By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

USA Today's website profiled WWE announcer Jerry Lawler as an avid "American Idol" fan with knowledge of the current season's Top 24 contestants.

Lawler also casually threw his name in the ring for potential candidates to replace outgoing judge Simon Cowell, who is leaving the Fox show after this season.

"I would be somewhere between Simon and Howard Stern, I would think," Lawler told USA Today. He also complemented Ellen DeGeneres for playing a heelish judge by stringing along hopeful contestants on whether they made the cut for the Top 24.

Lawler picked his favorites for the current season: Crystal Bowersox, Lacey Brown, Katie Stevens and Tyler Grady.

He also said he prefers the early-season audition footage that mixes good performances, memorably bad performances, and just oddly-entertaining performances such as the "Pants on the Ground" song that made it on the Royal Rumble PPV on January 31.

"I guess it's my wrestling background that makes me a fan of that part of the show," Lawler said. "When it gets down to where they're all good, it loses some of its edginess and shock value."

Caldwell's Analysis: Lawler has been going through the motions on Raw in a sanitized PG TV environment, but if Fox turned up the volume on Lawler's sharp wit and arsenal of one-liners, he would be a fine replacement for Simon. Plus, he has tremendous music knowledge being from Memphis, so he would have that part down. He also has enough pop culture relevance from being one of the voices of a major boom period in pro wrestling during the 1990s and still being on the Top 5 weekly most-watched cable TV show in the country. Interesting story worth reading here: USA Today profile.

[Torch art credit Jason Conlan (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE NEWS: Superstars SPOILERS - Results from Chicago Raw

WWE NETWORK: Monday, Oct. 12 Schedule - Raw pre-show, Sting DVD preview

WWE NEWS: Lana & Rusev reportedly engaged - follow the interesting 2015 timeline