Hillbilly Jim On Hulk Hogan's Impact, The Origin Of His Gimmick, WWE Hall Of Fame Induction
Hillbilly Jim spoke with the College Heights Herald on his WWE Hall of Fame Induction, the origin of his gimmick, and Hulk Hogan. Here are some of the highlights:
Getting his start in WWE with Hulk Hogan:
"Hulk Hogan was like Elvis in the wrestling business, so when they had him start acting like he was training me, it was over. When people look at you you've got to have something to connect to them, and because I had that charisma the fans really loved me. I knew I wasn't a hillbilly, but I became the best hillbilly that I could be."
How the idea for the Hillbilly Jim character came up:
"Chief Jay Strongbow told Vince that there hadn't been a hillbilly in the business for a long time. Vince asked me where they could say I was from, and I came up with Mud Lick, Kentucky. Vince said, 'That's great, Hillbilly Jim from Mud Lick, Kentucky,' and that's exactly how it began."
Getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and who he's accepting it for:
"This business doesn't owe me anything because I've already had a Hall of Fame life. I've already had my glory, so this induction is in my name, but I'm accepting it for my family, my friends and the fans. Nobody makes it by themselves, and this whole thing wouldn't have happened for me without help from a lot of different people."
Hillbilly Jim also discussed ending his in-ring career relatively young. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.