsworth just won’t go away, adding that Ellsworth’s face would give Freddy Krueger nightmares.

Lawler mentions that it was very tough for him to watch the Cleveland Browns game this past Sunday. Lawler’s Browns played the Pittsburgh Steerlers, who his late son, Brian adored. He informs that they would often watch these games together or they’d be on the phone together during the games, and that made it particularly tough for him to watch the game alone this past Sunday.
That sums up today’s episode of Dinner With the King. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya next week for another recap.