Tag: Hillbilly Jim

Jimmy Hart to induct Hillbilly Jim into the WWE Hall of Fame

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WWE announced Jimmy Hart will be inducting Hillbilly Jim into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame. Below is WWE’s full announcement:

“Hillbilly Jim often found himself standing across the ring from nefarious Superstars managed by Jimmy Hart, but in the years since their heyday, the relationship between the two men changed. Their new dynamic will be on display when Hart inducts Hillbilly Jim into the WWE Hall of Fame during the 2018 Induction Ceremony, streaming live on WWE NetworkFriday, April 6, at 8 ET/5 PT.Hillbilly Jim arrived on the scene in WWE in late 1984 as the protégé of Hulk Hogan, which made him a prime target for Hart and his collection of evildoers. The man from Mudlick, Ky., did battle with the likes of The Honky Tonk Man, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Earthquake, all as “The Mouth of The South” lurked at ringside, ready to help his charges gain victory by any means necessary.

But after the two men stepped away from the ring, they grew to become close friends. Hart and Hillbilly Jim even lived under the same roof on the hit WWE Network reality show “Legends House.”

What stories will Hart regale the WWE Universe with when he inducts Hillbilly Jim into sports-entertainment’s most hallowed hall? Find out during the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, streaming live on WWE Network Friday, April 6, at 8 ET/5 PT!”

Hillbilly Jim Wants Hulk Hogan To Induct Him Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

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After being announced as one of the inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, Hillbilly Jim said he wants Hulk Hogan to do the honor of inducting him.

 Jim said Saturday in an interview with TMZ Sports that it would be “as great as it could be” if Hogan inducted him.

Jim described the impact Hogan had on his wrestling career, saying, “When I first came into the business, to get brushed up against the guy that was the most popular wrestler on Earth … it was wonderful what he did for me.”

He added that being inducted by “The Hulkster” would be “cream on top of this thing.”

When Jim first appeared in the World Wrestling Federation in late 1984, he was portrayed as a fan known as Big Jim who routinely sat in the front row of live events who decided to try his hand at wrestling himself. After appearing as a guest on Piper’s Pit, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper offered his services to train him. Jim, however, chose to be trained by WWF Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan instead of the villainous Piper. A series of vignettes then aired on WWF programming in the early weeks of 1985, showing Hogan training Jim and providing him with his first set of wrestling boots for his in-ring debut.

WWE’s video package on Jim going in the Hall of Fame highlights their storyline connection, saying that Hogan took Jim under his guidance and turned him from a fan into a WWE Superstar.

Hogan honoring Jim may not be possible since WWE terminated the wrestling legend’s contract in July 2015 and he has not appeared for the company since. The termination coincided with the publication of a racially insensitive video in which Hogan is heard expressing disgust with the notion of his daughter dating any black man. Hogan also admitted to being “a racist, to a point.”

In a statement to The Associated Press in January, WWE reiterated its stance on Hogan, saying, “At this time, WWE remains committed to its decision.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Hillbilly Jim Announced For The 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame

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WWE has announced that Hillbilly Jim will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year during WrestleMania 34 Week in New Orleans.

WWE issued the following:

Hillbilly Jim to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Hillbilly Jim was a country boy plucked from the WWE Universe to be a Superstar. Now, he’s going to be a WWE Hall of Famer.

As first reported by Bleacher Report, Mudlick, Ky.’s favorite son is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Hillbilly Jim joins Goldberg, The Dudley Boyz, Ivory, Jeff Jarrett and Warrior Award recipient Jarrius “JJ” Robertson on the list of those who will be honored on Friday, April 6, in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 Week.

The big country boy first popped up in WWE in late 1984, as a big, smiling bearded face towering above WWE fans around the country. However, Jim decided to get a little closer to the action when Hulk Hogan was attacked by Ken Patera, Big John Studd and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Leaping over the barricade, Hillbilly Jim jumped in the ring and helped The Hulkster run off the villains. Hogan saw something in the rugged man standing beside him and trained Jim for the ring.

Opting to compete in his overalls and entering the ring with a lucky horseshoe around his neck, Hillbilly Jim proved to be a prodigy inside the squared circle, using his incredible power to squeeze opponents into submission with his trademark bear hug. Though an injury sidelined him early in his WWE career, that did not stop Jim from introducing the WWE Universe to his extended family – Uncle Elmer, Cousin Junior and Cousin Luke – a trio of happy-go-lucky hillbillies that put smiles on the faces of fans around the world with their antics in the ring.

When he recovered, Jim jumped back in the ring and picked up where he left off, this time with his family in his corner. Hillbilly Jim also embraced WWE’s smaller competitors, competing in a Six-Person Tag Team Match on The Grandest Stage of Them All, WrestleManiaIII. The match featured one of the more infamous moments in WWE history, with one of Jim’s partners, Little Beaver, being splashed by the humongous King Kong Bundy in front of 93,173 people.

Hillbilly Jim continued competing in WWE through 1990 before stepping away from the squared circle. He continued to work with WWE throughout the 90s, co-hosting Prime Time Wrestling and managing his cousins, Henry and Phineas Godwinn, to the World Tag Team Championship. Jim returned to the ring for the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven and showed a different side of himself on the hit WWE Network reality show, “Legends House,” in 2014.

Because of his lasting legacy as a beloved favorite of the WWE Universe, there is no better nominee for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame than Hillbilly Jim.

The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on Friday, April 6, in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center during WrestleMania 34 Week. Tickets are available now on Ticketmaster.