On April 5th, 1982, in front of 8,091 wrestling fans, Jerry “the King” Lawler squared off against Hollywood actor Andy Kaufman at the Mid-South Coliseum. Lawler would hit Kaufman with not one piledriver, but two of them. Back in those days, a piledriver signaled an immediate disqualification. Kaufman would win the match but there would be no celebration as he would be stretchered out of the arena. Kaufman would remain the hospital for three days recovering from his injuries. He had to wear a neck brace for many months after his encounter with the King.

The two men would try to resolve their issues on an episode of Late Night with David Letterman but things devolved into chaos when Lawler slapped Andy in the face in front of Dave and the studio audience. Letterman stated “it was the first time I ever lost control pf my show.”

If you enjoyed WrestleMania 38 and are looking for something to do to fill the time in between WWE’s next pay per view, I highly recommend Jim Cornette Presents – Behind the Curtain: Real Pro Wrestling Stories. This story was one of many in this graphic novel, which I will have a review about in the next week.

Something to Discuss – Which pro wrestler is your favorite? If you can’t name one, name a few.

Have a great Tuesday and stay safe!