WWE today announced that the late Andy Kaufman will be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The story was originally reported by Variety.
Kaufman, who passed away in 1984 at the age of 35, was involved in a major angle with Jerry “The King” Lawler after he declared himself the Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion, leading to a match with Lawler in the CWA in Memphis.
During an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982, Lawler and Kaufman appeared together on stage and Lawler slapped Kaufman – who was in a neck brace – hard. The angle between the two was very convincing, leading to major news outlets covering the story.
Kaufman’s life story was given the Hollywood treatment in 1999 with Lawler and Letterman reprising their roles as themselves. Jim Carrey played the role of Kaufman.
While having Jerry Lawler induct Kaufman would be the most logical and obvious choice, Lawler is still receiving from a stroke he suffered last month so it’s unclear if he will be able to attend the show in person.
