Tag: Andy Kaufman

A Recovering Jerry Lawler Helps Jimmy Hart Induct Andy Kaufman Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

Andy Kaufman’s momentous stint in wrestling was undoubtedly enough to warrant a position in the WWE Hall of Fame, and the comedian’s time has finally arrived. The late Kaufman was inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame last night as a part of the 2023 class and, though a recent stroke prevented him from appearing in person, the moment would not have been complete without involvement from Kaufman’s notorious in-ring rival, Jerry “The King” Lawler. Lawler has long been campaigning for Kaufman to be inducted, and he was finally able to see it through this year.

“One of [the] most memorable moments in my career certainly involved Andy Kaufman,” Lawler said, speaking from his home. Lawler was likely referring to the onscreen tussle that took place on an episode of “Late Night with David Letterman” in 1982 during the pair’s ongoing wrestling feud. In a pre-recorded video, Lawler stated that tonight would have been the biggest night of Kaufman’s life, and then introduced fellow Memphis veteran Jimmy Hart to induct the legendary comedian.

Kaufman and Lawler engaged in a heated rivalry during Kaufman’s time in the Memphis territory in 1982 and 1983, with Kaufman acting as a despised heel who preferred to wrestle women, and Lawler stepping in as a hero who aimed to take Kaufman down a peg or two. At the time, many viewers were fully convinced of the feud’s reality, though Kaufman and Lawler were actually close friends who were working together to put on as entertaining of a performance as possible. Devastatingly, Kaufman passed away from cancer just a short time later in 1984. However, his brief foray into the world of professional wrestling spawned a lasting legacy that’s influential to this day.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Andy Kaufman To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

Variety reported today that WWE will be inducting Andy Kaufman into this year’s Hall of Fame class. It’s unclear who will induct him into the honorary class. 

Kaufman was a comedian in the 70s and 80s, most notably known for his part in the “Taxi” series from 1978 until 1983.

Wrestling fans know him for his feud with  Jerry “The King” Lawler in Memphis. He would sometimes wrestle women who he picked out of the crowd, causing him to get heat. He took a piledriver from Lawler, leading to them doing a segment on  David Letterman’s NBC Late Night show where Lawler slapped Kaufman. 

It was covered in the “Man on the Moon” movie with Jim Carrey portraying the role of Kaufman.

Source: eWrestlingNews

UPDATE:

WWE Officially announced Andy Kaufman for the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame.

WWE issued the following:

Andy Kaufman will join Rey Mysterio and The Great Muta in the WWE Hall of Fame, Class of 2023.

A gifted comedian who gained fame for his absurdist standup routine and appearance on hit shows like “Taxi” and “Saturday Night Live,” Kaufman’s love of sports-entertainment led him to Memphis where he became a thorn in the side of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler.

The rivalry between Lawler and Kaufman became national news leading to a legendary exchange on “Late Night with David Letterman.” The interaction would later be memorialized in the 1999 movie biopic “Man on the Moon,” where Lawler appeared alongside Jim Carey as Kaufman to recreate the iconic moment.

Kaufman’s interactions with Lawler transformed the business and opened up pathways for future cross-over Superstars such as Johnny Knoxville who honored the comedian with his WrestleMania 38 ring gear.

Sadly, Kaufman passed away in 1985 at the age of 35, but his legacy remains an important party of wrestling history.

WWE congratulates Kaufman on his inclusion into the WWE Hall of Fame. Don’t miss the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Friday, March 31, streaming on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else immediately after SmackDown.

Tales From The Territories Episode Could Have Been A Dark Side Of The Ring One

The creators of Vice TV’s popular “Dark Side of the Ring” series have another show on the way with “Tales from the Territories.” While speaking to Chris Jericho on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, creators Evan Husney and Jason Eisener spoke about the process of selecting topics for the series, including what separates a “Tales from the Territories” entry from “Dark Side of the Ring.” One episode that could have found a place on either show was the installment detailing the famous feud between legendary Memphis wrestler Jerry Lawler and comedian Andy Kaufman.

“[Andy Kaufman and Jerry Lawler] could have been a ‘Dark Side of the Ring’ episode,” Husney said. He explained that the process for putting the show together consists of researching books, interviews, and podcasts of wrestlers from the era to find the best potential topics for episodes. “Obviously, when we’re getting into Memphis, it’s hard to ignore … the Kaufman-Lawler thing. … The Kaufman versus Lawler angle we actually built out into an entire episode.”

Hunsey would go on to explain that the people involved in the Lawler-Kaufman story made it an easy decision to base an episode around. “When we got there, we were filming with the guys, the chemistry was so good. It was like. ‘All right, let’s tell the Kaufman story,’ and they just went, and they went for hours,” Husney said. “It was cool because I had never really heard Lawler’s … top-to-bottom perspective on the whole angle.”

“Tales from the Territories” is produced by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and debuts tonight on Vice TV. Tonight’s episode is on Memphis wrestling. The episode on the Lawler-Kaufman feud premieres on Tuesday, October 11. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

30th Anniversary of Jerry Lawler Slapping Andy Kaufman on the David Letterman Show

Graphic Language Warning: The following YouTube Video of Lawler slapping Kaufman on the Letterman show contains language that many would find offensive. You’ve been warned so enjoy old school Lawler!

Wow, is about the only way I know how to open this with. Wow, to what happened, Wow, to it being 30 years ago and finally Wow, to the fact that after all these years and as much wrestling as I have watched and read about – I still don’t know if this was a work or not.

I will watch things and I will think – this has to be a story line no doubt about it. Then I will watch more and I think man there is legit hatred and realness to this crazy stuff. Maybe it’s the real deal.

One thing we are sure of, we will not get any more of the story from Andy Kaufman, since he died a couple of years later in 1984. You can look up on any web browser and find lots of stories about whether it was real or fake, but if you are like me, you will just enjoy some of the very first Sports Entertainment and realize what a genius Lawler has been for all these year.

We would love to see your comments on this here at DTRT Wrestling News.com .