WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Andy Kaufman
Before Vince McMahon ever coined the phrase “sports entertainment,” we had Andy Kaufman and how he was a trendsetter in professional wrestling. Andy Kaufman was an actor, comedian, and performance artist. Although he never considered himself actor, he was one of the funniest I’ve watched through the archives. Andy passed away before I was born, but I’ve seen so much footage of him and the work he’s done. It’s incredible the barriers he broke due to this unorthodox style and presentation. Some found him entertaining and others found him controversial. No matter what he was doing, he always had people talking.
Kaufman, always loved professional wrestling. Many said he was inspired the aspects of kayfabe and playing the villain. He originally approached Vince McMahon Sr. and wanted to get involved in the World Wrestling Federation. The elder McMahon didn’t want to bring Andy in and mix showbusiness with professional wrestling, but the someone saw the value in what Andy was doing. Pro Wrestling Reporter and Photographer Bill Apter referred Andy to Jerry “The King” Lawler and the Memphis Wrestling territory. Andy played the role of a bad guy perfectly. He would insult Lawler and insult how people from Memphis would talk. He brought his Intergender Wrestling Championship with him and challenged any woman to beat him in a wrestling match. This eventually led to Jerry Lawler becoming frustrated with Kaufman’s antics and challenging him to a match. This would lead to a series matches between the two that also involved Jimmy Hart. The feud had a lot of twists and turns like many thinking Lawler breaking Kaufman’s neck with the piledriver. You also can’t forget their famous segment on David Letterman that had the whole world talking.
Even though Kaufman only had 11 official matches in professional wrestling, he left his imprint on the pro wrestling business in a big way. Had Kaufman not passed away, I firmly believe Vince McMahon Jr. (Mr. McMahon) would have found a way to use Andy at some point. Out of all the celebrities that have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, this one is the most deserving. If there wasn’t an Andy Kaufman there might not have been involvement from so many celebrities we saw come after him. There is no better place to induct Andy Kaufman than Los Angeles. He shined like a star and it’s exciting that a new generation of fans will get to learn about him. Congratulations to Andy’s family and friends on this achievement. Andy’s legacy will never be forgotten.
