By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler says he'll "cross the bridge" when he gets there on whether he would have to quit WWE if he becomes full-time mayor of Memphis, but he believes he can work around his mayoral schedule to remain WWE Raw broadcaster.

"City charter says the mayor of Memphis job is a full-time job. I am unsure what could possibly happen. There could be a way I could take Monday as a day off instead of Sunday or Saturday," Lawler said on Fight Network radio this afternoon. "Monday Night Raw or the WWE affiliation has been great for me and I think it could be great for the city of the Memphis."

Lawler talked about facing a double-edged sword where his WWE affiliation and being on Memphis wrestling TV for nearly 40 years has given him name recognition in the race, but he also has to deal with politicians and voters who think his candidacy isn't legit.

Lawler stressed that he takes his campaign very seriously and he's not looking for any additional "fame or fortune" from running for mayor. He said he is committed to cleaning up the city. He cited a Forbes Magazine poll that rated Memphis the number two most dangerous city in the U.S., only behind Detroit.

""Name recognition that I have from being Jerry 'The King' Lawler is a good thing. There is a certain core of voters that will vote for me because they like that persona and that guy who they have come to know me over the years," Lawler said. "Then, there's people I have to assure this is a serious campaign and a serious candidacy. I don't need any more recognition or fame. I want a better city. I know the potential that this city has. It needs better leadership."

Lawler also talked about running for mayor in 1999 when he says he came in third out of 15 candidates running for the position. "I beat out ten other career politicians and that was my first attempt anything political at all," he said, which has made him confident he can win the race ten years later.

"The stars are sort of aligned right. It's a lot of career politicians and Jerry Lawler, who is an average Memphian who just wants to better the city," he said. Lawler added that he wants to break a vicious cycle of crime leading to people leaving, leading to people not paying taxes, leading to businesses not wanting to invest money in the city.

"When you have a city that people are afraid to live in, they move away. When you move away, you lose your tax base," Lawler said. "When you try to attract industry and bring in more jobs, the people that own the industry see this isn't a safe city. Will people want to move to Memphis with my company? The answer is 'no.' They also see if they can get an educated workforce if they move their business to Memphis. The answer is 'no.'"

Lawler, who said throughout the interview that he is confident he will win and talked as if it's a sure thing in his mind, said his plan is to "declare a war on crime" and not use taxpayer money, but find money sitting on the budget that is being wasted.

"In my administration, we're going to look at the city budget and find that the money is already there, but it's being wasted and misappropriated through corruption," Lawler said. "We're going to re-allocate this money and basically break the cycle of crime going on here."

Lawler was asked about using his promo skills as a wrestler to talk people into voting for him or contributing money to his campaign. He said he's not looking for donations more than $50 so he doesn't owe anyone any money or favors if he were to win.

"I don't have any problem talking to one person or 100,000 people. It's always something that's come natural to me," Lawler said. "In WWE, we've had hundreds of wrestlers with tremendous physique and great wrestling ability, but they don't have that charisma once they're in front of the camera and they're unable to communicate their feelings through a promo."

He referenced Hulk Hogan as an example of a good communicator, but a terrible wrestler. "Hulk Hogan, the guy was a great communicator. Hulk was never a great wrestler. He'll never claim that either. He was a one-trick pony. His matches were very similar."

The "special election" date is scheduled October 15 in Memphis. Lawler's campaign website is at JerryLawler2009.com.

Caldwell's Analysis: Lawler came across very sincere about wanting to clean up Memphis, continue to work for WWE while working as mayor, and helping the people in the city live a more peaceful life without crime. If he were to become mayor, I imagine there would be some initial backlash against him "taking Monday off" to work WWE TV, even if he worked a full day on a Saturday or a Sunday. He obviously wants to keep both jobs, but the laundry list of things he says needs to be taken care of Memphis might not allow him to take an entire day off for travel, WWE TV, and returning home 51 weeks out of the year.

Link: Lawler's interview was conducted on the Fight Network radio show on hardcoresportsradio.com.

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