Andy Kaufman To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame 2023

The 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class is set to have another two names added to it.

by Andrew Pollard
andy kaufman
WWE.com

With Rey Mysterio and the Great Muta already confirmed for this year's WWE Hall of Fame, there now comes word on two names who will be joining these icons of the business.

Per Variety, Andy Kaufman will be inducted as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame class.

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A famed comedian known for his stand-up work and TV shows such as Taxi, Kaufman ventured into the wrestling business and had a legendary rivalry with Jerry Lawler in the 1980s. At that point, the funny man would wrestle women, usually plants picked from the crowd, and score easy victories as he declared himself as the Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World.

The braggadocios heel persona of Kaufman, and his disdain for the people of Memphis, put him on a collision course with Lawler, including the King slapping Andy during an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, and Jerry kayfabe breaking Kaufman's neck with a piledriver; an injury that the New Yorker sold for several months as he wouldn't be seen without a neck brace on.

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Of course, Andy Kaufman's life - complete with Jerry Lawler playing himself - was chronicled in 1999's Man on the Moon, with Jim Carrey starring as Kaufman in that movie. Andy tragically passed away in 1984 at the age of just 35 after a battle with lung cancer. One would usually presume that Lawler would be the one to induct Kaufman into the WWE HOF, though Jerry's recent stroke and ill health may mean that's not possible.

In addition to Andy Kaufman being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, PWInsider Elite notes how there are currently plans to induct a referee as part of the 2023 class. While it's not been revealed exactly who this referee is, this report adds how the person is "someone the entire industry loved". Already some are speculating that this may well be Timmy White, although there are obviously countless tother referees who could also be deemed worthy of a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

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The 2023 WWE Hall of Fame takes place on 31 March, the night before WrestleMania 39 kicks off.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.