Following his debut in 1979, the legendary Hacksaw Jim Duggan would go on to have a career that made him one of the most memorable and unique characters in the history of professional wrestling. Most known for his time with WWE, then known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Duggan was one was of the premier stars during the late 1980s and early 1990s, arguably the most popular and successful time in the company’s history.
Here are six facts about wrestling legend Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
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- Before wrestling, Jim Duggan was signed by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. (source) Prior to entering professional wrestling, Jim Duggan played college football at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and was a team captain there. Following his playing career in college, the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League signed Jim Duggan, but was ultimately released before ever playing in the NFL’s regular season due to a series of knee injuries. Following his short stint with the NFL, Jim Duggan would transition into professional wrestling, where he debuted in 1979.
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- Following Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s 1988 arrest, WWE began drug testing. (source) In 1988, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, along with fellow WWE star the Iron Sheik were pulled over on the way to a live event in New Jersey, and police found drugs both cocaine and marijuana in their vehicle. The story became public, and was a catalyst in WWE beginning to drug test their performers.
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- Hacksaw Jim Duggan won the first ever WWE Royal Rumble match. (source) Taking place each January, the Royal Rumble is one of the premiere events on WWE’s annual event calendar. The first Royal Rumble event took place in January of 1988, with the match being won by Hacksaw Jim Duggan. To date, it’s the only Royal Rumble match to feature just 20 participants.
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- In 2011, Hacksaw Jim Duggan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. (source) Despite never winning a Championship during his time with WWE, Hacksaw Jim Duggan had a Hall of Fame worthy career, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2011 class – a group that also included the Road Warriors, Shawn Michaels, and the Road Warriors, among others.
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- Hacksaw Jim Duggan was the final WCW World Television Champion. (source) World Championship Wrestling, otherwise known as WCW, one perhaps the biggest rival promotion ever to WWE. One of their Championship Titles was the WCW World Television Championship, a belt that was first instituted back on February 27, 1974. The Title would ultimately be retired in 2000, just months before the company was purchased by WWE in 2001. Hacksaw Jim Duggan was the last wrestler to ever hold the WCW World Television Championship, having held it for 54 days.
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- In 1998, Hacksaw Jim Duggan beat kidney cancer. (source) In 1998, while working for World Championship Wrestling, Jim Duggan was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer. Not only did the future Hall of Famer beat cancer, but he was back working for WCW in a physical capacity within a matter of just a few short months.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan is one of the most unique and memorable characters in wrestling history! Do you have any more fun facts to share?
Featured image photo credit: James, 2009. Originally found on Wikimedia.org. Image was resized and cropped. Creative Commons 2.0.
