Jerry Lawler was recently a guest on The Wrestling Hour podcast. Below are some quotes (via Wrestling INC):
Lawler on when he first heard that Dean wanted to leave WWE:
“I didn’t hear anything about what you’re talking about until Monday [after Royal Rumble]. My [podcast] co-host, Glen Moore… he usually keeps up with all of the news that I don’t even hear about. He was the first one to talk to me about it and he asked me the same thing, ‘Did I hear anything at the Royal Rumble about it’ and I didn’t.”
On what he thinks Dean will do next:
“I think it’s been understood for a while that Dean hasn’t been completely happy with his role there. So, I tend to think this is real. He’s the kinda guy who’s looking to do something different. I know that AEW is out there and might make him a big offer. But right now, Dean’s mindset is that he wants out and away from wrestling for a while.”
On the possibility of the whole thing being a work:
“Well, your guess is probably as good as mine. Dean is a… I don’t know how you want to put it. He’s not really an outgoing kind of guy. He’s not someone you see hanging around shooting the breeze with anybody there in the locker room. He kinda stays off to himself – quiet kinda guy. My interactions with him is usually just a handshake and asking, ‘Hey Dean, how are you doing?’ That’s usually it and that was basically my interaction with him at Royal Rumble.”
On a related note, here are 5 conspiracy theory reasons why Dean leaving could be a work.