10 Times Wrestling Was The Best Soap Opera Ever

Andy Kaufman, like any other wrestling fan, had a desire to get in the ring himself. He approached Vince McMahon Sr. with an arrogant Hollywood heel gimmick. He declined. However, Jerry Lawler saw the appeal and brought Kaufman into the Memphis wrestling territory.

EGOMANIA!

Kaufman used his comedic ‘Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World’ gimmick in Memphis. He was undefeated in wrestling women chosen from the crowd. When Kaufman continued to attack one woman after their match, Lawler was compelled to intervene. A manic Kaufman screeched about suing Lawler, threatening him with the force of Hollywood.

TABLOID SCANDAL!

Lawler was Kaufman’s first same-sex opponent. Following two mean-looking piledrivers, Kaufman sold his kayfabe injuries, refusing to move from the ring, and demanding to be stretchered away. He wore a neck brace for six months, courting front- and back-page headlines around the world. When The David Letterman Show came knocking, the host expected a light-hearted comedy spot and an exchange of apologies.

ASSAULT!

After exchanging barbs, Lawler knew he wasn’t getting his apology. When the band began to play, he “slapped the taste” out of Kaufman, who fell off his chair, leaving Letterman and his team shaken. When the show returned from break, Kaufman unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade and threw coffee over Lawler. This was a side to wrestling that the mainstream had never seen.