1983 Dave Meltzer on Lawler-Kaufman from the '82 WON Yearbook

[Bix]

The Lawler - Kaufman incident, and another incident between the two on the David Letterman show brought out the major question. Was what happened legit? Since we all know about wrestling (so the public thinks) how can anything involving a wrestler not be "rehearsed". The faultiness of that logic is obvious. But the question itself remains.

 

Kaufman really suffered a neck injury. The hospital reports proved that. Whether it was the result of a piledriver can be doubted. But what person, with a neck injury bad enough to be put in traction, would risk going into the ring for a "charade" piledriver? Especially one who isn't a well-trained pro-wrestler?

 

If the incident in Memphis was real, then the incident on the Letterman show was likely just as real. It certainly didn't look like a "charade".

Yes. Really.

[S.L.L.]

On top of the obvious ridiculousness, it's nice to now that Dave's sad obsession with trying to convince people that "real" professional wrestling exists predates MMA. On a certain level, I'm kinda glad he's got that hang-up now. It'd be really sad to watch him try to pull this with, say, the Kevin Federline stuff or Vince McMahon's limo exploding.

[Boondocks Kernoodle]

This piece of news invalidates everything Meltzer has ever written! Hooray!

[floyd]

Well I always thought the Lawler/Kaufman feud was legit until I saw "Man on the Moon" in 1999.