Profile of Jim Fullington on Famous Like Me

James (Jim) Fullington, better known as The Sandman, is an American Professional Wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling, where he was dubbed "The Hardcore Icon" due to his gung-ho wrestling style.

Career

The Sandman arrived in Eastern Championship Wrestling, the precursor to Extreme Championship Wrestling, in late 1991. After a brief period where the Sandman character was that of a surfer, Fullington channeled his own personality into his character and evolved into the Extreme Icon, a harsh, abrasive, anti-social brawler who smoked (often unfiltered cigarettes) and drank beer on his way to the ring, and sometimes even during a match often times crushing the beer can to his forehead causing himself to bleed before the match has even started. The character is often compared to the character that Stone Cold Steve Austin assumed in 1997. Sandman's lengthy ring entrances, where he would typically approach the ring via the audience, often sharing beer with fans, were closely linked to his popular entrance music, Metallica's "Enter Sandman" which the live crowds would often sing along with.

Like many ECW performers, the Sandman's wrestling style often incorporated weapons, further polishing his image as a bar room brawler. Over the years he was in classic matches noted for their blood, use of steel chairs, tables, Singapore canes and barbed-wire.

In 1999, he joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the name "Hak" (which later became "Hardcore Hak"; the name itself derived from his longtime nickname "Hack".). In his short time there, he was mostly involved in a storyline featuring former ECW alumni Raven, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Raven's sister Chastity, with whom he developed an on-screen relationship after she turned on Raven. This was the beginning of WCW's hardcore division, which some regarded as never having been taken seriously by WCW bookers.

In 2003 The Sandman was briefly barred from wrestling in Pennsylvania by the Athletic Commission, who objected to his inebriating fans. He currently owns a bar in New Jersey with his wife and former manager, Lori, with whom he has a son, Tyler.

In 2005 Sandman participated in the ECW reunion show Hardcore Homecoming. He wrestled in a match against longtime rival Raven, and lost the match.

The Sandman appeared at the WWE produced ECW One Night Stand, an ECW reunion show, on June 12, 2005. In the main event of the evening, he teamed with his friend Tommy Dreamer to face The Dudley Boyz, but was defeated after Dreamer was powerbombed through a flaming table.

Profile

• Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
• Weight: 244 lb (111 kg)
• Birthday: June 16, 1963
• Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Billed from: Sandy, Utah
• Trained By: Larry Winters
• Professional Debut: 1989
• Previous Identities: Mr. Sandman, Hardcore Hak, Hak

Previous Managers

• Lori Fullington
• Woman
• Missy Hyatt
• Beulah McGillicutty
• Chastity
• Veronica Lane
• Allison Danger
• Tylene Buck
• Veronica Caine
• G.Q. Money

Finishing and signature Moves

• DDT
• Piledriver
• Rolling Rock (senton bomb)
• Heinekenrana (frankensteiner)
• White Russian Legsweep (legsweep with Singapore cane)
• Bitchin' Legdrop

Signature illegal weapon

• Singapore cane

Championships and accomplishments

Extreme Championship Wrestling

• 5-time ECW Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time ECW World Tag-Team Champion (with 2 Cold Scorpio)

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

• Winner of the 2003 NWA-TNA Hard 10 Tournament

Xtreme Pro Wrestling

• 1-time XPW Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time XPW Death Match Champion

Future of Wrestling

• 1-time FOW Hardcore Champion

USA Pro Wrestling

• 1-time USA Pro United States Champion

Stars and Stripes Championship Wrestling

• 1-time SSCW Heavyweight Champion

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 250 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.

External link

• The official website of The Sandman

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Jim Fullington