Jimmy Hart

Jimmy Hart
Data
Ring name	Jimmy Hart
Additions to names	Mouth Of The South
height	178 cm
Fighting weight	75 kg
birth	January 1, 1944 ; Memphis , Tennessee
Trained by	Jerry Lawler
debut	June 1982
Website	www.jimmyhart.tv

Jimmy Hart (born January 1, 1944 in Memphis , Tennessee ) is a professional wrestling manager, composer, musician and former executive director of wrestling leagues promotions.

Career

1960s

Before Hart entered the wrestling business, he was an active guitarist and composer in the band The Gentrys . The most famous hit of theirs was "Keep on Dancin '", which sold millions of times.

He made his managerial debut in wrestling in Memphis with Jerry Lawler . During this time he managed the wrestlers King Kong Bundy , Rick Rude and Eddie Gilbert . In 1982, Hart hit the headlines when he managed comedian and TV star Andy Kaufman in a fight against Jerry Lawler.

World Wrestling Federation (1985-1993)

Jimmy Hart during his time as a manager at WWF / WWE

In 1983 and 1984 Harts wrestlers Austin Idol, Masao Ito and Gilbert were able to secure the Championship Wrestling Association title . Hart then joined the World Wrestling Federation , where owner Vincent K. McMahon had him perform with a megaphone, which then became his trademark. Hart was also given a lot of freedom in how he represented his gimmick and wrestlers. From then on, Hart became known for his colorful outfits and sunglasses based on the wrestlers he managed. He became one of the most successful managers of the time. He was allowed to lead the Honky Tonk Man to win the Intercontinental Championship and accompany him through the belt's longest straight reign. His management of the team The Hart Foundation, consisting of Bret "Hitman" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart , and their first reign as Tag Team Champions of the WWF , are legendary . He also managed greats like Adrian Adonis, The Missing Link, Terry Funk , The Fabolous Rougeu Brothers and Greg Valentine . He also accompanied the latter during his time as Intercontinental Champion. One of his most famous appearances was to be in Wrestlemania III in 1987. In the fight of his protégé Honky Tonk Man against Jake "The Snake" Roberts , Hart had to defend himself against the attack by Alice Cooper , who was supposed to be in Roberts' corner that evening, and the python "Damian". Generally, as a gimmick, Hart was repeatedly "victimized" by attacks by face wrestlers. Since Hart always interfered in the fights of his protégés, popular wrestlers often counterattacks. So he not only had to endure rude attacks, but also an involuntary haircut by Brutus Beefcake in Wrestlemania IV in 1989. That too was of course part of an agreed show. In the early 1990s he managed Dino Bravo and The Earthquake aka John Tenta . He also led the Nasty Boys to win Wrestlemania VII against his former team The Hart Foundation and thus to win the Tag Team title. He led Mountie to win the Intercontinental Championships in 1992. Later that year, Hart would lead the team of Earthquake and Typhoon called Natural Desasters to the Tag Team titles. Later that year he turned against them and helped his new Team Money Inc. consisting of Ted Dibiase and IRS alias Mike Rotunda to win the Tag Team Title.

Jimmy Hart in 2014 with his famous megaphone

In 1993, Jimmy Hart changed his gimmick to Face by turning against his team Money Inc. and trying to prevent an attack on Monday Night Raw by Ted Dibiase with the briefcase on Brutus Beefcake, and now the manager of Brutus Beefcake and Hulk Hogan became. The team competed against Money Inc. in Wrestlemania IX. One last time Hart was there as a manager in a Wrestlemania. His team missed victory that evening, but Hulk Hogan became World Champion, whom Hart then accompanied as a manager for the next three months. After the King of the Ring 1993 main match in which he was allowed to lead Hulk Hogan to the ring as champion, and the defeat against Yokozuna , he left the WWF together with Hogan.

World Championship Wrestling (1994-2001)

From 1994 he was also a manager at WCW . In late 1995, Hart became the manager of the Dungeon of Doom . But when these were removed from the current WCW TV program, Hart became more active in the background and composed many of the WCW Entrance themes again, which he had already done at WWF. In 1999 he appeared again as a manager of the Stables "First Family" before the cameras on the next Brian Knobbs nor the Barbarian, Hugh Morrus and Jerry Lynn belonged.

Xcitement Wrestling Federation (2002)

Jimmy Hart lauding his friend Hillbilly Jim's induction and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018

After the WCW was bought up by the WWF, Hart became one of the co-founders of the Promotion Xcitement Wrestling Federation (XWF) in 2001, which only staged a few TV shows and was then discontinued due to lack of funding. Nevertheless, his small league managed to make superstars of the To perform wrestling. One of the most famous matches of that time was the fight between Hulk Hogan and Curt Hennig, whose corner was again the well-known and legendary manager Bobby Hennan .

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003, 2005, 2010-2011)

In late 2003, he made his debut as a manager at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , announcing Hulk Hogan, who never appeared in the league. He only appeared on a promo tour in Japan and was attacked by Jeff Jarrett, and Hart was eventually accepted into the production team. In 2005 he had more on-air appearances at TNAW when he supported the “Naturals” against “Team Canada”.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005, 2011-2014)

In 2005, Jimmy Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame . The laudator was his cousin and friend Jerry Lawler . On August 14, 2011, Jimmy Hart made a guest appearance in SummerSlam as the manager of R-Truth .

In 2014, Hart was seen as a participant in the first season of the show "WWE Legends'House" on the WWE Network. In one of the last episodes he made his first public statement about the early loss of his daughter. In a special show on August 11, 2014, for the birthday of the "Hulkster", Jimmy Hart also had a guest appearance as a friend of Hogan.

In 2018, Jimmy Hart introduced his friend Hillbilly Jim to the WWE Hall of Fame.

In 2019, Jimmy Hart was allowed to introduce his former protégé The Honky Tonk Man to the WWE Hall of Fame.

Others

Jimmy Hart became part of the jury in 2009 on the MTV show "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling". Jimmy Hart also regularly appears in the Hogan's Beach Shop to advertise the goods store.