According to a new report comedian and actor Andy Kaufman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.
The report from Variety broke the news on March 20th.
Kaufman found fame on both stage and screen and is perhaps most well known for his role in the hit sitcom Taxi. However, Kaufman’s involvement in professional wrestling is still fondly remembered by fans to this day.
In the early 1980s, Kaufman declared himself the Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World. The star offered money to any woman who could pin him to the mat. This sparked a feud with Jerry Lawler in the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee. During the acclaimed feud, both men convinced the watching world that their feud was genuine, with Lawler slapping Kaufman on Late Night With David Letterman in 1982.
Kaufman had appeared on the show in a neck brace, claiming that Lawler had broken his neck with a Piledriver.
Despite their on-screen rivalry, Kaufman and Lawler were good friends.
Andy Kaufman passed away on May 16th, 1984, aged just 35 due to lung cancer. Kaufman’s life was immortalised in the 1999 movie Man on the Moon, with the actor played by Jim Carey. Kaufman’s old friend and Jerry Lawler appeared in the movie as himself.
Andy Kaufman To Join Rey Mysterio & The Great Muta
News of Kaufman’s induction comes after it was confirmed that Rey Mysterio and The Great Muta will be inducted as part of the Class of 2023. Following the announcement of Mysterio’s inclusion, it was reported that Konnan will be the man inducting the Lucha legend.
Meanwhile, Ric Flair made the announcement for The Great Muta and is widely believed to be inducting the Japanese legend on March 31st.