In another lifetime, an alternate universe, Andy Kaufman is regarded as the best professional wrestling personality of all-time. In fact, he's still alive in an infinite amount of alternate universes, still trying to wrestle women, still antagonizing Jerry Lawler, and still heeling it up everywhere he goes. In this universe, however, he was taken from us far too soon by lung cancer.
As the story goes, recounted by Lawler on Tuesday's episode of the Steve Austin Show, Vince McMahon, Sr. passed up on a chance to book Kaufman, which led Bill Apter (by far the most important wrestling journalist in history) to refer him to Lawler in Memphis, a meeting which led to perhaps the greatest feud in wrestling history. Its most memorable moment took place on the David Letterman Show, where Lawler and Kaufman staged the following unbeknownst to anyone except themselves. No producers were in on it, Letterman wasn't in on it, and the audience certainly still had its doubts as to whether wrestling itself was even a shoot. This segment is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that sometimes, you are far better off asking forgiveness than asking permission.
WARNING: Language is not safe for work in the least. The clip is uncensored.
As the story goes, recounted by Lawler on Tuesday's episode of the Steve Austin Show, Vince McMahon, Sr. passed up on a chance to book Kaufman, which led Bill Apter (by far the most important wrestling journalist in history) to refer him to Lawler in Memphis, a meeting which led to perhaps the greatest feud in wrestling history. Its most memorable moment took place on the David Letterman Show, where Lawler and Kaufman staged the following unbeknownst to anyone except themselves. No producers were in on it, Letterman wasn't in on it, and the audience certainly still had its doubts as to whether wrestling itself was even a shoot. This segment is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that sometimes, you are far better off asking forgiveness than asking permission.
WARNING: Language is not safe for work in the least. The clip is uncensored.