Andy Kaufman to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - Andy Kaufman is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2023, the company announced Monday.

Kaufman is perhaps best known for his appearances on “Saturday Night Live” and “Taxi,” but his wrestling history is deeply connected to Memphis.

Kaufman, a devoted wrestling fan, started an intense rivalry with Jerry “The King” Lawler in the early 1980s.

Their feud included Kaufman running over Lawler with a car in the WMC parking lot, and a famous appearance on Late Night with David Letterman where Lawler slapped Kaufman, who was already in a neck brace from a previous encounter.

Kaufman would also compete at the Mid-South Coliseum, taunting the Memphis audience and offering $1,000 to any woman who could pin him.

Kaufman died in 1984 due to lung cancer.

WWE has not announced who will induct Kaufman. Lawler was hospitalized last month after having a stroke at his Florida home.

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