10 WWE Hall Of Fame 2017 Inductions That Must Happen

8. The Celebrity - Andy Kaufman

The Rock Hall of Fame
WWE.com

Andy Kaufman's time in the wrestling business may not be as visible to younger WWE fans as the likes of Mike Tyson and Pete Rose, but it's bewildering that the Hall Of Fame has a celebrity wing without Jerry Lawler's nemesis. The well-known comedian/actor immersed himself in the business like no other, and his feud with Lawler might be the most important wrestler vs. celebrity rivalry in history.

From cutting scathing promos on Memphis crowds to constantly wearing a neck brace to protect his Lawler-induced kayfabe broken neck, Kaufman held nothing back. He and Lawler indulged in a famous on-air brawl on the David Letterman Show in 1982, and at the time, their feud was revolutionary.

Wrestling was all bout the in-ring action in the early 1980s, and little else. Kaufman and Lawler blurred the lines to where nobody was ever sure if it was a work or not, and many assumed their heat was real. This might not seem like a big deal in 2016's entertainment-saturated industry, but it was groundbreaking at the time, and its legacy endures.

Lawler vs. Kaufman effectively provided the blueprint for every major feud that followed, and while The King is pretty much gone from the company, having him induct Andy would be the perfect way to get in him involved in this year's ceremony.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.