Hey Scott,
With the Legends House bringing him back in the spotlight, I've been thinking a lot about Hillbilly Jim lately.
The guy was huge, extremely over and pretty athletic. How come he never got any sort of a real main event push? I know he drew a bunch in the house show circuit.
Thoughts?
I thought he got a pretty damn good push for a guy named "Hillbilly Jim". He was in the Hulk Hogan cartoon and got intro'd as Hulk's protege originally. He did OK for himself before the injuries got him for good.
Kinda hard to get a main event push when you have to high tail it to Mexico because the cops found a dead hooker in your trunk.
ReplyDeleteNow I know Beard Money didn't email this question because the guy said "been thinking a lot about Hillbilly Jim LATELY". We all know Beard Money thinks about Hillbilly Jim ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeleteI remember the WM 17 gimmick battle royale, Hillbilly Jim looked f'n jacked. Like he looked in better shape than most of the current roster.
ReplyDeleteICOPRO.
ReplyDeleteI've actually always wondered this myself. Jim was big, and had a cool gimmick, and was still basically a nobody.
ReplyDeleteHe consumes the blood of dead midgets.
ReplyDeleteHe WAS pretty shit in the ring, although its not like that would have hurt WWF main event chances
ReplyDeleteThe only match I remember seeing him in was Survivor Series 88. Was he around after that?
ReplyDelete...wait, WHAT?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteSurprised there was no interaction between him and the Wyatts.
ReplyDeleteJim was a hot act upon his initial debut and push, but he broke his leg shortly before WMI and couldn't wrestle for 6 months, and that pretty much killed off his momentum for good.
ReplyDeleteHe came and went until early 1991. One of his lasthigh profile matches was with earthquake on snme in may 1990.
ReplyDeleteI SO hope this is true and I just never heard of it
ReplyDeleteI was just watching Wrestlemania 2 and thinking Hillbilly Jim may be the only friend Hogan ever had who didn't turn on him.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta want it!
ReplyDeletePeople allude to it here all the time, but I don't think I ever heard the full story about it. Off to the google!
ReplyDeleteIt happens to everyone sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was a running joke with Beard Money and Cult. So hope it's true
ReplyDeleteIs this Jim cornette?
ReplyDeleteAbeyance does this, but only with Asian hookers..
ReplyDeleteDead hookers in trunks is never a joking manner.
ReplyDeleteI mean, the man's first meal was a bear that his mother killed.
ReplyDeleteA BEAR.
Never forget!
ReplyDeleteThat is because he turned on Hogan, killed him, peeled his skin off, and assumed his identity.
ReplyDeleteHillbilly Jim's blood lust begins.
ReplyDeleteIf you type Hillbilly Jim Mexico into the Google, this page is now on the front of the search results.
ReplyDeleteKarmic payback for Legends House, I guess.
Yeah, it didn't hurt King Kong Bundy
ReplyDeletePerfectly acceptable mid-card act, IMO.
ReplyDeleteWhat more could he have done in the WWF had he not broken his leg slipping on a wet spot outside the ring?
ReplyDeleteHe was a goofy midcard act when he came in, and he stayed a goofy midcard act right through his appearance on Legends House.
Wet spot or pool of blood from another victim?
ReplyDeleteUnless there's a huge conspiracy and a cover up from the powers that be, I'm gonna go with wet spot.
ReplyDeleteThat's some good SEO, I guess.
ReplyDeleteLife is a flat circle. HILLBILLY JIM IS THE YELLOW KING!
ReplyDeleteIn Bobbys book he explained it as Ham and eggs is/was always on any cafe/bar menu. It is the easiest cheapest option for anyone to order. So people he thinks are stupid and would just order the cheapest thing on menu are 'ham and eggers'
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely a well-worn wrestling trope that can be revisited. As a regular thing? Like you said, probably gets less effective real quick
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest moments for me as a youngster was watching Barry Horowitz beat Skip. the jobber won, it was awesome, just like 123 kid before him, or when Brooklyn Brawler beat HHH.
ReplyDeletebut now the jobbers (Santino, Woods) are treated like everyone else. like Scott put it a while ago.
1. Cena
2.everyone else
151.ryder
That explanation reminds me of the "lost episode" of Chappelle's Show with the Racist Pixie sketch. When they're talking to the audience to see who was offended by it, someone says something to the effect of "everybody likes fried chicken, and watermelon is a delicious fruit." Ham and eggs are delicious, and probably a smart decision if you're a wrestler who works out regularly & needs protein. Plus, what's wrong with trying to save money while on the road?
ReplyDeleteI guess "Iron" Mike Sharpe eats plain old ham & eggs, and Ric Flair's breakfast is encrusted with diamonds. Makes his dookie twinkle.
Too bad Ted DiBiase didn't class him up as Hillwilliam James to have a run at Hogan
ReplyDeleteLol. I'm embarrassed by how funny I find this little fact
ReplyDeleteGoldberg is in the current WWE game. The "quick match" option makes it really easy to recreate all of your favorite Goldberg squash matches.
ReplyDeleteHe should definitely be the first guy to turn on Sting when he comes in.
ReplyDeleteHam Egg chips for me, but I thought it was a cool saying for Bobby, he was too good for ham and eggs.
ReplyDeleteThe whole "they chant 'Goldberg' at Ryback" thing is pretty telling though. It's not as though they chant his name at ANY other time. They chant it at Ryback in an ironic way, not because they want to see Goldberg. I don't see Goldberg coming back to put Ryback over, nor do I see any point to Goldberg beating Ryback either. I guess there could be money in a one-off Cena-Goldberg match or something though
ReplyDeleteHow am I not the one who sent this? I wonder if I have a split personality who's also something of a Hillbilly Jim afficienado.
ReplyDeleteI guess there's that. But who is annoying enough to actually be worth the shot but not somebody important enough that Goldberg killing them with no repercussions wouldn't hurt them?
ReplyDeleteSandow?
Good points across the board. I was pretty into Goldberg when he was squashing jobbers. The win over Hogan was huge at the time, but there was never a real definitive moment for him afterward (in any positive way, anyway). Most of it was booking, sure, but a lot of it was his one-dimensional nature too. As you mentioned: no promo skills, no character history, just nothing to relate to.
ReplyDeleteAnd notice the bump in Hogan's work rate.
ReplyDeleteDoes video game Goldberg blow up after more than two minutes in the ring?
ReplyDeleteI agree to a point. Plenty of people do know Goldberg. My complaint is more that he didn't really mean much in WWE in 2003-04, so why would he in 2014?
ReplyDeleteIt was a pool of lust from the ladies around the ring side, falling all over themselves to gain admittance to the Country Club.
ReplyDeleteH. William James.
ReplyDeleteWell, if they're already dead, and doing so empowers him, why shouldn't he throw back a couple growlers of little person blood?
ReplyDeleteHow I long for the days
ReplyDeleteGood question. Guys like Taz, Dreamer, Sabu, Sandman never really meant much outside of ECW. Raven was successful in WCW, but only as a mid-card act. Shane Douglas is out for various reasons. RVD, the Dudleys, and Paul E himself are the only "ECW guys" I can think of who belong as "More than just ECW" players. Oddly enough, Rob was never even ECW champion.
ReplyDeleteThe Koko Precedent
ReplyDeleteMikey Whipwreck, Nova, and Amish Roadkill are IN then
ReplyDeleteHe wasn't a nobody to everybody.
ReplyDeleteJoey probably deserves it. Taz was big in ECW, but never meant much in WWE.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should throw Paul a bone and let him start an ECW Hall of Fame? I mean, it's not like the WWE HOF is a real place anyway.
Both are definite HOFers, so this is an interesting question for sure
ReplyDeleteYou go to Hell. You just go to Hell right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. I'm sorry; that wasn't cool. Just wanted to express that I respectfully dispute your assessment of his ring work. He was a minimalist. It's a style that isn't for everyone.
If Dreamer is in, so is Raven. Dreamer never meant anything outside of the big Raven feud. Raven was equally big in ECW because of that feud, but at least he meant something in another promotion too. Dreamer can't say that.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, Ryback. Perfect way to blow off the chants.
ReplyDeleteA bad foot? :)
ReplyDeleteJim never would have needed to nap any kids. He was so popular all he had to do was dance and they would have gladly followed him anywhere with their parents expressed consent.
ReplyDeleteI always get HillBilly Jim and Jim Duggan mixed up, because their gimmicks were so similiar.
ReplyDeleteWell, it really was more of a barn.
ReplyDeleteAndy Kaufman was in porn?
ReplyDeleteI'm actually surprised that he's not in already. I figured that, if nothing else, Lawler would have pushed for it.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a bad idea. They could double as dild...
ReplyDeleteYou know what? Never mind.
They aren't similar.
ReplyDeleteRandy Mulkey, Jr.?
ReplyDeleteYou might be retarded.
ReplyDeleteYeah, every match he turned his 'opponents' into 'victims' once he locked in that country tough bear-hug. No one was gonna escape those hay baling arms.
ReplyDeleteMore impact than Trish? That's REALLY debatable. Trish brought a lot of respect and prestige back to the Woman's title with some really great matches.
ReplyDeleteWith Jake and frigging Warrior in the HoF now, it honestly wouldn't surprise me.
ReplyDeleteSay hello...to the HARD guy.
ReplyDeleteEspecially those poor children.
ReplyDeleteHillbilly Jim is a farmer. He is what makes America great. Hacksaw Duggan is a poser. He waves a flag and pretends that he's some kind of great patriot even though he doesn't even have a job! See also: Hogan, Hulk.
ReplyDeleteThey were actually evil midgets.
ReplyDeleteWell she helped get HHH over. She wrestled men...and not novelty matches like Harvey Wippleman wrestling women. Chyna had quality matches with Jericho and was Intercontinental Champion. If not for the rise of Chyna kicking dudes' asses, who knows if Trish, Lita, Ivory, and the rest of them even get a shot in there.
ReplyDeleteCrowd already chanting YES! that clearly mean the chant is more over than the man (no live thread yet so I figured I'd post here)
ReplyDeleteThe only friend not to turn on hulk hogan,
ReplyDeleteAnd Hillbilly Jim never turned on his country! #NeverForget
ReplyDeleteEsq.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's something I think can only really be done on rare occasion, but when it's done well, it's great.
ReplyDeleteThere was a John Paul in the AWA for a while, he and Ricky Rice teamed up as the Top Guns. Same guy maybe?
ReplyDeleteJim was taller.
ReplyDeleteWell, she had matches with Jericho.
ReplyDeleteThe DDP match at Havoc was VERY good.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I thought Jim Powers was awesome. He looked like a superstar compared even to most big-name guys.
ReplyDeleteSasha Grey.
ReplyDeleteThat's what steroids do to a woman who was always really a man... make them continue to have a penis.
ReplyDeleteChyna needs to be in a clinic, not the hall.
ReplyDeleteRemember when Missy Hyatt wrote into the blog to clarify she wasn't a Nazi??
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna need Hillbilly Jim to do the same with this thread
Darren Young!
ReplyDeleteIs it worse than the Rock's, where the narrative switches into third person whenever whoever actually wrote the book is describing a match?
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing something like that also.
ReplyDeleteMr T?
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Hillbilly Jim isn't in the HOF yet. He's a memorable character from the Rock n' Wrestling era, he's been going outside-the-ring work for WWE for decades, he seems well-liked by everyone in the business....why not Jim for the Hall?
ReplyDeleteThey have inducted Superstar Billy Graham, Wendi Richter, Bruno, and the Ultimate Warrior. These are people with a lot of heat with Vince. But none of them had a porn career.
ReplyDeleteAll things considered, Hillbilly had a pretty decent run. He was never going to be heavyweight champion. The IC title was not in the cards either, at that point the IC title was still a building block for someone on-deck for a main event/heavyweight title run. I guess a tag team run with JYD or as the Hillbillies with Uncle Elmer would have made sense. Hillbillies vs Moondogs book it.
ReplyDeleteStill though, he got to sniff around the main event scene being Hogan's ally, and squared off plenty with Heenan's guys like John Studd, and King Kong Bundy.
Yes I do, sir. Guilty as charged.
ReplyDeleteChyna will never go in. She totally went off the deep end, and most anybody would have been embarrassed by her actions. And when the deep end is doing porn, a leaked sex tape with of all people the Bronco Buster, and Celebrity Rehab, you are far from the Hall. WWE does all they can to separate their brand from drugs and former employees associated with public drug abuse.
ReplyDeleteIn fact I think Vince will intentionally hold off on indicting any DX faction including Chyna.
Of course the exception is Jake Roberts and Scott Hall. But they are HUGE.....HUGE fan favorites who brought that much more popularity to WWE's brand then Chyna. Plus it took a serious "feel-good", life saving, redemptive story for Hall and Roberts to get in. It got WWE some pretty good pub and press. DDP truly is the man.
Vince McMahon put his own daughter in the "HLA" storyline. His company tries to sell sex every day. Hopefully he wouldn't be so judgmental of one of his former employees who dabbled in porn.
ReplyDeleteHillbilly Jim had one of the BEST original theme songs of all time. I hate country music, but I would mark out every time the song came on.. still do.
ReplyDeleteHe slept with Stephanie?
ReplyDeletei like how this was posted as "guest"
ReplyDeleteHillbilly Jim never got caught with coke and weed in a car.. and he never made a sex tape with a pig. That's something.
ReplyDeleteSleepovers at the Hillbilly Ranch?
ReplyDeleteUltimate Warrior had an S & M comic with Santa.
ReplyDeleteNice try cultstatus, we know it was you who posted this!
ReplyDeleteMaybe his estate doesn't want him in.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly endorse this. Just imagine Randy Orton and his hubris getting the smacketh down from some local yokel who small packages him and does the improbable. They tried that with Bo Dallas and Wade Barrett, but its Bo Dallas and Wade Barrett.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, I just assumed he was already in.
ReplyDeleteAh Hillbilly...thank you for not rescuing little beaver....that was one of the funniest wrestling moments of all time.
ReplyDeleteYou, sir, are a goddamn genius.
ReplyDeleteNo, I wasn't watching TV in their heyday. Im only in my 20s. I only see them in their one time "legend" reappearances from time to time.
ReplyDelete