Jerry Lawler It's Good to be the King Sometimes

Before I begin, my advice for all the graders of this book is that your reviews should be based on the quality of the book and how the story is written rather than your judge of his character... people are interested in the book, not your opinion of Lawler, I think the brass at Amazon.com would agree on that.

"It's Good to Be the King... sometimes" (Pocket Books, 384 pages) is one of the greatest wrestling books regarding pro wrestling that I have ever read, it would certainly rank in my favorite top five of all pro wrestling autobiographies. Unlike Hulk Hogan's book, there was very little censoring, just the story as it should be told. Jerry "the King" Lawler is one of the greatest wrestlers of all times because of his amazing run in the Memphis territory only rivaled in history by Jackie Fargo, his historic run as a booker with Jerry Jarrett, and the infamous feud with Andy Kaufman in the 80s. The thing that's different about Lawler than any other legend is that he is still prominent in the business; he is still on national TV every week.

The book pulls no punches either, when it comes to his personal life, which is a story all in it's own. Lawler recounts his personal experiences with three wives, several lawsuits, and battles with himself... outside of the ring. This book will also not disappoint the old school fans, as Lawler spends a great deal of time discussing the old days, prior to his peak, during his peak, and after his peak through such feuds as Terry Funk, Andy Kaufman, a great deal about Tojo Yamamoto and Jackie Fargo, most recently Bret Hart, and his announce position nowadays.

Lawler's stories about being a wrestler, being a child, and being a veteran of the business are well-told and do not attempt to alter history or bloat figures for self-gain and Lawler remembered things surprisingly well. The last several chapters of the book are far from anti-climatic but are very sad in retrospect. Lawler's addiction with young women and the pathetic nature of these latter years of his life are recounted in personal ways with few details hidden. All done without Lawler attempting to paint himself as a character worthy of pity or begging to be allowed time to wallow in his own self-pity yet not lazy enough to seem apathetic, simply telling it like it is really... any reader can appreciate his style.

Regarding pictures and illustrations, this book is way ahead of the game, page after page will include many old pictures with people from Lawler's life and infamous wrestlers. A special bonus comes at the beginning of every chapter with Lawler's own exhibition of his greatest wrestling-related illustrations. The middle of the book, as is customary with WWE books, contains several pages of color photos.

This book does what it is supposed to do and does it in a style that Lawler is to be admired for. If you do not want to take a trip down memory lane for quite a while, however, this is not the book for you, but after all, this is a book about all of Lawler's career, not just as an announcer.