Jim Duggan
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
is that of an American
patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...
, which sees him use a 2x4 length of wood as a weapon, the battle cry "Hooo!" and the
U-S-A! cheer "U-S-A!" is a chant of the United States of America's initials popular in expressing American pride and supporting American national sports teams. It is also used in other community events, such as at political rallies. Origins The first documen ...
. In the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE), Duggan was the winner of the first ever
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
and in
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW), he was a one time United States Heavyweight Champion and a one time (and the final) World Television Champion. In wrestling, he is a one time world champion having won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. Duggan was inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
in 2011.


Early life and career

Duggan grew up in
Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a City (New York), city in Warren County, New York, Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls, New York metropolitan area, Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,7 ...
, where he became a star
athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-de ...
in
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
. Duggan is of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
and Scottish ancestry. He was raised
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
. His father was the
Chief of police Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...
for the City of Glens Falls. Duggan was a letterman in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
,
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
,
wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...
, and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
. In wrestling, Duggan won the New York State High School wrestling championship, unlimited weight class division – the first wrestler from Glens Falls to do so. Upon graduating from high school, he was recruited by
Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pub ...
, but would instead choose to play
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
at
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , p ...
(SMU), where he was eventually voted team captain. Duggan earned his
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
in applied
plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae excl ...
biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...
. After
college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
, Duggan was signed by the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
, but was released after being plagued by knee injuries.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (1979–1982)

Duggan broke into professional wrestling thanks in large part to wrestler
Fritz Von Erich Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time world champio ...
. The two met while Duggan was on a recruiting trip to SMU. Duggan's first professional match was in 1979 against Gino Hernandez. Duggan began his career as a
villain A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. '' Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a charact ...
. Training at the Sportatorium in
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
as well as with
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
n wrestling promoter Peter Maivia, Duggan gained the attention of Vince McMahon, Sr. and the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF). After a brief stint with the WWF, Duggan began to work regularly for Georgia Championship Wrestling. During this time, Duggan was known by two in-ring aliases: in the
Contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
as "Big" Jim Duggan and in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
as The Convict, a masked wrestler. After wrestling for a
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% f ...
-based promotion, Duggan began wrestling in a promotion based in
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
where he adopted his well-known "Hacksaw"
nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
.


Mid-South Wrestling/Universal Wrestling Federation (1982–1986)

In 1982, Duggan made his debut in Mid-South Wrestling. Upon debuting as a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
, and
bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
for Skandor Akbar, Duggan soon became a member of the Rat Pack faction, alongside
Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
, Matt Bourne, and
Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation ...
. After newcomer "Hacksaw" Butch Reed debuted within the promotion, Duggan and Reed had a personal feud for a time over who would be the true "Hacksaw". The Rats also feuded with stars such as Reed, Magnum T. A. and the
Junkyard Dog Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 1, 1998) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as the Junkyard Dog (or JYD), a nickname ...
. During this time, Duggan interfered in a DiBiase/JYD match while wearing a gorilla suit during the Louisiana State Fair, causing JYD to lose a "
Loser Leaves Town Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
" match in
Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
. After DiBiase aligned himself with Skandor Akbar, Duggan refused to go along with him and became a
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
for the first time in his career. At this time, Duggan began carrying his iconic 2x4. As a fan favorite, he won the Mid-South Tag Team Championship with Magnum T. A. and later won the North American Heavyweight Championship. After the Mid-South North American title was retired when Mid-South became the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) in 1986, Duggan lost to Terry Gordy in a tournament final to determine the first UWF World Heavyweight Champion. Duggan then teamed up with Terry Taylor and won the UWF World Tag Team Championship for the second time. After losing a
Loser Leaves Town match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to the
One Man Gang George Gray (born February 12, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, (The) One Man Gang. For two years in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he was Akeem "The African Dream". Prior to this, he wa ...
, Duggan left the UWF for the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF).


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1981, 1986)

In August 1981, while still wrestling in Georgia, Duggan toured throughout
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
under
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority sha ...
, during their ''Bloody Fight Series'' tour, facing
Antonio Inoki Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born ; February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name , a homage ...
in the first day of August 21, in a losing effort. Duggan would defeat low-card wrestlers such as Haruka Eigen,
Kengo Kimura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, best known under the ring name and for his many years working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in Japan. Professional wrestling career Japan Wrestling Association (1972–1973) Kimura made his pr ...
, Ryūma Gō and
Kantaro Hoshino (born Yeo Geon-bu (여건부) on October 9, 1943 – November 25, 2010) was a Japanese born, Korean professional wrestler, manager, and promoter best known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. As a wrestler, he was half of The Yamaha Brother ...
, while losing to main eventers such as Inoki,
Tatsumi Fujinami (born December 28, 1953) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on a legend's contract. Fujinami is most well known for his long tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. ...
, Seiji Sakaguchi, Strong Kobayashi and
Tiger Toguchi or Kim Duk ( ko, 김 덕/金 徳) (born February 7, 1948) is a retired Zainichi-Korean professional wrestler, better known under his ring name . He was also known by the name Tiger Chung Lee in the World Wrestling Federation. Early life Masan ...
. At one point, he teamed up with
Bad News Allen Allen James Coage (October 22, 1943 – March 6, 2007) was an American judoka and professional wrestler. He won medals for the United States at several international judo competitions, including the heavyweight bronze medal at the 1976 S ...
to face the teams of Eigen and Gō, in a winning effort, and Choshu and Sakaguchi, in a losing effort. In January 1986, while he was now working under
Bill Watts William F. Watts Jr. (born May 5, 1939) is a retired American professional wrestler, promoter and former American football player. Watts garnered fame under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a promoter in the Mid-South Un ...
' Universal Wrestling Federation, Duggan would once again venture overseas to New Japan, now wrestling in their ''New Year Dash'' tour, coincidentally facing Inoki once again in the first day of their tour on January 3, this time ending in a double count-out. Duggan, a now more established wrestler, was receiving a lot of good results during the tour, clashing with main eventers such as Fujinami, Sakaguchi, Kimura and Choshu to draws, and dominating young lions such as Tatsutoshi Goto and Yang-Seung Hi. He also wrestled tag-team action during the series, teaming with the likes of
Tony St. Clair Tony St. Clair (born 28 March 1948) is an English retired professional wrestler. He is well known for his stints in Joint Promotions and All Star Wrestling in the United Kingdom, Catch Wrestling Association in Austria and Germany, and New Japan ...
, Johnny Mantell, Black Tiger, Mike Miller and the twin-team of Madd Maxx (1 & 2), with the majority of them ending in the losing end for Duggan's team. Duggan would tour one last time overseas in September of the same year, wrestling on New Japan's ''Challenge Spirit'' tour, resuming his encounters against Inoki, Fujinami, Kimura and Sakaguchi, as well as facing
Umanosuke Ueda was a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . During his wrestling career, Ueda primarily stood out for wrestling with bleached blonde hair, a practice which was rare in his day but later became more common. His ring ...
and George Takano in tag-team matches, teaming once again with Madd Maxx, Jerry Gray and The Angel Of Death. His last match came against Seiji Sakaguchi in a double count-out.


World Wrestling Federation (1987–1993)


Early feuds (1987)

Duggan was signed to the WWF in January 1987, making his first major appearance with the WWF at
WrestleMania III WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event was held on March 29, 1987, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. ...
, where he also made his
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
debut. In the weeks preceding WrestleMania, Duggan began his first WWF
feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
with Nikolai Volkoff. At the event, he ran to ringside prior to a match between The Killer Bees and
The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff were a professional wrestling tag team who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1984 to 1987. History After Sheik had lost the WWF World Championship to Hulk Hogan and Volkoff, who had left the ...
and interrupted Volkoff's pre-match singing of the Russian national anthem. Duggan had previously done this on TV matches leading up to the event. On May 26, 1987 Duggan and the Iron Sheik were arrested for DUI in New Jersey. Duggan was released from the company, but was ultimately brought back in a lower spot on roster. Although he did not win any major titles in the promotion, for seven years he was a consistent fan favorite with his patriotic
working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin The term ''everyman'' was used as early as ...
gimmick. His character was mainly comical, as he rarely was in major contention for titles. His first major WWF match was at the first-ever
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
pay-per-view in
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, when he participated in the first Survivor Series match and was a member of the winning team.


First Royal Rumble winner (1988–1989)

By the late fall of 1987, Duggan received his first major
push Push may refer to: Music * Mike Dierickx (born 1973), a Belgian producer also known as Push Albums * ''Push'' (Bros album), 1988 * ''Push'' (Gruntruck album), 1992 * ''Push'' (Jacky Terrasson album), 2010 Songs * "Push" (Enrique Iglesias s ...
since his return, being placed in a feud opposite "King" Harley Race, who was using a monarch gimmick who sneered at wrestlers he thought were below him. Duggan vowed he would never give in to Race's demands to bow to him, and during a televised confrontation, took Race's crown and cape, though Race would later get them back. At the 1987 Slammy Awards, where Duggan presented the nominees for "Best Ring Apparel," an on-stage shoving match between him and the winner (Race), sparking a wild brawl broke out between the two, going backstage and eventually reaching back to the main stage before interrupting another award presentation and
Gorilla Monsoon Robert James Marella (June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker. Monsoon is famous for his run as a villainous super-heavyw ...
stepping in to separate the two. Duggan eventually defeated Race several times in both televised and non-televised shows. Duggan participated in the first-ever
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, where he was the 13th of twenty entrants. He won the match after he last eliminated the One Man Gang. At
WrestleMania IV WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 27, 1988, at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in A ...
, he participated in a 14-man tournament for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship, where he lost to
Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
in the first round after interference from
André the Giant André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...
. Shortly after WrestleMania IV, Duggan—upset that André cost him his match—came to the ring during one of André's matches and challenged him; a feud erupted when André suddenly grabbed Duggan and began throttling him, before Duggan knocked André out with his 2x4 board. André generally came out the winner in their matches, usually by interference from André's manager
Bobby Heenan Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 – September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federati ...
. André also interfered in several of Duggan's matches against other wrestlers, including
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...
on the April 30
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of '' Saturday Night's Main Event''. Duggan earned a shot at the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against
The Honky Tonk Man Roy Wayne Farris (born January 25, 1953), better known by the ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American retired professional wrestler. He previously wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...
in July 1988, but Honky Tonk got himself disqualified, thus retaining the title. Duggan then began displaying traits of an American patriot by feuding with several foreign villains in the fall of 1988. He got involved in a feud with
Dino Bravo Adolfo Bresciano (; August 6, 1948 – March 10, 1993) was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Dino Bravo (). After training under Gino Brito, he started his career in Montreal in the 1970s, w ...
, and the two were on opposing sides as
Jake "The Snake" Roberts Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955), better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. He is be ...
' team fought André the Giant's at the 1988 Survivor Series. Duggan was disqualified after he used his 2x4 on Bravo. Duggan's team eventually lost the match. His next feud was with
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
n Boris Zhukov, whom he defeated in a flag match on the November 26
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of ''Saturday Night's Main Event''. He restarted his feud with Dino Bravo, and at the
1989 Royal Rumble The 1989 Royal Rumble was the first annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). After the inaugural event aired as a television special, the 1989 event aired on pay-per-view (PPV ...
, Duggan and
The Hart Foundation The Hart Foundation is the name of several derivative tag teams and stables composed primarily of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name originated in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 with the original Hart Foundat ...
(
Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...
and
Jim Neidhart James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag T ...
) defeated Bravo and
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers The Fabulous Rougeaus (also known as the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers) was the professional wrestling tag team of real-life brothers Jacques and Raymond Rougeau, best known from their time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1986 to 1990. ...
(
Jacques Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
and Raymond) in a
two out of three falls match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. He was involved in a rivalry with
Bad News Brown Allen James Coage (October 22, 1943 – March 6, 2007) was an American judoka and professional wrestler. He won medals for the United States at several international judo competitions, including the heavyweight bronze medal at the 1976 S ...
, which culminated in a match at WrestleMania V where both men fought to a no contest.


American patriot (1989–1993)

In mid-1989, he started a feud with King Haku, who was awarded the crown on the July 9, 1988 edition of ''Superstars'' when Harley Race was forced to vacate the crown due to injuries sustained in a match against Hulk Hogan on the March 12, 1988 edition of ''Saturday Night's Main Event''. Duggan defeated Haku to win the crown and earn the title of "King of the WWF" on the May 13, 1989 edition of ''Superstars''. On the May 27
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of ''Saturday Night's Main Event'', Duggan earned a shot at the Intercontinental Championship against "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Duggan won the match by countout, and Rude retained the title, as a title cannot change hands via countout or disqualification. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, Duggan teamed with
Demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a bu ...
( Ax and Smash) in a six-man tag team match and defeated André the Giant and The Twin Towers ( Akeem and The Big Bossman). He eventually lost his crown to "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who began calling himself "Macho King", and started a feud with Savage. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, he captained a team dubbed "The 4x4's" against Savage's team, "The King's Court". Duggan's team lost the match. He faced Savage again on the January 27
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of ''Saturday Night's Main Event''. Duggan defeated another former rival, Dino Bravo at
WrestleMania VI WrestleMania VI was the sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 1, 1990, at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, marking the f ...
. He began teaming with his former rival, Nikolai Volkoff and started a feud with
The Orient Express The Orient Express was a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s composed of Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato, who was later replaced by Kato. History American Wrestling Association After Badd Company ...
( Tanaka and Sato), whom they beat at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
. He began a short feud with
WWF World Heavyweight Champion The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
Sgt. Slaughter and faced Slaughter for the title on the February 1
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of '' The Main Event''. Slaughter retained the title by getting himself disqualified. In late 1991, he patched up things with Sgt. Slaughter, who had turned babyface, and the pair formed a
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, the duo joined the
Texas Tornado The Texas Tornado were a Junior A hockey team located in Frisco, Texas, USA. The team joined the North American Hockey League's Central division in 1999 (and moved into the newly formed southern division three years later) while located in North ...
and Tito Santana in an elimination match to defeat a team led by Col. Mustafa. On the February 8
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of ''Saturday Night's Main Event'', Duggan and Slaughter defeated the Beverly Brothers ( Blake and Beau). At WrestleMania VIII, he teamed up with
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...
, Sgt. Slaughter, and Big Bossman against The Nasty Boys ( Jerry Sags and Brian Knobs), The Mountie, and Repo Man. Slaughter eventually left active wrestling and Duggan continued to pursue his singles career again. In mid-1992, Duggan was moved to undercard status. In early 1993, he was involved in a feud with the then near 600 pound
Yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...
, who was the number one contender to the WWF Championship.
Manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...
Mr. Fuji Harry Masayoshi Fujiwara (May 4, 1934 – August 28, 2016) was an American professional wrestler and manager, known professionally by his ring name Mr. Fuji (or Master Fuji to his protégés). He was famous for often throwing salt in the ey ...
was bad mouthing America and Duggan challenged his protégé to a match. The match was promoted by claiming that no one had knocked Yokozuna off his feet, even though Yokozuna had fallen off his feet shortly before, during the 1993 Royal Rumble match. The stipulations to the match were if Duggan knocked Yokozuna off his feet, Duggan would win. On the February 6 edition of ''
Superstars A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity. Superstar or superstars may also refer to: People * Warhol superstars, the associates of Andy Warhol * WWE Superstar, a branding term referring to a WWE wrestler * Superstar Billy Graham (born 1943) ...
'', Duggan won the match after knocking Yokozuna down completely, but then was manhandled by the much bigger Yokozuna after the match and fell victim to four Banzai Drops, sidelining Duggan for about four months. Duggan eventually returned to television and started a feud with then-Intercontinental Champion
Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one ...
, challenging him for the title on the May 3 edition of ''
Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show ...
''. Michaels ran through the crowd, and retained the title by countout. On the next show, to prevent Michaels from pulling the stunt again, Duggan received a return bout in a lumberjack match. Before the match started, Duggan attacked his former rival Yokozuna after discovering he was one of the lumberjacks. Late in the match,
Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most ...
distracted Duggan from the outside, which enabled Michaels to attack him and throw him out of the ring to where Yokozuna was standing. Yokozuna then paid Duggan back by legdropping him on the floor, then rolled his lifeless body back into the ring as the referee’s back was turned. As Michaels went to pin Duggan, Mr. Perfect entered the ring and attacked the champion, which resulted in Duggan being disqualified and touching off a postmatch brawl between the lumberjacks; Duggan would eventually rise to his feet and clear the ring with his 2x4. Duggan then competed in the
King of the Ring King of the Ring was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The PPV event was held annually in June and was established in 1993 when the promotion ...
tournament, defeating Papa Shango to qualify before losing to
Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most ...
in the quarterfinals. He continued to appear on WWF programming until the summer, when he left the company after losing several pre-
Summerslam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
matches to Yokozuna.


World Championship Wrestling (1994–2001)


United States Heavyweight Champion (1994)

Duggan signed a contract with
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW) in late 1994. He debuted in WCW at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', c ...
, where he defeated Steve Austin in a squash match lasting thirty-five seconds to win the United States Heavyweight Championship. After becoming champion, he quickly started a
feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
with Austin, and eventually defeated him in a title rematch at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
by disqualification. The two had a second title rematch on the November 16
edition Edition may refer to: * Edition (book), a bibliographical term for a substantially similar set of copies * Edition (printmaking), a publishing term for a set print run * Edition (textual criticism), a particular version of a text * Edition Recor ...
of '' Clash of the Champions'', where Duggan retained the title again by disqualification. Duggan's reign ended at Starrcade, where he was defeated by Vader.


Various feuds (1995–1999)

After he lost the U.S. title to Vader, Duggan moved to the mid-card division and began wrestling on '' Saturday Night''. He defeated
Bunkhouse Buck James "Jimmy" Golden (born August 1, 1950) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bunkhouse Buck. He also appeared in WWE as Jack Swagger Sr. A member o ...
at
SuperBrawl V SuperBrawl V was the fifth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 19, 1995 from the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. In the main event, ...
. He faced former WWF rival Meng (known as Haku in WWF) in a
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...
match at Uncensored, which Meng won. At The Great American Bash, he defeated Sgt. Craig Pittman by disqualification in Pittman's pay-per-view debut. At Bash at the Beach, Duggan lost to Kamala. In late 1995, Duggan started a feud with Big Bubba Rogers, which culminated in a Taped Fist match at World War 3, which Rogers won. Duggan participated in the first-ever three ring, 60 man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated. He fought
Loch Ness Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for claim ...
to a double disqualification at a ''
Main Event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
'' taping before
SuperBrawl VI SuperBrawl VI was the sixth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 11, 1996, from the Bayfront Arena in St. Petersburg, Florida. The main eve ...
. Duggan then started a short feud with
Diamond Dallas Page Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. In the course of his wrestling career Page has wre ...
, to whom he lost in a Taped Fist match at Bash at the Beach. At World War 3, he unsuccessfully participated in a three ring 60 man battle royal to determine the #1 contender to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Duggan had no major pay-per-view matches for over two years before he disappeared in 1998 after he was diagnosed with
kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include sp ...
. After being cured of his cancer, Duggan returned to wrestling and replaced
Buff Bagwell Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a fiv ...
in a match against Berlyn at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', c ...
, which Duggan lost. Soon after, Duggan became involved in a storyline where he became a
janitor A janitor (American English, Scottish English), also known as a custodian, porter, cleanser, cleaner or caretaker, is a person who cleans and maintains buildings. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A simil ...
for WCW. Duggan then started a feud with the anti-American stable the
Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
(
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
, Dean Malenko,
Perry Saturn Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Champions ...
, and Asya). At Starrcade, he and his surprise partners, the newly reunited
Varsity Club The Varsity Club was a professional wrestling heel stable in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The stable was formed in 1987 and lasted until 1989. The stable was briefly resurrected in 1999–2000. Histor ...
( Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotunda, and Rick Steiner), faced the Revolution in a losing effort after the Club turned on Duggan. As a result of losing, the next night on ''
Nitro Nitro may refer to: Chemistry *Nitrogen, a chemical element and a gas except at very low temperatures, with which many compounds are formed: **Nitro compound, an organic compound containing one or more nitro functional groups, -NO2 **Nitroalkene, ...
'', Duggan was forced to denounce the U.S. flag but he refused to do so. In response, the Revolution attacked him and began beating him until The Filthy Animals, who were also feuding with the Revolution, saved Duggan.


World Television Champion and Team Canada (2000–2001)

During this period, he found the World Television Championship in a
trash can A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" a ...
, which had been thrown away by the previous champion
Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
earlier and claimed it for himself. He would make title defenses exclusively on ''Saturday Night'', and remained champion until the title was deactivated. After WCW was
rebooted ''Rebooted'' is the third season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season aired fr ...
and the nWo storyline ended, it was replaced by two new factions in WCW called
The Millionaire's Club The Millionaire's Club was a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2000. History In early 2000, WCW decided that Kevin Sullivan's booking style was not as successful as they had hoped. So, they decided to bring ...
and the New Blood, which began feuding with one another. The Millionaire's Club consisted of veterans and the New Blood consisted of young wrestlers of the 1990s. Duggan joined the Millionaire's Club and helped them in their war against the New Blood. Near the end of his career in WCW, he became involved in more major storylines, including one that involved him becoming a villain by abandoning the patriotic gimmick for a short time to join
Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadians, Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), ...
and his faction Team Canada. This angle began when Duggan started working with the Misfits In Action (MIA) but at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', c ...
, he turned on MIA's leader U.S. Champion General Rection during Rection's title defense against Team Canada's Lance Storm. Duggan was the special guest enforcer for the match, and helped Storm in winning the match. During this time Duggan cut his hair short, shaved his trademark beard and sang "O Canada". At
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
, Duggan and Storm teamed up against General Rection in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
for Storm's U.S. Title. Duggan missed an attack on Rection, which led to Rection pinning Duggan to win the match. Duggan continued to unintentionally cost Team Canada many of their victories, but he helped Storm to defeat The Cat in a match at Starrcade. However, after the match, Team Canada turned on Duggan, who then began feuding with Team Canada, and at Sin he was the
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
in a Penalty Box match between Team Canada and the Filthy Animals. Despite Duggan's role as the referee, Team Canada won the match after Storm forced Kidman to submit.


Independent circuit (2001–2002)

After WCW was purchased by the WWF in March 2001, Duggan began wrestling in the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
. On December 5, 2002, Duggan defeated Krusher Kong at LWE Xplosion.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003)

On the March 12, 2003 pay-per-view of NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA), Duggan made a surprise appearance and defeated fellow WCW alum Mike Sanders. on the March 19 NWATNA, Duggan and Moondog Spot defeated Mike Sanders and
Disco Inferno "Disco Inferno" is a song by American disco band the Trammps from their 1976 fourth studio album of the same name. With two other cuts by the group, it reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart in early 1977, but had limit ...
. Duggan made his final appearance in TNA on October 29, where he lost to
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
.


Return to WWE (2005–2009)


Teaming with Eugene (2005–2006)

Duggan appeared on the October 3, 2005 edition of ''Raw'', dubbed "The Homecoming" along with several other WWF/E alumni. He and the other legends attacked
Rob Conway Robert Thomas Conway Jr. (born November 28, 1974), is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he performed under his real name and as Robért Conway. Post-WWE, he is also known for hi ...
after Conway came to the ring and insulted them. He was also one of the "legends" available for fans to select to team with Eugene in a match at Taboo Tuesday to face the team of Conway and Tyson Tomko (
Jimmy Snuka James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010 ...
was chosen instead of Duggan). He returned to WWE again after
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, with a message from
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
to Lita after
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
lost the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand di ...
: "HOOOOO!" Duggan and Edge began a short feud with each other which culminated in a match that occurred two weeks later on ''Raw'', which Edge won after Lita provided a distraction. After feuding with Edge and Lita, he became mentor and tutor to Eugene and the two feuded with The Spirit Squad. He began working on ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'', but also made a few appearances on ''Raw'' with Eugene and The Highlanders. On the November 6 edition of ''Raw'', Duggan and Eugene faced the Spirit Squad in a match with the stipulation that the losing team would disband and never team up again. After Duggan was caught off guard after the other Spirit Squad members interfered and then pinned for the win, Eugene snapped and attacked Duggan. He started a feud with Eugene, and three weeks later, the two had a match with each other, which Eugene won.


Various appearances (2007–2009)

At
New Year's Revolution WWE New Year's Revolution was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 2005 and its name was a play on the Western tradition of New Year's resolutions, ...
, Duggan teamed with Super Crazy in a tag team turmoil match to determine the number one contenders to the
World Tag Team Championship The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions. Nomenclature The name of the promo ...
, in a losing effort. On the January 15 edition of ''Raw'', Duggan was dragged out by Rated-RKO (Edge and
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
) and was beaten to a pulp. Edge and Orton feared Duggan would help out Shawn Michaels in a handicap match and wanted to set an example for anyone else backstage that wished to do the same. On the March 5 edition of ''Raw'', he faced Chris Masters in a Masterlock Challenge, but was unable to break the hold. After months of wrestling on ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'', Duggan returned to ''Raw'' in July, teaming up with The Sandman and feuding with Carlito and
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...
. This team was short lived as Duggan soon returned to ''Heat'' and Sandman was soon released from his contract with WWE. On the August 6 edition of ''Raw'', Duggan was a contestant in the ''WWE Dating Game'', a parody of ''
The Dating Game ''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...
''. However, Duggan lost when Maria chose
Ron Simmons Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wres ...
. On December 31, he lost a 2008 Royal Rumble qualifying match to the returning Umaga. After that, he began primarily appearing on ''Heat'' once again, defeating locals and teaming with Super Crazy. On the March 17 episode of ''Raw'', he participated in a 17-on-2 handicap elimination tag team match as part of the 17 members of the ''Raw'' roster against
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
and Randy Orton. After
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
was eliminated, all the remaining ''Raw'' wrestlers attacked Cena and Orton, resulting in their disqualification. Duggan also took part in a 12-on-12 tag team preview match on the March 25 episode of '' ECW''. He competed 24-man battle royal was held just before WrestleMania XXIV aired to determine the #1 contender for an ECW Championship match. The match was eventually won by Kane. In the summer of 2008, Duggan started a short feud with
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
and
Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
after Rhodes and DiBiase tried to convince Duggan to retire and let the young talent run the show. Soon after, Duggan would come out and announce that he would take Rhodes and DiBiase's advice and retire, but
Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Ap ...
stopped him by convincing Duggan to stay. Duggan and Lawler then wrestled Rhodes and DiBiase on the August 25, 2008 edition of ''Raw'', but lost the match. On the October 20 edition of ''Raw'', Duggan confronted
Santino Marella Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Ar ...
and
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
during one of Marella's tirades against his three possible opponents at Cyber Sunday (
Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his ...
, Goldust, and The Honky Tonk Man). Upset at being interrupted, Marella took off his clothes, getting ready to fight Duggan. Yet before a fight could begin, Marella instructed Phoenix to throw the clothes in Duggan's face, a move that temporarily distracted Duggan. Marella then smashed a guitar over Duggan's head, ending the segment. Duggan would appear on ''Raws 800th episode during Kung Fu Naki's in-ring dance segment, which also involved various other members of the WWE roster. In 2009, Duggan appeared in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering at #29 and setting a record for the most years between Royal Rumble appearances. He was eliminated from the match by
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
. On the August 10 episode of ''Raw'', Duggan made his final televised appearance as Sgt. Slaughter had him come out in place of
Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...
, due to the episode taking place in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, when he introduced "The best there was, the best there is, and the best there ever will be" in order to mock the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
fans.


Independent circuit (2009–present)

He then resumed wrestling on the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
. He recently appeared on Pro Wrestling Ohio's "Wrestlelution 3" where he defeated "The Megastar" Marion Fontaine. On November 30, 2013, at WrestleCade 2013, Duggan defeated Daivari. He has signed on with Global Force Wrestling as a "legend" to help promote GFW events and tours. To promote the shows, GFW's
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
and Duggan have appeared at Dell Diamond on Thursday, May 28. January 2016, Duggan appeared in an event for Modern Vintage Wrestling in Wilmington, North Carolina. On May 6, 2017, at AWF Head to the Edge, Duggan defeated Josh Price.


Second return to WWE (2011–2012)

On April 2, 2011, Duggan was inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
by fellow inductee "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. Duggan returned to wrestling in WWE with an appearance at the 2012
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
and entered the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
as the #19 entrant and was eliminated by
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
. On the February 3, 2012 episode of ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'', Duggan teamed with
Santino Marella Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Ar ...
in a losing effort against the WWE Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico. On April 10, 2012, Duggan made an appearance on '' SuperSmackDown LIVE: Blast from the Past'', where he lost to Hunico by disqualification. Later that year, he appeared on the July 3 '' SuperSmackDown LIVE: The Great American Bash'' event, teaming with Sgt. Slaughter and Santino Marella to face Hunico,
Camacho Camacho is a surname of Spanish, Portuguese or French origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Camacho (wrestler), one of the stage names of Tevita Fifita (born 1983), Tongan-American professional wrestler * Alejandro Camacho (born 1954) ...
, and
Drew McIntyre Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE I ...
.


Other media

It was announced in February 2012 that Duggan would appear on a WWE original reality show called '' WWE Legends House''. The show premiered on the
WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television t ...
on April 17, 2014. Duggan appears as himself in the film '' Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies,'' in which he battles the undead with his 2x4. In 1991, Duggan appeared in the Harry and the Henderson's TV series' 16th episode. In 1999, Duggan was a guest panelist for two episodes of the Nickelodeon children's game show ''Figure It Out''. Duggan appears in the sixth episode of the second season of GamesMaster in the UK, where he played WWF on the Super Nintendo against a boy he picked from the crowd, Hacksaw played as Macho Man Randy Savage and was beaten. Duggan also appeared in the season five finale of ''Duck Dynasty''. Duggan and former WWF announcer Sean Mooney now run a weekly podcast on the MLW Radio Network called "Primetime with Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Sean Mooney". Duggan left the podcast after 18 episodes and Mooney is now hosting by himself. In 2017, Duggan released the first issue of a biographical comic book miniseries through Squared Circle Comics, titled "Hacksaw Jim Duggan".


Personal life

Duggan and his wife Debra have two daughters, Celia and Rebecca. He is a close friend of Willie Robertson who owns the Duck Commanders. In 1987, Duggan and The Iron Sheik (Khosrow Vaziri) were pulled over by New Jersey State Police before a WWF event, suspecting Duggan of driving under the influence. After a search of the vehicle and the persons, police discovered that Duggan was under the influence of marijuana and Alcohol (drug), alcohol, while Vaziri was high on cocaine. Small amounts of cocaine were also found in the vehicle. Duggan received a conditional release while Vaziri was placed on probation for a year. The scandal that erupted after two in-ring enemies were found drinking and doing drugs together led to the end of the angle, the Sheik's release, and Duggan's temporary departure from WWF. Duggan soon returned to wrestling. In November 2013, Duggan started an IndieGoGo campaign to cover the cost repairing his torn rotator cuff. Funding closed December 2013 and raised $10,396; well over the goal of $6,500. In 2018, Duggan was admitted into the Intensive care unit, ICU and underwent a heart procedure for atrial fibrillation. In 2019, Duggan had a pair of heart surgeries for what was described as a serious infection. On October 20, 2021, he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The nature of the surgery is unknown however his wife posted on Facebook “Back where we don't want to be. Please pray for Jim and his doctors as he has emergency surgery this morning. Thank you, Debra.” On October 28, 2021, Duggan announced via Instagram a week later that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had been living with it for a couple of months. This led to another surgery on October 29, 2021. "Jim's surgery went as planned. He is resting comfortably now. Thank you for your prayers, good vibes and well wishes. Please continue them as he continues to heal" his wife said. On December 8, 2021, Duggan announced in a video uploaded to his Twitter account that he was cancer-free. On May 15, 2022, Duggan posted a video on his Facebook page to announce that his cancer treatment was not over and he would need hormone shots and radiation treatment for the next 8 weeks, 5 days a week. Duggan said the doctors are very optimistic that they caught it early. In December 2022, Duggan said he detained a home invader at gunpoint at his house in Kershaw County, South Carolina.


In wrestling

* Finishing moves ** ''Old Glory'' (Professional wrestling attacks#Knee drop, Running jumping knee drop) – World Championship Wrestling, WCW; used as signature move in WWF ** Professional wrestling attacks#Three-point stance clothesline, Three-point stance clothesline * Signature moves ** Alternating jabs and Cross (boxing), crosses to the opponent's head ** Professional wrestling throws#Atomic drop, Atomic drop ** Professional wrestling attacks#Back kick, Back kick ** Professional wrestling attacks#Shoulder block, Leaping shoulder block ** Powerslam ** Professional wrestling throws#Scoop slam, Scoop slam ** Professional wrestling attacks#Spear, Spear * Nicknames ** "Big" ** "Hacksaw" * Music in professional wrestling, Entrance themes ** "Two By Four" by Jim Johnston (composer), Jim Johnston (WWE, WWF/E) ** "The Washington Post (march), The Washington Post" by John Philip Sousa (WCW)


Championships and accomplishments

* Heroes And Legends Wrestling **HLW Midwestern Championship (1 time) * Imperial Wrestling Revolution **Danny Hodge Trophy (2016) * International Wrestling Association of Japan ** IWA World Heavyweight Championship (IWA Japan), IWA World Heavyweight Championship (IWA World Heavyweight Championship (IWA Japan)#Title history, 1 time) * International Wrestling Cartel ** IWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scottie Gash * Pro Wrestling Alabama ** PWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nigel Sherrod * ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** PWI ranked him #66 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated, PWI 500 in 1993 ** PWI ranked him #157 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 * Superstars of Wrestling, Pro Wrestling This Week ** Wrestler of the Week (March 22–28, 1987) *Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2018 * River City Wrestling **RCW Legends Championship (1 time) * Texas All-Star Wrestling ** TASW Heavyweight Championship (TASW Heavyweight Championship#title history, 1 time) * Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts), Mid-South Wrestling Association/Universal Wrestling Federation ** Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship (Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship#Title History, 1 time) ** Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) ** UWF World Tag Team Championship, Mid-South/UWF World Tag Team Championship (UWF World Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Magnum T. A. (1) and Terry Taylor (1) *
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
** WCW World Television Championship (List of WCW World Television Champions, 1 time, final) ** WWE United States Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (List of WWE United States Champions, 1 time) * WWE, World Wrestling Federation/WWE ** Royal Rumble (
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
) ** WWE Hall of Fame (2011) ** Slammy Award (2 times) *** Best Vocal Performance (1987) *** Greatest Hit (Slammy Award#1987 Slammy Awards, 1987) * Wrestling Observer Newsletter ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Improved, Most Improved (1982) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (1985) vs.
Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Unimproved, Most Unimproved (1989)


References


External links

* * *
GFW profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duggan, Jim 1954 births 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent Articles containing video clips Atlanta Falcons players Living people NWA/WCW World Television Champions NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions People from Kershaw County, South Carolina Professional wrestlers from New York (state) Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum SMU Mustangs football players Sportspeople from Glens Falls, New York WWE Hall of Fame WWF/WWE King Crown's Champions/King of the Ring winners