The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018 grew once again Monday with the announcement that Hillbilly Jim will be inducted.
As first reported by Bleacher Report, Hillbilly Jim -- real name James Morris -- will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on April 6 as part of the festivities at WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans. Morris began his professional wrestling career with the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis before moving over to the WWE in 1984. His introduction to the WWE came when Morris, who posed as a fan in the front row of several shows, was recruited by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper to train to become a performer.
The man who would ultimately become Hillbilly Jim instead decided to train with Hulk Hogan -- Piper's chief rival at the time -- and adopted the carefree, fun-loving gimmick that saw Hillbilly Jim put on what would become his trademark denim overalls. Though he dealt with some early injury issues, Jim was part of some of the most historic events in WWE history.
He performed at WrestleManias II and III, and was part of the winning team in the 1988 Survivor Series main event alongside Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Koko B. Ware and Hercules. Some of his most notable rivalries were against King Kong Bundy and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Fuji. However, the biggest victory of Hillbilly Jim's career came in 1989, when he defeated Andre the Giant at the Nassau Coliseum via disqualification.
Hillbilly Jim also featured prominently on "The Wrestling Album" -- a record featuring 10 tracks sung by active performers put out by the then-World Wrestling Federation. Morris sang "Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy," which ultimately became his entrance theme.
He took up managing the likes of Cousin Junior, Cousin Luke and Uncle Elmer during periods of injury in the 1980s, but In 1995, Hillbilly Jim began his managerial career in earnest. He oversaw the in-ring careers of Henry and Phineas, the Godwinns, for two years, then transitioned into working backstage for the WWE.
After an extended on-screen absence, Hillbilly Jim returned to the ring at WrestleMania 17 as part of the gimmick battle royal. He was the runner-up in the match when the Iron Sheik eliminated him to pick up the victory.
In 2014, Hillbilly Jim was part of a reality TV show on the WWE Network called "Legends' House" -- one of the earliest pieces of original content that aired on the streaming service. The 10-episode series saw Hillbilly Jim and seven other WWE legends live under one roof and be called upon to perform various challenges. The other legends included Piper, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Howard Finkel, Tony Atlas, Pat Patterson and Jimmy Hart -- all of whom are WWE Hall of Famers.
Hillbilly Jim joins Goldberg, the Dudley Boyz, Ivory, Jeff Jarrett and Warrior Award recipient Jarrius "JJ" Robertson as members of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018. The ceremony will take place at the Smoothie King Center two days before WrestleMania 34.