Surprising name to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023
WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is beginning to take shape, with Rey Mysterio and The Great Muta officially announced as inductees.
The event is set to take place in Los Angeles, California, so what better name to be inducted than a celebrity that gave wrestling his all?
As first reported by Variety, Andy Kaufman will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2023. For those unaware, the entertainer and performance artist is best known for his feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler at the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis, TN.
BREAKING: @ndykaufman will be inducted into the #WWEHOF Class of 2023, as first reported by @Variety! https://t.co/8emfaH5dhm
Read more about WWE star Sami Zayn talking about taking inspiration from Andy Kaufman here.
Andy Kaufman's rivalry with the WWE legend
Early in the 1980s, Andy Kaufman would come out to the ring and wrestle matches against the women that he picked out of the crowd, claiming to be the Inter-Gender Champion of the World, further offering money to any woman that could pin him. Kaufman's heel heat was off the charts at the time, considering people were unaware of kayfabe.
This led to Jerry Lawler stepping up to Andy Kaufman, hitting a Piledriver on the artist. Kaufman was seen in public wearing a neck brace thereafter. Despite the two being friends off-screen, they convinced people that they were bitter rivals.
The biggest mainstream moment of the feud came when Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman appeared on Late Night with David Letterman. The two were seen trading insults, with Lawler ultimately slapping Kaufman and knocking him out of his chair.
Wow! 40 years ago today! The match that changed wrestling! Andy Kaufman vs Jerry Lawler in Memphis https://t.co/1PQwgbFsDR
Jim Carrey would later reveal the secret that both men were, in fact, friends and that wrestling contests were staged works more than 10 years after Kaufman's death. Carrey would later go on to portray Andy Kaufman in the 1999 feature film Man on the Moon.
Whilst Lawler may be WWE's best option to induct Andy Kaufman into the Hall of Fame Class of 2023, The King suffered a stroke in February. It remains to be seen whether he will be healthy enough to make it to the event, which is scheduled to take place on March 31st following WWE SmackDown.