JERRY LAWLER VS. JAKE ROBERTS

   We get a recap of the issues between Jerry Lawler and Jake Roberts. Jake Roberts has alcohol problems and Jerry Lawler finds a joke he likes and latches on to it. Mark Henry makes his way out and he’s going to join commentary for this match. Jerry Lawler makes his way out first, carrying a bag similar to what Jake carries Damien in. Jerry Lawler has 2 bottles of whiskey, but I think he is supposed to have Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. Other whiskeys are available because no one’s paying me here. 

 Jerry Lawler removes his jacket and he has a Baltimore Ravens jersey on for the cheap heat. (for UK fans, American football teams move “home cities” and the cities they move from get really pissed off that they’re missing out on sweet NFL Dollars). Lawler moves on to baseball reference because he threw the first pitch for Cleveland’s Baseball team. Again, UK fans imagine Ed Sheeran kicking off the FA Cup Final before running to safety off the pitch. Lawler tells McMahon not to drink the whiskey as if he’s Gordon Solie and Jake Roberts finally puts a pause to Lawler’s shenanigans, making his entrance. 

 Harvey Wippleman struggles to hold Roberts back and Lawler tries to give Jake a peace offering of a comically large bottle of alcohol. My parents used to keep their change in a bottle like that when I was growing up. Jake wraps his snake, Revelations, around Jerry Lawler’s neck. Lawler scrambles out of the ring and halfway back to Memphis until Jake Roberts puts Revelations back in the bag and ties it up. 

Oh, some added information for the feud; Jerry Lawler is spontaneously scared of snakes and Jake Roberts is a recovering alcoholic before there was no such thing. 

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect & Jim Ross are on commentary for this match, Howard Finkel is our ring announcer. 

JERRY LAWLER VS. JAKE ROBERTS 

WWF SummerSlam 1996 (August 1996) 

  

 The bell rings and the fans chant “Burger King” at Jerry Lawler, who grabs the microphone again. He offers Jake the whiskey, and Jake Roberts follows King out to the floor, connecting with right hands and sending him into the ring steps before bringing the match into the ring.

Jake Roberts connects with more right hands in the corner and snapmares Lawler down, Jake Roberts stomps Lawler and Perfect tells the referee to disqualify him. Wippleman was right there, he would have seen if it was a blatant low blow. Jerry Lawler get slammed on the mat outside and sent into the ring post. Roberts takes Lawler over to the alcohol before posting him again. Jake Roberts gets back in the ring but Jerry Lawler grabs a soft drink from a fan at ringside and throws it in Jake’s face. You just know it would have been a beer if he could. Lawler ties Roberts up in the ropes and grabs one of the whiskey bottles. By the time King makes it back, Jake Roberts has himself out of the ropes and he sets Lawler up for a DDT. Lawler backdrops out of it and I don’t think he hit the fist drop, as Roberts gets to his feet. Jake Roberts connects with jabs and a short-arm clothesline to Lawler. Jake Roberts has Lawler in another front facelock but Lawler grabs Wippleman to block the DDT again.

Jake Roberts asks Wippleman if this is suddenly a handicap match as Jerry Lawler crawls over to the whiskey bottle. Lawler jabs Jake in the throat with the whiskey bottle and covers, pulling on Jake Roberts’ tights in the cover for the win. 

WINNER: JERRY LAWLER 

This was an uncomfortable match to watch in 2024, but the Heat Seeking and Memphis Shenanigans took longer than the match, but luckily Roberts and Lawler can get the most out of nothing, which is the grand sum of this match. The crowd of the time was into it but I think it was a waste of PPV time, especially for a Big 5 Pay Per View. At least both guys got a pay day for the night, though. [*] 1.5/10 

Jerry Lawler goes back to the microphone and says Jake Roberts needs a drink because his throat’s dry. Jerry Lawler pours alcohol onto Jake Roberts’ face and makes another joke on the microphone. Mark Henry leaves the announce table and takes the whiskey bottle from Jerry Lawler, who decides to head for the back. This would lead to their match the next month (Here). Mark Henry helps Jake Roberts to the back and we cut to Bob Backlund campaigning in the crowd for his Presidential Run. 

STEVE AUSTIN VS. BOB HOLLY

 Steve Austin has just lost his manager, Ted DiBiase Sr. At WWF In Your House: Beware of the Dog 2 the previous Tuesday. Vince McMahon welcomes us to the show and hypes up Ahmed Johnson vs. Goldust for the King of the Ring Pay-Per-View during the entrances. 

Jerry “The King” Lawler and Vince McMahon are on commentary for this match. Howard Finkel is our ring announcer. 

STEVE AUSTIN VS. SPARK PLUGG (King of the Ring 1996 round 1) 

WWF Monday Night Raw (3rd June 1996) 

 Steve Austin grabs a headlock, Holly tries to get out with right hands, but Austin turns it into a hammerlock, Bob Holly counters into one of his own. Vince McMahon hypes another King of the Ring first round match between Jake Roberts and Hunter Hearst-Helmsley on this show as Bob Holly takes Austin down in a top wristlock. 

  Steve Austin backs Holly against the ropes to force the clean break. Austin shoots for Spark Plugg’s leg and takes him down before dropping his elbow into Holly’s thigh. Austin traps Holly’s ankle until Bob Holly kicks at Austin with his calf. Steve Austin wants a test of strength as they get back to their feet, Austin kicks Bob Holly in the midsection, but Holly blocks his own path into the top turnbuckle and sends Austin’s head into it instead. Steve Austin grabs a front facelock in the ropes, then chops Bob Holly, who responds with overhand chops in the corner and a hip toss across the ring. Bob Holly works a chinlock until he is thrown over Austin’s shoulder. Austin connects with elbow drops and a rib breaker. Austin smiles before hitting a knee drop, then he goes to the middle rope for an elbow drop, and covers Holly for 2. 

 Bob Holly fights back from his knees but gets sent through the ropes, Steve Austin hits an ax handle from the apron as McMahon hypes the tournament. Austin snaps Holly’s neck off the top rope and brings him back in the ring. Steve Austin snapmares Holly into a chinlock and Lawler makes a joke about the O-Zone layer so you know it’s the 1990’s. Bob Holly is able to fight to his feet, connecting with wild punches on Austin. Bob Holly sends Austin off the ropes but he ducks too early. Austin kicks Bob Holly, and connects with another elbow drop. Steve Austin uses the bottom rope to get some more height on the knee drop, covering for 2 as we go to a commercial break. 

 When we return, Steve Austin has Bob Holly in a chinlock, but Holly fights back to his feet. Austin cuts him off and goes to the apron, but Bob Holly sends him into the turnbuckles either side of the apron. Austin gets a breather with a thumb to Holly’s eye but gets tripped as he tries to climb to the top rope. Bob Holly sends Steve Austin off the ropes into a back body drop, then again into a back elbow for a nearfall. Steve Austin goes to the corner for a breather, but Holly catches him and starts the 10-punches in the corner. Steve Austin shoves Holly to the mat at 6, then stalks him, ready to put in the Million Dollar Dream! Bob Holly starts to fade to the sleeper hold, and the referee calls the match. 

  This match got more time than I was expecting it to, but they didn’t seem to do much with it. Steve Austin still needed DiBiase’s move to win the match, so that’s something to keep note of in the coming weeks. [**] 3/10 

  After the match we are shown the tournament brackets so far. Steve Austin will face either Savio Vega or Marty Jannetty in the next round.