Breaking News: Hillbilly Jim to Be Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

WWE has announced the following:

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.