THE HONKY TONK MAN

'Roy Wayne Farris' (born January 25, 1953) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 'The Honky Tonk Man'. Currently working on the independent circuit, he has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

Career

Farris won several regional tag team titles as one half of the "Blond Bombers" with Larry Latham who went on to become 'Moondog Spot'. In mid-1986, Farris also won the North American Heavyweight Title from Bad News Allen in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling as Honky Tonk Wayne.
The Honky Tonk Man debuted as a face in the WWF in late 1986. The fans rejected Honky Tonk Man as a face, however. The WWF turned him heel. As a heel, he was managed by Jimmy Hart, dubbed "The Colonel" in a reference to Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker.
The Honky Tonk Man's first feud in the WWF was with Jake Roberts in early 1987. It began in "The Snake Pit" on ''Wrestling Challenge'', where Honky struck Jake with his guitar after Jake made disparaging remarks about Honky's name and singing talent. (Both wrestlers tell differing stories about whether Jake was actually injured. Jake states in his DVD that the Honky Tonk Man actually injured him, causing him to develop a painkiller addiction. Mick Foley also says this in his . The Honky Tonk Man claims that this is a lie and that Mick Foley actually apologized for not calling him earlier to verify the truthfulness of this before having it published.) The feud reached its height at ''WrestleMania III'' in a match where Jake was accompanied to the ring by Alice Cooper (to counter the presence of Jimmy Hart). Honky Tonk Man won the match when he pinned Jake while holding the ring ropes (one of many ways that heel wrestlers cheat).
The Honky Tonk Man (believed by some to have been a substitute for Butch Reed) won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Ricky Steamboat at the June 2, 1987 ''Superstars of Wrestling'' tapings in Buffalo, New York. He went on to proclaim himself the "greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time" and did, in fact, hold the title a record 15-months (454 days).
One of his major feuds as champion was with Randy Savage. Honky disrespected Savage, who was trying to congratulate him for his win over Savage's most hated enemy, Steamboat. In the weeks that followed, Honky began to use his biggest catchphrase, "the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time," and put down all who preceded him, including Savage, who was coming off an impressive year-plus long reign of his own. The feud exploded during an October episode of "Saturday Night's Main Event" on NBC when Honky shoved Miss Elizabeth to the ground and smashed a guitar over Savage's head. The two captained opposing teams at the inaugural ''Survivor Series'' pay-per-view on Thanksgiving Day 1987; Savage, Steamboat, and Roberts lasted as the "survivors", leading the Honky Tonk Man (the last remaining member of his team) to deliberately take a countout. Honky and Savage met again on the Feb. 5, 1988 ''Main Event'' special live in prime time on NBC, with Savage winning by countout.
At ''WrestleMania IV'', Honky Tonk Man defended his title against Brutus Beefcake. Honky was disqualified after Jimmy Hart knocked out the referee when it appeared that Honky was about to lose to Beefcake's sleeper hold.
In correlation with an angle in which Beefcake was "injured" by Ron Bass just before a rematch at ''SummerSlam 1988'', Honky lost the Intercontinental Championship at ''SummerSlam'' to the Ultimate Warrior in a 30-second squash match. At the event, Honky made an open challenge to anyone in the backstage area to wrestle him.
After losing the Intercontinental belt, Honky feuded briefly with Warrior, then teamed with Greg Valentine in a brief feud with the Hart Foundation in early 1989. He spent much of 1989 feuding with the returning "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka before reuniting with Valentine (with his normally blonde hair dyed black) as Rhythm & Blues. They sang at ''WrestleMania VI'' but were interrupted by the Bushwhackers, with whom they feuded through the summer. Rhythm & Blues also repeatedly challenged the Hart Foundation for the tag team titles. Shortly after ''Survivor Series 1990'', Honky briefly did color commentary while continuing to team with Valentine. He left the WWF shortly into 1991.
In 1994, the Honky Tonk Man was working for World Championship Wrestling and was challenging Johnny B. Badd for the WCW World Television Championship when he left due to a dispute with management. In his book ''Controversy Creates Cash'', Eric Bischoff states that his favorite firing was that of the Honky Tonk Man. Honky Tonk has responded by saying that it was an honor as Bischoff had fired a number of people while in WCW.^[1]
After a brief stint in the American Wrestling Federation, Honky later resurfaced in the WWF as a manager for Billy Gunn, who had begun a singles run. Under Honky's tutelage, Gunn became known as "Rockabilly," which was a short-lived and unsuccessful gimmick. Honky made an appearance in the ''2001 Royal Rumble'' where he entered the Rumble but got nailed with his own guitar by Kane and was quickly eliminated.
He was featured in ''The 50 Greatest WWE Superstars Of All Time'', a WWE magazine released in December 2003.

Controversy

The Honky Tonk Man is remembered as one of the most controversial figures in the wrestling world for his unabashed comments on pro wrestling on the Internet and in various shoot interviews. He has said that if he bashes someone, it's only because they deserve it.
On Hulk Hogan: In a 2004 shoot interview, Honky discredited Hogan for his selfishness, saying he would rarely go to bat for other wrestlers despite his clout with Vince McMahon. He thinks that Hogan's 2004 run under a mask as Mr. America was designed by Vince McMahon to humiliate him. He said that Hogan's reality show, "Hogan Knows Best" is a work, and called it "Hogan Knows Shit."
On Ric Flair: The bad blood between the two stems from a passage in Flair's book, "To Be The Man," which said that Honky would have never made main-event status had it not been for his then-friendship with Hogan. Over his Web site, Honky took numerous shots at Flair, nicknaming him "Saggy Boy" and proclaiming that Flair has had the same match for 25 years. He said that Flair exposed himself as a nepotistical hypocrite for preaching kayfabe, then bringing his son David into the business when the latter was clearly undersized and green. He also said that Flair should have foot the bill for Arn Anderson's stint in rehab.
On Dynamite Kid: Tom Billington claimed in his autobiography Pure Dynamite that he had slapped the Honky Tonk Man and made him cry. Honky said in a 2007 shoot interview that the story was a lie. Honky said that after Billington heard that he was telling a crude joke about Harley Race, he approached him in the locker room and chastised him in an obscenity-laced drunken stupor. Honky said that the incident was shortly forgotten thereafter. After Billington lost the use of a leg, Honky said that he had what was coming to him for the pain he had caused to others, and that he didn't care if Billington "only had one fuckin' leg," adding "I'm cruel, but I'm fair."
On Randy "Macho Man" Savage: In a 1999 shoot interview, Honky said Macho Man was thankless towards him for the series of big-money main events the two had in 1988. He said that Savage would act unprofessional when things in the match didn't go exactly as planned.
On Bret "The Hitman" Hart: Honky said that Hart was difficult to work with because he refused to job clean, even when the bookers called for it. Honky said he found it funny when Hart would state in interviews that he didn't like working with him because he worked "too soft." He asked of Hart: "Who would you rather work with? Me, who never hurt you -- or Goldberg, who gives you one kick in the fuckin' head and gave you a seizure?"
On Iron Sheik: Honky likes the Sheik, saying in a 2007 shoot interview: "He has done more things, in and out of the business, to be called a legend than anyone else."
On Kevin Nash: Honky is critical of Nash for his mediocre ring skills, calling him "Big Lazy." He said in a 2004 shoot interview that Nash had promised to donate $25,000 to Brian Pillman's wife during a benefit show, then welched on making the payment.
On "Chief" Jay Strongbow: In a 2005 shoot interview, Honky said that Strongbow was difficult to work with as a WWF road agent during the 80s. Honky said that when he was in a program with Corporal Kirschner, Strongbow booked the exact same finish for three consecutive shows in the same Florida arena, which Honky believed hurt his drawing power in that area.
On Ted DiBiase: In a 2004 shoot interview, Honky was highly critical of DiBiase, claiming that his Heart of David Ministry, which promotes religious revivals/wrestling shows, is nothing more than a to make money. He calls it "The Oh Brother Tour" (referring to the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") and mocks them with the phrase "Praise the lord and pass the collection plate!" In a 2007 shoot interview, Honky mocked Dibiase's morals, asking, "Ted, you ever look out at those ladies in your congregation? Ted -- Would you fuck that preacher's wife?"
On Greg "The Hammer" Valentine: Honky is a longtime friend of Valentine's, dating back to their time in WWF and continuing on the independent circuit. In a 2007 shoot interview, he said that he once saw Valentine urinating into a hotel ice machine.
On Ricky Steamboat: Honky was upset after Steamboat had called him a marginal worker and "Elvis impersonator," responding with an angry comeback on his Web site that said Steamboat was terrible on the mic and couldn't draw any money.
On Bad News Brown: Honky said the late Allen Coage was a legitimate tough guy and understood the wrestling business to a tee. When Honky feuded with Roddy Piper over the internet, he said Bad News and "Dr. D" David Shultz supported his claims against Piper.
On Eric Bischoff: Honky said in a 1999 shoot interview that his relationship with the former WCW boss started off rocky when, upon meeting him, Bischoff told him he wasn't a big fan of his work. He said that he called his wife shortly thereafter and told her he didn't think his stay in WCW would be very long. After working for four months without a contract, Honky demanded one from Bischoff just before he was scheduled to do a job for Johnny B. Badd. He said that he had been promised a deal previously and didn't want to lower his stock doing jobs on television if he could get cut any day. Bischoff refused, literally slamming the door on him two times before Honky shook his hand and left the arena.
On John Laurinaitis: Honky declined when Johnny Ace offered him $500 to lose to Randy Orton in a "Legend Killer" squash match, saying the paltry money on the table wasn't enough for him to do a job on TV. He was further irritated when Ace left him a phone message, evasively saying the WWE had "big plans" for him and he'd "hate to see him miss out an opportunity like Chavo Guerrero did."
On Jerry Lawler: Despite the blood relations, Honky has never hesitated to shoot on Lawler, constantly rehashing the 1993 statutory rape charges "The King" was later cleared of. He was also critical of Lawler when he quit the WWE in 2001 and allegedly begged his way back in with an emotional letter. He said in a 2004 shoot interview that he had a video of Lawler's ex-wife The Kat performing oral sex on a man, yet stopped short of posting it on his Web site. In a 2007 shoot interview he did alongside Raven, Raven admitted that he was caught in a motel room with an underage girl, but never did anything with her. In response, Honky replied: "You did work for Lawler!"
On Vince Russo: Honky dislikes Russo for his "Crash TV" booking mentality and biases towards wrestlers over 40. He said that Russo tried to bury him by taking him off TV commentary during Honky Tonk Man's 1997 stint in then-WWF. Honky found it amusing when Russo became a born-again Christian, saying that all Russo wanted to do in WWE was to "see Sable naked."
On Ultimate Warrior: In a 1999 Shoot Interview, Honky said that he didn't mind doing the quick job for the Ultimate Warrior at the 1988 Summerslam because it was the right thing for the business at the time. He said that the short match made sense, as their styles would have been incompatible in an extended match. In regards to the WWE DVD "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior," Honky said that it was a smear job, that the Warrior didn't self-destruct at all and was able to make every penny he could in the business.
On Triple H: In a 2004 shoot interview, Honky said of Triple H, "Boy did he ever play that political game all the way to the top -- I'd like to see the prenuptial agreement on that one!" Honky said that he thinks Triple H is a good performer and doesn't see a problem with him casting himself in star angles, as he can draw money.
On the WWE Hall of Fame: Honky said in a 2004 interview that the Hall of Fame is the ''real'' Vince McMahon "Kiss My Ass Club." Honky said he has been offered a spot in the Hall of Fame, but refuses due to business reasons. He said the contract he would have to sign would keep him off the independent circuit. He has also stated that the Hall of Fame is for wrestlers that are retired, which he isn't. He did however, sign an agreement with Jakks Pacific to produce a WWE Classic Superstars action figure in his likeness.
On Jake Roberts: Honky said he like Jake and wrestles him occasionally on the independent circuit. He often makes jokes at Roberts' expense, but they are aimed in a friendlier manner than his usual rants. He named one of his multi-city wrestling junkets "The Jake Roberts Crackpipe-on-a-pole tour." Roberts is an easy opponent because he lays there and takes kicks until the DDT finish, Honky said.
On "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan: In a 2005 shoot interview, Honky said that at an independent show, Duggan turned to him and said "Hey Honky, look what I got," revealing a travel-size bottle of vodka. Honky opened his own bag and showed Duggan a large bottle and said "Jim, this is the independent circuit, you've got to get with the program."

In wrestling

★ 'Finishing and signature moves'
:
★ '''Shake, Rattle, and Roll''' (Swinging Neckbreaker with a hip-swiveling dance in the middle)
:
★ 'Guitar shot'

★ 'Managers'
:
★ Danny Davis
:
★ Jimmy Hart
:
★ Judd the Studd
:
★ Peggy Sue
:
★ Judge Lawless

★ 'Wrestlers managed'
:
★ Rockabilly

★ 'Entrance themes'
:
★ "That's All Right, Honky Tonk Mama" (1987)
:
★ "Cool, Cocky, Bad", which begins with the lyrics: "I've got long side burns and my hair's slicked back
:
★ "Hunka Hunka Hunka Honky Love" (performed by him and Greg Valentine at ''WrestleMania VI'')
:
★ "You're Just a Honky Dog Baby" (WCW)

Championships and accomplishments

Personal life

Farris is the cousin of professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler.
He is an avid golfer.
He is a Minister with the Universal Life Church.^[2]
Farris has been married for 22 years and has a daughter named Megan.^[3]

Notes

1. [1]
2. [2]
3. [3]

References

★ Kayfabe Commentaries with the Honky Tonk Man

★ Shoot Interview with Raven and the Honky Tonk Man

★ On The Road with the Honky Tonk Man

★ Shoot Interview with the Honky Tonk Man 2004

★ Shoot Interview with the Honky Tonk Man 2001

★ APW title histories

★ MEWF title histories

★ NWA Mid-America and Mid-Southern title histories

★ Stampede title histories

★ WWC title histories

★ WWF title histories

★ Recent match results

External links

★ Honky Tonk Man interview on WWE.com

★

★ Whatever happened to … the Honky Tonk Man

★ Bio file: the Honky Tonk Man

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THE HONKY TONK MAN

Career

Controversy

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Personal life

Notes

References

External links

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