When I was about 12-13 my brother got me and my best friend tickets to a house show at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and a hotel room downtown the night before for my birthday. So we're going down to the pool the morning of the show and as we walk by the gym we see this MASSIVE man with his hair in a ponytail and a big beard basically lifting the gym. Lol. Once we realized who it was we went into the gym and spoke. He literally stopped his workout and came over and talked to us for about 5 minutes. Even waited for us to go to the front desk to get pen and paper so that we could get autographs. Literally one of the nicest gentlemen I've ever met! Hopefully Jim will see this comment so that he will know that a 47-year-old man still remembers and appreciates the encounter that he had with him as a child!
I was never a big Hillbilly Jim fan back in the 80's, but he's a lot smarter than a lot of his peers and shows some remarkably good common sense. Based on this interview alone, I'd say he's gotta be one of the nicest guys ever in the wrestlling business.
When he wrestled in Phoenix one year I was lucky enough to be brought up into the ring with him. I think my momma still has the pics he has always been one of my favs. Always humble and so sweet.
I love that the interviewer asked the questions and just lets Jim talk. As a country hick boy who grew up in south Alabama, Hillbilly Jim was one of my favorites along with the Godwins just because they were a few of the guys who I could relate to.
yeah man this is my secret weapon. This is how I decompress this is my therapy I even play it while I try to sleep sometimes Hannibal has these long videos just for people like me I was thinking that just like to listen to it as you go to sleep. I love listening to that one about the WCW. Hannibal is a damn genius. He asked questions I’ve always wanted to do the answers to it’s like he’s a psychic. What a project.
This is the first timē I have heard him talk about working for WWE after he left the ring I didn't know but it proves what a good attitude can do and why alot of the guys from this era and before didnt end up working for the company after the "retired"
To give this comment a little context, I was 9 when WrestleMania 3 took place. I am from the Bay Area and had never been anywhere in the country where I would have had any dealings with "hillbillies". I REALLY didn't like Hillbilly Jim when I was into wrestling. I thought he was really stupid. I have watched almost all of Hannibal's interviews. I really didn't want to watch this one. I am SO glad I did. When you are a kid you don't think beyond the character. Probably the nicest, most gracious, down to earth wrestler I have ever heard speak. It doesn't hurt that he likes Jim Morrison and the Doors....Jimi Hendrix too. Just typing that I realize they are all Jim's LOL. Hillbilly Jim, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Anyway, he is one of my favorites now. Thank you, Hannibal, for the work that you do for these interviews. Getting to see a glimpse of how these guys are in real life has changed my opinion of some of them greatly. Keep it up. P.S. So sad that so many are gone and can't do these. We are all missing out.
Lots of surprises in this interview. Much respect for Jim, who recalls all those deep memories of the good old times. But like he says, those golden days had a lot hard work on the road and at the gyms. Cheers
Growing up in WV I loved this guy,,,hell,,I still do,I'm so glad someone found all these guys,and done all these interviews, sometimes I just need to re live my childhood I suppose❤️
Man Jim is a smart guy with alot of wisdom. This is the type of man that us younger guys should try to hang around and pick their brains and absorb as much knowledge as we can
His Stu Hart impression tho! What I realize about the world is this man was so popular and loved by all ( especially children like me at the time) because hes a GOOD man and has loads of natural charisma and intellect. That transmuted thru the TV. We feel it, especially as kids.
I got into the WWF as a kid in 1986, I was 9 going on 10. As far as getting over with the fans as babyfaces I would agree after Hogan no one else got a louder pop than Hillbilly Jim, maybe JYD was on the same level.
@@rustykuntz94 Exactly, I never saw him as a heel so thankfully I missed that. I wasn't a kid then I believe I was in High School back then. When Elmer got hitched.
Man he tells a great story. I could listen to him talk for hours. He was a year or two before my time, but after his HOF speech I wanted to hear him speak on his career and industry from over the years. Young guys should definitely pick his brain while they still can.
I was a big HBJ fan. Loved watching him Sat mornings when I was a kid. I'm happy to see he has had a great life. Other wrestlers should learn from him. Smart man.
Hearing Mr. Morris mention Dayton, OH and Hara Arena @ 46:30 made me so happy! Growing up in Dayton and my father taking me to WWF matches at Hara in the 80s brought back some WONDERFUL memories!!
@@MrAitraining Hannibal does a wonderful job facilitating his interviews. He always allows guests to expand and divulge as much as they want without interrupting or forcing in questions.
Thank you so much Hannibal, your Hillbilly Jim interview really took me back to the "good ole' days", when guys like "Gorilla" Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, "Lord" Alfred Hayes, and all the others were on commentary. Back at a time when wrestling was "larger than life" to me.
I remember growing up and falling in love with wrestling and Hulk, JYD, & Hillbilly Jim were the biggest stars in the world to me because of the cartoon
He’s one of the best interviews you’ve done! As an interviewer it’s got to be great to ask one question and the interviewee is off to the races! Great stuff!!!
1987 Providence Civic center I went to go see wrestling Kamala the Uganda headhunter was supposed to be the main fight on the card he never showed up but instead hillbilly Jim was there I was so upset LOL all these years later I watch this interview and it makes me feel good that I got to see him wrestle
I remember when I was a kid, a few weeks before he debuted, he was sitting in the crowd and the camera would go to him and Bobby the Brain would say, there is that Big Hillbilly 😂, I loved it
I was just watching some old HBJ segments on youtube, and he was a hell of a country/bluegrass guitarist. He was probably a better guitarist than he was a wrestler, and I mean that in all due respect.
I've never witnessed such an extraordinary display of facial gymnastics in my life. Winking, blinking, twitching, lip smacking, lip curling. (Hmm, I wonder if he'd be able to lip curl a barbell. (Laughing) Nah, I'm just ribbing him. He's okay. He's just a overtly confident person, that's all. Great interview.
Very intelligent man. My opinion and ignorance of Southerners is shattered by this smart man. It saddens me when wrestlers I grew up with end up broke or on drugs. It makes me happy to see the "country boy" isn't one of them.
I'm from Kentucky so let me clear up a few other pieces of misinformation. 1. We do wear shoes. 2. We dont yearn to marry our cousins. 3. We dont gather on the front porch and stare at bug zappers. 4. We dont walk around saying y'all and over yonder. 5. Mullets are ridiculous and no we dont wear them (unless your part of the demo derby crew and then it's a requirement). 6. We dont walk around with a piece of hay hanging out of our mouths. 7. Flannel is awesome, so yes we wear flannel. 8. Bibs are amazing as well for farmers and apparently they make awesome wrestling attire. 9. Our IQs are significantly above 60. You can't do what a country boy does and be an idiot. You'll get killed.
I mean these 2 statements from the bottom of my heart...... 1) Loved Hillbilly Jim as a kid, I'm 42 now, & seemed liked yesterday, I was watching & enjoying him so much. 2) CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 🐐
Listen to this guy tell his story in such an entertaining, insightful way and you see what kind of intelligence this man has. One of my favorite interviews.
Hillbilly Jim is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs! You watch this and you just want be his next Door neighbor. Class class class.
Yes, that was Lee Moran who held that tittle. Keep in mind he did it with an injured back. Use to work out at Iron Island, the old Johnny's Gym on Encinal St in Alameda, CA as well as Lee was a senior Hells Angle MC Member out of Oakland, CA! Good Man whom deserved respect and received it!
Jim gets one bit wrong at 28:25 ... Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested in 1967 at the New Haven Arena, which was demolished in the mid 1970s. This incident is referenced in the Door's song Peace Frog "... blood in the streets in the town of New Haven..." He probably means the September 16, 1984 wrestling match that was a few blocks away at the New Haven Coliseum, which does have its own bit of music history. Van Halen's "Live Without A Net" was filmed there.
He was trained by Dale and Mike Mann, I worked for Dale as a wrestler in 97-98, trained by Chris Michaels..Yes I have met Jim as well, very great guy. A saying that when Jim went to the WWF Vince was claiming Hulk Hogan trained him. Vince was telling Dale to stop using the name Cousin Jr. at his shows. Dale called Vince and said stop saying Hogan trained Jim on tv. So he did and both lived happily ever after.
17.40 - "In our business ... even if you look like a sack of potatoes wrapped in some oil, you can go back out there, they'll still let you do it." lol!
The Hannibal TV Full Shoot Interview Playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLvoIHF4T3-L706lEMhXDDveFu63O223xo.html
This is where I am now; I'd rather watch wrestlers of yesterday talk about their time than actually watch today's product.
I can listen to this stuff for 3 hours in a row no problem... it's riveting.
Modern WWE not so much.
Not so much at all.
Me too! I don’t watch the current product at all!
I would rather stick ice picks in my eyes than watch today’s product
Same here
Me too
When I was about 12-13 my brother got me and my best friend tickets to a house show at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and a hotel room downtown the night before for my birthday. So we're going down to the pool the morning of the show and as we walk by the gym we see this MASSIVE man with his hair in a ponytail and a big beard basically lifting the gym. Lol. Once we realized who it was we went into the gym and spoke. He literally stopped his workout and came over and talked to us for about 5 minutes. Even waited for us to go to the front desk to get pen and paper so that we could get autographs. Literally one of the nicest gentlemen I've ever met! Hopefully Jim will see this comment so that he will know that a 47-year-old man still remembers and appreciates the encounter that he had with him as a child!
I was never a big Hillbilly Jim fan back in the 80's, but he's a lot smarter than a lot of his peers and shows some remarkably good common sense. Based on this interview alone, I'd say he's gotta be one of the nicest guys ever in the wrestlling business.
Lo
Jim says thank u and wants to invite u to dinner at his house w his family
One of the best shoot/interviews I've ever seen you the man HB Jim.
When he wrestled in Phoenix one year I was lucky enough to be brought up into the ring with him. I think my momma still has the pics he has always been one of my favs. Always humble and so sweet.
I love that the interviewer asked the questions and just lets Jim talk. As a country hick boy who grew up in south Alabama, Hillbilly Jim was one of my favorites along with the Godwins just because they were a few of the guys who I could relate to.
Yes
This chennel by far has the best Wrestling interviews I ever seen.
yeah man this is my secret weapon. This is how I decompress this is my therapy I even play it while I try to sleep sometimes Hannibal has these long videos just for people like me I was thinking that just like to listen to it as you go to sleep. I love listening to that one about the WCW. Hannibal is a damn genius. He asked questions I’ve always wanted to do the answers to it’s like he’s a psychic. What a project.
Happy belated 70th birthday to hillbilly jim he just turned 70 on july 5 th
Watched "Hillbilly Jim" in Florida and on the cartoon back in the early 1980s.
Can't wait to see this one and hear him talking. His work in the ring was legendary to me as a kid and teen.
His stories are fucking incredible. He just became one of my favs ever. Funny and all class.
What a lovely, humble, down-to-earth man. Great interview.
What I love about hillbilly Jim is he's not so quick to put people down
I remember growing up in Compton watching hillbilly Jim on wwf tv in 1985 i was11years old such wonderful memories
Him, George Steele, Craig Valentine and others who have scape my mind make me happy to listen to because they just give off normal guy positive vibes.
This is the first timē I have heard him talk about working for WWE after he left the ring I didn't know but it proves what a good attitude can do and why alot of the guys from this era and before didnt end up working for the company after the "retired"
Jim seems to be such a nice guy. Very honest and straight up
Met him a few times when I was in the home video business and he was selling for Coliseum. SUPER nice guy and a cool cat overall.
To give this comment a little context, I was 9 when WrestleMania 3 took place. I am from the Bay Area and had never been anywhere in the country where I would have had any dealings with "hillbillies". I REALLY didn't like Hillbilly Jim when I was into wrestling. I thought he was really stupid. I have watched almost all of Hannibal's interviews. I really didn't want to watch this one. I am SO glad I did. When you are a kid you don't think beyond the character. Probably the nicest, most gracious, down to earth wrestler I have ever heard speak. It doesn't hurt that he likes Jim Morrison and the Doors....Jimi Hendrix too. Just typing that I realize they are all Jim's LOL. Hillbilly Jim, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Anyway, he is one of my favorites now. Thank you, Hannibal, for the work that you do for these interviews. Getting to see a glimpse of how these guys are in real life has changed my opinion of some of them greatly. Keep it up. P.S. So sad that so many are gone and can't do these. We are all missing out.
Lots of surprises in this interview.
Much respect for Jim, who recalls all those deep memories of the good old times. But like he says, those golden days had a lot hard work on the road and at the gyms.
Cheers
Growing up in WV I loved this guy,,,hell,,I still do,I'm so glad someone found all these guys,and done all these interviews, sometimes I just need to re live my childhood I suppose❤️
Man Jim is a smart guy with alot of wisdom.
This is the type of man that us younger guys should try to hang around and pick their brains and absorb as much knowledge as we can
Best shoot I have ever listened to. I appreciate Hill Billy Jim even more!
This is the best interview I've seen from you this guy is as real as it gets
Hillbillie jim is one cool guy
It’s Hillbilly. Geezus H.
Jim is one of the most engaging and brilliant speakers. You could just listen to him talk for hours.
It's great to hear about the Legends backing into the business & the good times they had. I sure enjoyed watching them when I was a kid.
His Stu Hart impression tho!
What I realize about the world is this man was so popular and loved by all ( especially children like me at the time) because hes a GOOD man and has loads of natural charisma and intellect. That transmuted thru the TV. We feel it, especially as kids.
I love hillbilly Jim! Such a nice man inside and out! God bless 🙏 Jim!
Never would have thought Hillbilly Jim would do good impressions of other guys, but his Billy Graham & Stu Hart voices are solid
He has the best Billy Graham I've heard
Missed this the first time but his Harley might be the best one of all.
I liked the Chief Jay Strongbow too. Bruce Prichard does a good Strongbow also
Jim is a great Guy and I'm Proud to know him.
Great career interview, thanks so much.
He was right about being a heel. At one point in his career, he was the second most beloved character being Hogan in wrestling amongst the kids.
I got into the WWF as a kid in 1986, I was 9 going on 10. As far as getting over with the fans as babyfaces I would agree after Hogan no one else got a louder pop than Hillbilly Jim, maybe JYD was on the same level.
@@rustykuntz94 Exactly, I never saw him as a heel so thankfully I missed that. I wasn't a kid then I believe I was in High School back then. When Elmer got hitched.
Hmmm I never remember him as a heel!
@@UAPReportingCenter he wasn't
Jim is one of those guys that if you don't like him, the problem is you.
Great insight to a guy we didn't know much about.
Man he tells a great story. I could listen to him talk for hours. He was a year or two before my time, but after his HOF speech I wanted to hear him speak on his career and industry from over the years.
Young guys should definitely pick his brain while they still can.
I was a big HBJ fan. Loved watching him Sat mornings when I was a kid. I'm happy to see he has had a great life. Other wrestlers should learn from him. Smart man.
Hearing Mr. Morris mention Dayton, OH and Hara Arena @ 46:30 made me so happy! Growing up in Dayton and my father taking me to WWF matches at Hara in the 80s brought back some WONDERFUL memories!!
This may be the best interview you've done.
I'm not sure Hannibal "interviewed" him lol. He asked a question every half hour and Jim just kept going. Great stuff though.
@@MrAitraining Hannibal does a wonderful job facilitating his interviews. He always allows guests to expand and divulge as much as they want without interrupting or forcing in questions.
@@MrAitraining Jim dont need an interviewer. He can interview his ownself! 😁
Thank you so much Hannibal, your Hillbilly Jim interview really took me back to the "good ole' days", when guys like "Gorilla" Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, "Lord" Alfred Hayes, and all the others were on commentary. Back at a time when wrestling was "larger than life" to me.
take that thing off your face you numpty
I remember growing up and falling in love with wrestling and Hulk, JYD, & Hillbilly Jim were the biggest stars in the world to me because of the cartoon
Hillbilly Jim was the first LJN WWF doll I got! Great guy!
LOVE HILLBILLY!!! Thank you so much for this interview.
Hannibal, if you haven't started a pod cast, now is that time. You are so respected.
We post news and interviews in Audio form on Itunes here: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-hannibal-tv-official-podcast/id1296532554
You are so over. We are doing the pushing now. It's up to us to share your content. Congratulations on all your success.
He’s one of the best interviews you’ve done! As an interviewer it’s got to be great to ask one question and the interviewee is off to the races! Great stuff!!!
1987 Providence Civic center I went to go see wrestling Kamala the Uganda headhunter was supposed to be the main fight on the card he never showed up but instead hillbilly Jim was there I was so upset LOL all these years later I watch this interview and it makes me feel good that I got to see him wrestle
This is a fantastic interview. One of my favorites with the old fellas. Thx for the great content.
💪
I've always loved Hillbilly Jim..
I just met him today at barnes and noble in bowling green ky
Awesome I've seen him in great escape a couple times
Big part of why I still love bluegrass music lol
Mr. Jim lives in my home town, Bowling Green, KY. I've spoken with him. Nice guy! Very approachable. Great guitar player too!
Country player?
He seems like he is at a place in his life that we all strive for throughout the years.
I've never seen anyone talk so much without taking a break to breath..
He'd be a great salesman. He controls the conversation.
He was a Coliseum Home Video salesmen for WWE for years so yea he was a good one.
He was always one of my favorites as a kid!
What a great dude, just really comes across genuinely. I would laugh my ass off when Heenan would call him "The big hick from Mudlick."
Thanks as always HANNIBAL, great interview!
Cool how this guy remembers everybody's name, no matter how innocuous, that helped him along the way.
Such a great mind! He remembers every city, and every arena in each city.
its nice to see that he is legit a nice guy and legit smarter than the character made him seem.
One of very few people I'd love to meet before I leave this world. Love this interview
I remember when I was a kid, a few weeks before he debuted, he was sitting in the crowd and the camera would go to him and Bobby the Brain would say, there is that Big Hillbilly 😂, I loved it
21:17 This hits home. Thanks for the great advice Hillbilly Jim
Great interview, I am just blown away.
Brilliant interview. Jim is really charismatic and interesting to listen to. Great interviewing as always.
I was just watching some old HBJ segments on youtube, and he was a hell of a country/bluegrass guitarist. He was probably a better guitarist than he was a wrestler, and I mean that in all due respect.
If the hillbilly gimmick didn't work out he could have been called the lip smacker!
I've never witnessed such an extraordinary display of facial gymnastics in my life.
Winking, blinking, twitching, lip smacking, lip curling. (Hmm, I wonder if he'd be able to lip curl a barbell. (Laughing)
Nah, I'm just ribbing him. He's okay. He's just a overtly confident person, that's all. Great interview.
Jim has the most appropriate background for this interview.
He could cut his rants down a Lil. You can very much see he is on SAT radio.
An intelligent, insightful man. Thanks, Hillbilly Jim.
Very intelligent man. My opinion and ignorance of Southerners is shattered by this smart man. It saddens me when wrestlers I grew up with end up broke or on drugs. It makes me happy to see the "country boy" isn't one of them.
I'm from Kentucky so let me clear up a few other pieces of misinformation. 1. We do wear shoes. 2. We dont yearn to marry our cousins. 3. We dont gather on the front porch and stare at bug zappers. 4. We dont walk around saying y'all and over yonder. 5. Mullets are ridiculous and no we dont wear them (unless your part of the demo derby crew and then it's a requirement). 6. We dont walk around with a piece of hay hanging out of our mouths. 7. Flannel is awesome, so yes we wear flannel. 8. Bibs are amazing as well for farmers and apparently they make awesome wrestling attire. 9. Our IQs are significantly above 60. You can't do what a country boy does and be an idiot. You'll get killed.
@@EDFCentral I do say y’all and over yonder but the rest of the post is true.
Hill Billy is a sound guy. Knows his stuff and looks like he’s done well 🤩
Great explanation about Andre the Giant personality….
Love Hillbilly. He always has some good stories. A real tough guy too.
I mean these 2 statements from the bottom of my heart...... 1) Loved Hillbilly Jim as a kid, I'm 42 now, & seemed liked yesterday, I was watching & enjoying him so much. 2) CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 🐐
Listen to this guy tell his story in such an entertaining, insightful way and you see what kind of intelligence this man has. One of my favorite interviews.
Love your interviews.
Facts……
Love the way he approaches life. Always enjoy Hillbilly Jim shoots.
Great Interview Thank You Hillbilly Jim. God Bless You.
Hillbilly Jim is one of my all time favourite Babyface's, he was so over back in the day! Fantastic interview, such an awesome guy!
Hillbilly Jim is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs! You watch this and you just want be his next
Door neighbor. Class class class.
This was really good and interesting.
Thank you HannibalTv.
Our pleasure!
Funny how he told his life story without being asked many questions
what a guy one favourites as a kid loved him with godwinns could listen him for hours :)
HBJ does awesome impersonations. Like everyone of em
This was a really good interview, Jim is smart and a great storyteller. 👌
Ten mins in and I'm wondering if Hannibal's gonna get to ask any questions🤔
🤣
Hillybilly Jim killing it on the impressions 😂. Great Interview guys!
From one Kentucky kid to another. Good dude
The in person shoots are so much better
this is cool. i hope one day Hannibal puts all these full shoot interviews on blu-ray. i would buy everyone.
I have really enjoyed he's shoot interviews...and that's a good idea hopefully he sees your post
Wow! He speaks so well. Everything he says is so interesting.
Facts……
He was a man of the people.
One of My ChildHood WWF Baby-Faces of the 1980's&Hulk Hogan's Right ✋ Budd!
When you interviewing Big Lenny
Do go messing with this country boy
I always really liked Hillbilly Jim a great WWE Wrestler he just had it
Yes, that was Lee Moran who held that tittle. Keep in mind he did it with an injured back. Use to work out at Iron Island, the old Johnny's Gym on Encinal St in Alameda, CA as well as Lee was a senior Hells Angle MC Member out of Oakland, CA! Good Man whom deserved respect and received it!
Jim gets one bit wrong at 28:25 ... Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested in 1967 at the New Haven Arena, which was demolished in the mid 1970s. This incident is referenced in the Door's song Peace Frog "... blood in the streets in the town of New Haven..."
He probably means the September 16, 1984 wrestling match that was a few blocks away at the New Haven Coliseum, which does have its own bit of music history. Van Halen's "Live Without A Net" was filmed there.
Jim was detail oriented in this interview….
Great interview. Jim's still in great shape and tells a great story.
He was trained by Dale and Mike Mann, I worked for Dale as a wrestler in 97-98, trained by Chris Michaels..Yes I have met Jim as well, very great guy. A saying that when Jim went to the WWF Vince was claiming Hulk Hogan trained him. Vince was telling Dale to stop using the name Cousin Jr. at his shows. Dale called Vince and said stop saying Hogan trained Jim on tv. So he did and both lived happily ever after.
Wow he's in better shape than half the WWE roster
17.40 - "In our business ... even if you look like a sack of potatoes wrapped in some oil, you can go back out there, they'll still let you do it." lol!
The one WWF wrestler I was able to high five as a kid.