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Roy Farris felt comfortable. The young Memphis man was enjoying his life, teaching and coaching high school football. His future appeared set.
Throughout those first four years, however, Ferris’s friends kept telling him he should come wrestle. His cousin, Jerry “The King” Lawler already was becoming a Memphis legend so Ferris finally caved and joined his friends at a Memphis barn where they were putting a show together.
Just like that, Ferris’s life changed. He had a new calling, a new passion.
The Honky Tonk Man was born. Now, 39 years later, The Honky Tonk Man also has become a wrestling legend.
“I had really wanted to be a teacher and a coach but my pals talked me into going and I got hooked,” Honky Tonk Man said. “I tell people that it’s because I didn’t want to grow up. It’s an extension of my childhood.”
The Honky Tonk Man still is living like a child and will be one of many former WWE legends coming to Williamsport’s Liberty Arena, Saturday, March 5 when Billtown Championship Wrestling and Hiller Oil presents Night of Legends.
“No matter how long I’ve been doing this I still always learn something new and I know I’ll see something new when I get to Williamsport,” Honky Tonk Man said. “One of the things I stress to the younger kids is don’t forget were the talent and came in through the back door for free. The fans came in through the front door and paid their hard-earned money to watch us so let’s give them everything we’ve got.”
Honky Tonk Man has been doing that since 1977. He originally had a five-year plan, figuring he would return to teaching after the first five years. Then it became another five-year plan. Eventually, wrestling became Honky Tonk Man’s life. Nothing was stable about it either. It was a constant grind, traveling to a new venue nearly every night, being paid little, sometimes wrestling in front of a few rowdy fans and not being well-known outside the South.
At first, Farris was known as Dynamite but a few years later he struck gold and came up with the gimmick that would make him famous. Remembering a 1956 song called “Honky-Tonk Man,” Farris combined that name with an Elvis Presley-like persona and his career started taking off. The character was based on the song which spoke of a man who liked to party all night long. The greased back, black hair, the guitar he brought to ring side and his “Cool, Cocky, Bad” theme song made Honky Tonk Man a hit and his biggest break came soon after when he signed with Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation in 1986.
Starting as a face (good guy), Honky Tonk Man soon became a heel (bad guy) and expertly played that part, becoming one of the WWF’s biggest stars. He defeated Ricky the Dragon Steamboat in June of 1987 to capture the Intercontinental championship and set a record that still stands, holding the title belt for 64 weeks. It was a huge deal too because the Intercontinental championship was built up much more then than it is today. Honky Tonk Man essentially held the second biggest prize the WWF had to offer, with only the world championship being more illustrious.
Honky Tonk Man’s title reign finally ended at the first Summer Slam in August, 1988. He was scheduled to fight a mystery opponent who turned out to be the Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior won in 31 seconds, but it was one of the proudest moment’s of Honky Tonk Man’s career. He had wanted to help push Warrior’s career along and did just that as Warrior became a legend and won the WWF World Championship less than a year later at Wrestlemania when he beat Hulk Hogan.
“Everyone thought they could beat me and then every week they wouldn’t and that was the beauty of it. When I finally got beat the roof came off the building. It was a fabulous piece of work,” Honky Tonk Man said. “That was one time I had some creative control and that was one of the best things I had put together for myself, for the company and for the Warrior. It was good for everyone and made him a super star. I knew it was time to go and that was a good way to do it.”
Honky Tonk Man stayed in the WWF until 1991 and, outside a brief WCW stint, has largely worked independently since. Wherever he goes, though, Honky Tonk Man is still recognized and cheered. The former teacher has become a wrestling legend. That is proven every time he goes back to what is now the WWE. Honky Tonk Man has made sporadic appearances there but has received rousing reactions each time, most recently in 2013.
Often, Honky Tonk Man does not even have to wrestle. His mere appearance sets crowds off and now he hears cheers instead of boos, working primarily as a face.
“I haven’t been on TV in 20 years but the name, the character, the side burns, the black hair, the jump suit … it just comes to life again. We’re like walking super heroes that are doing characters,” Honky Tonk Man said. “I can wrestle a 20-minute match and the things fans will remember most is me signing and dancing and hitting the opponent with my guitar.”
Now 63, Honky Tonk man does not appear to be slowing down either. Despite all the physical punishment 39 years of wrestling has delivered, he said he feels good. The passion still burns. His life has come full circle too. Honky Tonk Man is again a teacher. These days he mentors the younger wrestlers and shows them the businesses ins and outs.
He might no longer work in a class room, but Honky Tonk Man is both still a teacher and a kid at heart.
“I love the wrestling business and still enjoy doing it and helping the younger guys and reminiscing with guys I wrestled with in the past,” Honky Tonk Man said. “I can go out there and make people happy. That’s where I get my enjoyment.”
Information box
Nigh of Champions: Saturday, March 5 at Williamsport’s Liberty Arena
Fan fest-5-7 p.m., bell time: 7:30
Website: www.billtownchampionshipwrestling.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCW2015
Tickets can be purchased at: Marks Family Restaurant 3630 Lycoming Creek; Way Cool Beans 1307 Park Ave “Inside Pajama Factory” or online via web site
For more information call 724-256-1774