YouTube Finds: “Too Sexy” Brian Christopher Lawler hates everything about you-and poetry
Odd Couple: "Simply Irresistible" and "Too Sexy" briefly set aside their differences as USWA tag champions
In 1992, Brian Christopher Lawler started receiving his first big push as a singles star, with promoter Jerry Jarrett pushing the heir apparent to the Memphis rasslin’ throne much like he did a young King back in the ’70s. Brian had the same natural cocky charisma of his father, Jerry Lawler, which made Christopher a great heel after only a year in the business.
It was only natural that the promoter’s son Jeff Jarrett would feud with Brian-together, the two sons of Tennessee legends put together some ol’ Southern feud magic not seen in the territory in years.
Much like his father, young Jeff was soft-spoken, sometimes awkward in his promos, while Brian excelled early on with a version of his own extroverted personality with the volume (think Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy”) turned up. Never were their contrasts more apparent than when Brian destroyed a framed poem that Jerry Jarrett had passed down to his sons Jeff and Jason. (I love how the Moondogs are destroying Jeff in the clip as he recites the line “Life is queer with its twists and turns”-yeah, tell that to the thankless Memphis jobbers of old who suffered at the paws of the canines from hell.)
Ironically enough, Brian excelled in English classes at Craigmont High School in Memphis, and even won a poetry contest his senior year.
Of the two above-average athletes, Brian seemed destined for greater things in the early ’90s, as he had Jerry’s same gift of gab-and Jeff had that horrible haircut. Jeff, however, clearly had a much harder work ethic-a trademark of the elder Double J-and it’s paid off over the years, as he’s had a great career that’s included big-money runs in WWE and WCW, with multiple World title reigns. (I guess you could Jeff “stuck to to fight when he was hardest hit; it was when things seemed worst, that he didn’t quit.”) A relentless, tireless late bloomer, Jeff is finally hitting his stride as a heel performer in TNA in his role as Mr. Karen Angle-Jarrett-the hottest act in the promotion. (Granted, that’s not saying much given the current state of TNA.)
In the same vein of the great ’80s Memphis stars we all grew up with, Brian received the music video treatment in June 1992, not longer after winning the area’s Texas (after Jarrett had purchased the World Class promotion) and Southern titles. The mega-push to create a new homegrown Memphis star was on.
In the video, Brian is driving the white Corvette of Mrs. Paula Lawler when he picks up an actual homeless guy living on the streets in Memphis. (Supposedly, the guy received $100 for his remaining dignity.) When the video aired, the man’s mother called WMC-TV station irate and demanded an apology. Instead, Brian laughed it off on the air the following week, staying in character. (Later, he slipped the guy an extra dollar.)
Years later, there’s a cruel sense of irony to this footage of Brian.
Digg
Just a note in passing…
I have said I am thrilled with The King’s current (last?) angle going on right now in the WWE. But in erewatching each installment and then in viewing the bits in this latest post from 1992, I have come to a concluasion. It used to work much better in the old days! The work between Jarrett and Christopher is much better than anything going on now…at least for me. All of this – the camera just happens to be in the right spot at the right time destories all chance to buy into the storyline..just saying.
Christopher had such promise back then. He seemed destined for stardom as you couldn’t help but to hate the guy or love him if you were a fan of the heels. Who can forget when he brought the wagon full of title belts out for his interview? It’s a shame what happened to him as I heard in the early days that he used to stay in his motel room while Gilbert and Rich went out partying. I liked the angle Monday, but feel it was 10-15 years too late. Memphis fans would have loved it years ago as everyone knew he was Jerry’s son, but the promotion totally ignored it as they had them battling against each other. I think Lawler even burned Christopher with fire a few times. It was sad to see a dead, silent crowd not react to Christopher on Monday night even though he was great in the role. This angle would have created serious heat in the early to mid 90’s or later when Paul Heyman began grilling Lawler about the relationship on ECW’s original invasion of RAW.
Yeah, totally agree, Brad. Could have been a hell of an angle back in ’97 or ’98. And yes, I recall Brian staying in his room to play Madden instead of partying back in the mid-’90s. That was before he hit the big time, and more specific, met X-Pac, Scott Hall and Rikishi.
Anybody else think Jerry looked younger than Brian?
Congrats on the marathon. Heard it was the most horrible weather in L.A. history. Hope you do a write up on it!
Couldn’t get email to work. Article in the CA today about “Memphis Heat”…thought you’d be interested…
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/mar/22/fire-and-action/
Chris, thanks for the info from The Commercial. I had missed that. My youngest son (36) and I have tickets for Thursday’s 7:00 PM show, I can’t wait! He works at the agency that has done publicity work for Memphis Heat.
I am anxioius for The King and this fued with Cole. For me the last two weeks ahve been too much Cole punking Lawler out. To really be Memphis old school, Jerry should have come back out at some point and smacked on Cole. I suppose this will all make the finish at WM just that much better. And I would look for next week’s RAW to have a more “even” exchange between the two. In any event, can’t wait for Thursday.
WWE blows it by punking the King out. Heck. Throw a little fire at ’em. Pull a dirty trick of some sort. Jack Swagger? I know they have to find something for him but Lawler goes from challenging the Miz to being dominated by Swagger? Of course the WWE has been punking out Cena to the Miz and now Orton to Punk. Everyone to Nexus. Does the good guy never come out on top?
Love to see Jerry grow his goatee back for this match…and throw fire at Swagger.