WWE Rumors: Vince McMahon 'not using' WWE legend ahead of WrestleMania 36 due to his age
The entire WrestleMania 36 season and things planned around it have gotten scrambled due to the prevailing circumstance that is the Coronavirus outbreak. WWE has been forced to change up a lot of things, including the utilization of the Performance Center in Orlando to tape episodes of RAW, SmackDown, and one day of WrestleMania 36.
One name who was absent in the latest episode of RAW and is expected to be absent for the penultimate and go-home episode is Jerry 'The King' Lawler, who has been a key figure in RAW commentary since late 2019.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the reason for him not being used is due to Vince McMahon feeling that he's too old:
Jerry Lawler was not used due to his age, although Vince McMahon, who is four years older, was presiding over the shows.
It's not an odd move to make despite the phrasing of the sentence above. Jerry Lawler turned 70 last November and belongs to the category of people more vulnerable to Coronavirus and its effects. Lawler has a history of pre-existing health conditions, which is likely why WWE decided against using him for commentary.
Health comes first and that was more evident than ever when WWE reportedly granted Roman Reigns' request to be pulled from his Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 36. Due to his past battle with leukemia, Reigns also belongs to the category of people vulnerable to Coronavirus.
As of this writing, we're not yet sure as to who will/has replaced Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36. Two more superstars who were pulled from WrestleMania are Dana Brooke and Rey Mysterio, both of whom were scheduled to be in title matches.
WWE's logic behind the two-day WrestleMania has reportedly been to make sure there's limited staff along with better logistical planning. Social distancing is vital during the time of the pandemic and WWE will have to take many factors into account when choosing which staff members to utilize - from talent to the backstage agents to the ring crew.