On today’s DragonKingKarl Show, Karl Stern takes a detailed look back at February 1986 from his upcoming DragonKingKarl’s 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus, set to be released in March.
This month was a very historic one in pro wrestling history.
It featured the tragic death of World Class wrestler Gino Hernandez (pictured above) which shocked the pro wrestling world.
Plus, NWA Superstars was on the Superstation, The Bullet battled Mr. Olympia over their masks, the Honky Tonk Man gimmick was born, a famous tag team wrestler was arrested for a fatal car accident, the first pro wrestling video game came out, and huge, tall tales were spun by the Von Erich family.
The Honky Tonk Man has announced a new contract with WWE.
He revealed on Saturday that he’s signed a multi-year Legends deal, his third consecutive such contract with the company.
“This Legends Deal is a reflection of my time and impact in WWE during the era it was becoming a global phenomenon,” Honky Tonk Man said in a statement. “The relationship with WWE has been mutually beneficial and I am honored by their continued commitment to ensure the Honky Tonk Man character and intellectual property will live on forever.”
A press release from his management reads:
“WWE Hall of Fame legend Honky Tonk Man has officially re-signed a multi-year Legends Deal with WWE, marking his third consecutive contract and continuing a remarkable 15-year nostalgia partnership with the company.
The Honky Tonk Man electrified the ring with unforgettable performances, shaking, rattling, and rolling his way to an astonishing 454-day reign as Intercontinental Champion—one of the longest in WWE history. With Jimmy Hart in his corner and his iconic guitar always within reach, this devious Superstar shattered the rules to ensure his triumphs. His reign was a spectacle of cunning and charisma, leaving an indelible mark on wrestling history.
For all his accomplishments and impact on professional wrestling and sports entertainment, the Honky Tonk Man was enshrined into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. Many argue that he was one of the first true sports entertainers, blending athleticism with showmanship in a way that set the standard for future generations.”
WWE has signed several names to Legends deals over the past year, including Demolition, Jim Duggan, Diamond Dallas Page, Hornswoggle, Kamala, Kelly Kelly, Armando Alejandro Estrada, and Jesse “The Body” Ventura.
Honky Tonk Man is a playable character in WWE 2K25, having been added to the series as part of a DLC pack released for WWE 2K24 last June. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 by longtime manager Jimmy Hart.
Honky Tonk Man’s time in WWE is perhaps best known for his 454-day reign as Intercontinental Champion. His record was broken by Gunther on September 7, 2023.
D-Generation X (HHH, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, X-Pac, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn) Honky Tonk Man, Torrie Wilson, Brutus Beefcake, the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), and Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) will all be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Additionally, longtime WWE employee Sue Aitchison will recieve this year’s Warrior Award from Dana Warrior. Aitchison is heavily involved in community service and is credited for being the link between WWE and Make A Wish Foundation.
WWE will also add a large group as Legacy Hall of Famers that includes Bruiser Brody, Wahoo McDaniel, Luna Vachon, SD Jones, Professor Toru Tanaka, Primo Carnera, MSG Network creator Joseph Cohen, former WWE president Hisashi Shinma, Buddy Rose, and promoter Jim Barnett.
Outside Hogan inducting Beefcake and Jimmy Hart inducting HTM, WWE hasn’t announced any of the other inductors.
The ceremony kicks off at 7 PM Eastern on WWE Network.
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Corey Graves and Renee Young are kicking us off from Barclays and introduce a video package for our first inductee, the Honky Tonk Man. The stage is a bit different this year as it’s in the ring with one side of ropes removed instead of the traditional stage we’re used to. It works.
Honky Tonk Man (inducted by Jimmy Hart)
Hart (who still has that great hair) told stories of HTM rising to the top of WWE in a fairly kayfabe fashion although he did use the name Wayne Ferris. The speech was only a few minutes, but mentioned how DDP drove to WrestleMania 6 in order to be the driver of HTM’s pink Cadillac for the show.
A very tan HTM, in full jumpsuit, guitar and with Peggy Sue, came out by the stage in that pink Cadillac. He said he wouldn’t be here without Hart. “Every dream I have had has come true 1000 times. This is the one dream I didn’t think would come true,” he said. He got a “You deserve it” chant from the fans.
He told a story of how the HTM character came about. He said he needed something different to get things rolling and had an idea for the character but needed a name. He was driving up the Gulf Coast and a 60s song “Honky Tonk Man” described the character he was trying to create. A promoter liked it and said he needed a guitar. “Can you play one? No? That’s even better.”
He talked about how the character really came to life in Calgary which is where he learned “how to stand, where to stand”. He said a recommendation came from Hulk Hogan (without naming him) to WWE after seeing him and he was hired right on the spot. “I love you, brother”, he said.
During the speech, he acknowledged his son in attendance and his daughter who was in Texas finishing up her final three months of medical school. “She said I should lose some weight before I did this. Doctor’s orders,” he joked.
As he wrapped up, Hart urged him to sing his theme song.
– Seth Rollins was shown and namebarred to a nice pop.
– We got a DX video of the Mike Tyson angle, the Vince/Shane impersonations, Raw 1000, and more.
Torrie Wilson (inducted by Stacy Keibler)
Keibler was a surprise and got a nice pop. She put over the women’s main event at WrestleMania and the women’s evolution. The fans chanted “Becky! Becky!” which Lynch got a bit embarassed about. Keibler talked about her Nitro Girls tryout and how that was the first time she met a woman with a “big smile and two dimples.” They have been friends for 20+ years.
Wilson started with a 4th grade story about a boy being interested in her for the first time and being nervous. She got up the nerve to talk to him after summer and he called her “fatso” and how that helped set a course for her the rest of her life. She transitioned to her first day in WWE and how she was nervous on that day as well. “Fear has one enemy: a confident persona.” She said how WWE gave her a confidence she wouldn’t have found anywhere else.
This was mainly an inspirational speech from someone that has done this before with advice that put over the fans. One of the best lines when talking about forgetting failure: “I didn’t get hired for my wrestling skills. I had none.” She told a fun story about Judgment Day 2003 when she did a posedown against Sable and “summoning her swagger” to get through the nerves.
Among others, she thanked Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan about helping her get her start; Fit Finlay (“I’m sorry” she laughed) for helping train her which got a “Thank you Finlay” chant; “Pete aka Billy Kidman, aka my ex-husband” for teaching her what heat was and how to avoid it; Keibler; Michelle McCool (“She was my road wife before Undertaker got his hands on her”); Victoria; Candice Michelle; and her family, especially her father Al who passed away this week.
A puberty joke about the fans brought down the house and elicited a “Thank you Torrie” chant. This was a really fun, emotional speech and is worth your while to see.
The Legacy Hall of Famers were up next.
Bruiser Brody, Jim Barnett, Hisashi Shinma, Luna Vachon, Buddy Rose, Primo Carnera, Toru Tanaka, SD Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, and Joe Cohen made up the class. Cohen, a driving force behind MSG Nework and WWE’s relationship with USA Network, was specifically shouted out as he was in attendance.
The Hart Foundation
Bret Hart came out with Jim Neidhart’s daughter, Natalya, who accepted on his behalf.
She started by acknowledging her mom, Bret, and the fans “for showing unconditional love since 1985”. She said his favorite team to wrestle were the British Bulldogs and that his favorite city to compete in was New York City. She mentioned all the teams inspired by the Hart Foundation and mentioned Teddy Harty and Harry Smith among a group of WWE teams through the years. She said in their last text exchange, his proudest accomplishment, other than his three daughters, was being in WWE.
Then, it was Bret’s turn. He talked about 1985 and the first Mania. After years of toiling away, he said, his character was going to be “Cowboy” Bret Hart with the full package. He joked about he told George Scott that in order to be a cowboy, you need to be a real cowboy and turning it down. He said he blurted out about how Jim and Jimmy needed something and could team them and name them the Hart Foundation. Scott didn’t think he could be a babyface, but eventually relented.
As he was telling a story, a fan rushed the stage in a hat and wig and went to tackle Bret. The screen went to black quickly and came back up with a crowd shot. Eventually, we went back live to chants of “F*ck him up” and “A**hole” with about a dozen talents in the ring. As people settled down, it was time to get back to the speech.
Bret joked that he had never talked to Jim about the idea before he had brought it up. He joked that being a heel tag team in 1985 was a “sort of a little like that right now” which popped everyone big. He talked about the Killer Bees vs. the Hart Foundation in Calgary with his parents watching a 20-minute draw in the front row. He joked about how he called his mom “a old bag” while playing a heel and his dad yelling back at him.
He told a great story where he, Neidhart, and King Kong Bundy were walking to a NYC parking garage as heels, and Bret being naive about the situation. He got kisses from the girls while they got pelted with garbage and yelled at. The story kept going and was fantastic including an upside down map story.
He shouted out Jimmy Hart and said he should be up there with them. Dover, NH, native Danny Davis even got a shoutout, as did many of the familiar tag teams of the 1980s and 1990s. “We were young, dumb, and full of…life.” He closed out the speech and said that he hopes to see of his friends again someday and wants to be brought to the Anvil first. And, of course, he closed with his “best there ever will be” line with a quick video of Neidhart playing on the video board.
Given the interlude and Bret’s words after the fact, this was one of the most memorable speeches of all time.
Brutus Beefcake (inducted by Hulk Hogan)
Hogan does his “Let me tell you something, Mean Gene” bit to kick things off. Hogan talks about getting into wrestling and having his leg broken by Hiro Matsuda his first day and coming back later. He talked about how he got Ed Leslie to come help him out with his bar and gym and what happened after Hogan decided to get back into wrestling. He explained how Leslie would get training before shows while Hogan was on the road and how in NYC, the name Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake was born.
He’s been in the business for 41 years. He thanked Hogan and “the 10 other guys Terry asked who said no”. He talked about his big break and how initially WWF was thinking about a butler characer called Baron Beefcake. “I wasn’t digging the name Baron. No offense, Baron Corbin” was a funny moment. Eventually, the name came to be and he said all he heard was, “How could this not make money?”
He credited Pat Patterson with “The Barber” gimmick and admitted being upset they wanted to add it to his character that was going really well at the time. He said Hogan came up with the idea of the sleeper and haircut.
He thanked his family, Kenny Casanova, Greg Valentine, Wade Boggs, DDP, and Marty Jannetty. He talked about some of his favorite matches like SummerSlam ’89 with Hogan vs. Randy Savage and Zeus, taking on Hogan in 1985 in the Oakland Coliseum with a group of Hell’s Angels wearing Hulkamania t-shirts, and the night Roddy Piper beat Adrian Adonis in a hair match and the electric clippers that didn’t work.
He talked about ending Mr. Perfect’s win streak and chasing after Lanny Poffo to cut his hair…but Poffo didn’t know he was supposed to have his hair cut. He joked about how Savage was ready to fight him backstage but Patterson helped cooler heads prevail.
He closed things up by joking that Shawn Michaels let him shave his head and that he still owes him $350 for breaking his barber shop window.
The Warrior Award is up next, given to WWE’s Sue Aitchison.
Dana Warrior came out and talked about the award, her late husband, and a little about Aitchison before ceding the stage to John Cena, complete with parted hair and welcomed with a loud “Face Kurt Angle” chant.
Cena was talking about Aitchison (“everything just sounds cooler with a British accent”) and a “Let’s go Cena/Cena sucks” which briefly seemed to irritate him before he defused it. The fans are really bringing it tonight in a terrible way. He put over Make A Wish and how he owes a lot of who he is today to Aitchison.
She talked about Make-A-Wish, Connor’s Cure, and how she’s coordinated over 6000 Wishes over her decades with the company. She put over all of the talent who have participated and those who have been recognized by MAW for their efforts including Cena who is at a record 619 Wishes. She told a funny joke about how Justin Bieber claimed he had done the most but that she cleared that up quickly.
She closed up with a story of a MaW child that the Rock met 15 years ago that is still alive, Jody Phillps. He calls her “Grandman” and was there in attendance, eventually asked to come onto the stage.
They showed Daniel Bryan and the crowd started booing. They flipped to Kofi Kingston and the crowd went nuts. Then, they did the ‘yeah/boo’ spot by flipping beween both guys in a very funny bit.
Harlem Heat is up next.
Booker T led off with some childhood stories and how when he went to prison, he and his brother would talk about wrestling. When he got out and needed a job, he said his brother told him that with any job, he needed to do it to best of his ability no matter what it was and that’s stuck every since.
Stevie Ray took over and explained how they went to Ivan Putski’s school and were trained by Scott Casey. He walked through their history of different organizations and when they met Eddie Gilbert in Global Wrestling, joking Booker looked “a wrestling version of John Shaft.” He explained how the team came about, how the names came about (Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder) and how they became the Ebony Experience but that things almost ended before they started.
He talked about how they got to WCW and how Sherri Martel helped them out, a tag match with Sid Vicious and a friend of his, and how Ole Anderson helped keep them around. The speech kept coming back to the phrase “Looks like it was over before it started” which always got a laugh. They put over Hogan as helping them get bigger as he told management they were WCW’s best tag team. Seems to be a running thread tonight, huh?
Ray made a point to put over Arn Anderson and how influential he was to them, doing so in a way to help counteract some of the stories about Anderson after he was let go from WWE. You could tell he really wanted to make that point. Overall, this was a good speech with some good stories and shoutouts.
DX is up next to close the show.
HHH, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, Shawn Michaels, and Road Dogg came out on an army vehicle like they did for the WCW invasion. After they threw out a bunch of neon light sticks and walked around the ring, Dogg said, “I dare someone to rush the ring on DX!” He then was asked to lead things off but said he was “blown sky high” and needed five minutes to recover.
HHH interrupted him and said he was an important executive and that “apparently if you put executive vice president in front of your name, you become important” in a funny moment. He went through the rules of WWE HoF speeches like “Do not say Vince McMahon” and they proceeded to say his name about 50 times, getting the fans to eventually chant it. Billy Gunn joked, “He can’t fire me!” HHH then said, “He’ll buy that pissant company just to fire you again!”
Michaels got serious and put over Chyna which the fans ate up with “You deserve it”. Dogg put on his “cheaters” which were glasses and a giant stack of papers that was his speech (“Hillbilly Jim helped me with it) and then all the guys brought out their glasses. HHH’s were googly eyed glasses which he said were Shawn’s while Shawn had a pair with a big nose that were his.
Dogg got serious and thanked God for his sobreity, and his wife who went through hell with him and how he’ll spend the rest of his days trying to repay her. He closed with a funny video that strangely ended wth a dog humping a woman’s leg.
Gunn then got the mic with jokes from HHH (“Don’t make Vince regret this”) and thanked his family, getting choked up when talking about his mom and his wife. He then brought out a SuperSoaker that fizzled out of water to which HHH said, “At our age, it happens. Sometimes when you pump it, it just dribbles out the tip.” Michaels said, “Just like Billy Gunn to overpromise and underdeliver. We appreciate you being here and being…all in.” This is an amazing set of speeches.
Then, it was Waltman’s turn and the fans chanted “1-2-3”. He said he didn’t think he’d be alive to see this moment. He talked about his family in attendance and being able to have a relationship with his two kids again. He said the guys made jokes about how many notes he had, but he decided to just wing it. “If you want to look up my work, just watch on the WWE Network…for $9.99. Is it still $9.99?” He talked about seeing Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes and knowing that day, that’s what he wanted to do.
He thanked the Great Malenko, his sons, Scott Hall, the Clique, Bret Hart, Eric Bischoff for hiring him and firing him in time to back to win the Monday Night Wars for WWE, and Kevin Nash. Nash didn’t stand up immediately and Waltman joked, “What, are your knees bothering you? I was going to make a quad joke.” He thanked Gunn for not killing him for supergluing his hat to his head before a match, explaining he thought Gunn shaved his eyebrows but it turned out it was Curt Hennig.
He shouted out Chyna and suggested that the Chyna memorial battle royal had a nice ring to it.
His speech closed strangely with a talk about all the women who flashed them through the years which transitioned into showing old women with saggy boobs on the video board. Yep, that happened.
Then, it was time for Shawn Michaels who said that his family wasn’t here. They jokingly moved him along with HHH saying, “They’re embarassed because you wore assless chaps for years. Even Bret wouldn’t do that.” HHH then closed things up with shouting out Killer Kowalski, everyone he’s worked against, and the Clique (“It was DX before DX was, the NWO before the NWO was”). The crowd did the Young Bucks “Too Sweet Woop Woop” chant to which he said, “Honestly, that’s stupid and I hate that. Our stuff was cool, that ain’t.” Alright then.
He talked about Chyna and how her induction was fitting given the Mania main event. He pointed out her sister in the crowd. “She’s here, the real her,” he said, getting emotional. “Believe me, the real her would love this.” He shouted out his three daughters, his parents, Vince, Linda (“I can say her name. What’s she going to do, audit my taxes or something?”), and Stephanie (“Forever.”).
He joked that his mom was the master of the penis joke and wrote all the group’s controversial humor. Michaels then started talked and we got the return of the DX podium where the goal was to apologize for all the bad things they have done. This started to drag a bit, especially as we were nearing the four hour mark. All of their catchphrases closed out a long, but memorable speech.
Good night from Barclays Center…or at least a laptop in New Hampshire watching a show from Barclays.
Jimmy Hart will be playing a role in this year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
WWE announced today that Hart will induct The Honky Tonk Man into the Hall of Fame. Hart was Honky Tonk Man’s manager in the WWF.
It was originally reported that Hart was going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame again this year as part of the Hart Foundation, but only Bret Hart & Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart are being inducted as part of the group.
Jimmy would have become a two-time WWE Hall of Famer if he was included with the Hart Foundation. He was inducted individually in 2005.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York tomorrow (Saturday) night. D-Generation X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, X-Pac, Road Dogg & Billy Gunn), Honky Tonk Man, Torrie Wilson, Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray), the Hart Foundation, and Brutus Beefcake are the other members of this year’s class. Sue Aitchison will also receive this year’s Warrior Award.
As was announced yesterday, Hulk Hogan will be inducting Beefcake into the Hall of Fame.
This year’s WWE Hall of Fame class has its second confirmed act.
WWE announced via CBS Sports today that the Honky Tonk Man will be inducted into their Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 35 weekend. The ceremony is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, April 6.
“WWE is the place to be. For me, it’s the only place I have ever wanted to be,” Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Farris) told CBS Sports on their State of Combat podcast. “It’s the place that if I’m ready to finish up, that’s where I want to be. It’s home for me because I have so many fond memories of everything that has been accomplished by WWE and from what I’ve accomplished myself. It wasn’t me alone, it was a huge team effort.
“That is what’s amazing and what is so great about being part of the WWE. The door is open to you and it’s up to you if you want to walk through it. I look back on everything and for some unknown reason, everything has a meaning. The timing, everything about this year in the 2019 Hall of Fame, everything was lining up perfectly. I never dreamed it was going to happen and would tell people that it’s something I don’t think about every day of my life. But to be able to be part of this, it’s hard to explain.”
Honky Tonk Man’s 454 days as champion is the longest Intercontinental title reign in WWE history. He won the title from Ricky Steamboat on June 2, 1987 and dropped it to the Ultimate Warrior on August 29, 1988.
D-Generation X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn) were the first act to be announced for the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class.
The last time we saw Lucha Underground, season two ended with Dario Cueto being arrested and taken away from the Temple. Now, season three begins with Dario working out in prison until a guard lets him go, saying that Dario must have friends in high places.
Honky Tonk Man gives Dario his belongings, including “One giant key!” Dario gets into a limo with one of the politicians and the man’s super-big boss, who now has a giant Dr. Claw hand.
In the Temple, Dario is mid-ring with Matanza. He announces Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Pentagon Dark tonight.
Matanza has beaten everyone, but he has a new concept all on his own — Dario’s Dial of Doom, which bears a very mild passing resemblance to Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal. Son of Havoc may have lost his guaranteed title shot last season, but he gained a shot tonight — in our opener in fact.
Lucha Underground Champion Matanza Cueto defeated Son of Havoc
A game of cat and mouse goes awry for Son of Havoc, who eats a pounce. Matanza misses a splash on the apron, and Havoc does his flagpole elbow right to Matanza’s nuts. Havoc hits a victory roll and turns it into a double stomp for two. Matanza’s snap sidewinder suplex hits hard.
Moonsault headbutts connect for Matanza. Havoc front facelocks him to the floor. Havoc goes for an armbar after hitting a double stomp. Matanza powers out, but eats a springboard cutter for two. A shooting star press gets a near fall as the crowd goes crazy. Matanza catches Havoc off a dive, then hits the Wrath of the Gods rewind powerslam to win.
The Worldwide Underground meet with Dario about Johnny Mundo not getting a title match. Dario tells him his name was on the dial — fortune just wasn’t on his side. Dario blames Angelico for their trios title loss last season, and we get a skit of them all beating Angelico up after Ultima Lucha Dos. They shatter Angelico’s leg in the door of Mundo’s sports car.
Dario thanks them for the story, but won’t give Mundo a shot at the title. Mundo wants to face Sexy Star instead, but Dario says that they all lost — except for Taya, so she will face Star for the title.
Ivelisse talks about Catrina costing her two Ultima Lucha matches, and she wants her first Ultima Lucha win to be against Catrina. Ivelisse says she wants to crush Catrina’s skull in the process. The lights go out and Catrina accepts Ivelisse’s challenge, telling her to bring it on.
Gift of the Gods Champion Sexy Star defeated Taya
Star appears to be back from a vacation on the sun given how dark she is. Striker talks about how the GOTG title has never been successfully defended as Star locks on a Fujiwara armbar. Star slaps Taya after they do a tumbling exchange that Vampiro compares to something from Johnny Smith.
Star elbows her down before a dropkick to the backside sends Taya to the floor. Star eats a fallaway slam after Taya catches her on a dive. Taya’s shotgun knees miss as she is held by Mundo. Star cradles her and wins. The entire group beats up Star before Fenix, Drago, and Aerostar (the Trios Champions) come out to the ring.
Marty the Moth interrupts Dario as he’s talking on the phone. Marty makes sure that Dario got his gifts in jail, and Dario asks that they never speak of his “vacation” again. Marty looks even sleazier than before now that he has a beard, and Dario asks him about Killshot. Marty says he’s done with him, but Dario says he isn’t — and he will have a chance to win his dog tags back in a Weapons of Mass Destruction match.
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Pentagon Dark
They bust out a tumbling exchange and Mysterio comes out on top of it with a rana. Pentagon chops him and talks smack before getting two off a double stomp. Mysterio’s top is moved aside and he eats a big chop.
Two sling blades hit for a near fall. A superkick sends Mysterio to the apron, but he lands a rana off the top. They fight to the floor, where Mysterio hits a pinwheel DDT. Pentagon hits a head-drop driver for two.
Pentagon stares at Vampiro, who leaves because he just can’t be here. Mysterio hits a rana, the 619, and wins with a flip piledriver! Mysterio gets jumped, but Dragon Azteca Jr. saves him from an armbreaker.
Backstage, Prince Puma ponders his previous loss to Mysterio. Vampiro tells him he knows what he’s feeling and he’s been there. He’s lost and maybe he needs some guidance. Vampiro tells him he has to take his frustrations out on Mil Muertes, and Puma says he’s surprised Vampiro isn’t sending him after Pentagon.
Vampiro reminds him that it’s all about Puma, not him, before leaving.
Final Thoughts —
This was an excellent episode of the show and just about the perfect way to merge the outside drama with the in-ring action.
