Athletes - Jim Duggan

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	Athletes - Jim Duggan

James (Jim) Duggan (born January 14, 1954 in Glens Falls, New York), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. His best known gimmick is that of an American patriot, a gimmick he used for well over a decade.

Duggan is a former WCW United States Champion and is one of the most instantly noticeable wrestlers among wrestling fans. His trademarks include bringing an American flag (dubbed "Old Glory") and a 2x4 plank of wood with him to the ring. His trademark rallying cry of "Ho!" is also well known. Duggan is also known for starting "U.S.A." crowd chants before and during his matches. His entrance music is a variation of "The Stars and Stripes Forever."

Career

Duggan grew up in Glens Falls, where he became a star athlete in high school. He was a letterman in football, track, wrestling and basketball. In wrestling, he won the New York State High School wrestling championship, unlimited weight class division – the first wrestler from Glens Falls to do so.

He was recruited by the football programs of several major universities, including Penn State and Ohio State, but would play at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he was eventually voted team captain. After college, Duggan was signed by the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, but was released after being plagued by knee injuries.

Duggan is a survivor of kidney cancer, an illness he was diagnosed with during his employment with WCW. His real-life struggle with the disease was very public and his comeback to wrestling after fighting off the ailment was a triumphant affair involving his entire immediate family. His right eye is afflicted with strabismus.

It is reported that he got the idea of carrying a 2x4 plank of wood to the ring from the 1973 movie Walking Tall, in which the lead character carries a 2x4 around as a weapon. Duggan himself seldom used the object in the ring as a weapon (The rare exception was when he used it on the Iron Shiek at Wrestlemania III in 1987), though as a perpetual face (good guy character), his 2x4 was at times used as a weapon against him when various heels (bad guy characters) got their hands on it.

Duggan was arrested for drunk driving and marijuana possession in 1987. The Iron Sheik, who was in his car, was arrested for drug possession. More than one lifetime wrestling fan has said that hearing of that incident forever shattered kayfabe for them; if Duggan and The Iron Sheik really hated each other, why were they traveling in the same vehicle?

Duggan has claimed to have wrestled in all 50 States in America as well as in the foreign countries Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Guam, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Poland, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland.

Early career

Jim Duggan broke into the professional wrestling business thanks in large part to wrestler Fritz Von Erich. The two met while Duggan was on a recruiting trip to SMU. Duggan's first professional match was in 1979 against Gino Hernandez. Training at the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas as well as with Hawaiian wrestling promoter Peter Maivia (grandfather of The Rock), Duggan gained the attention of Vince McMahon Sr. and the WWF (the precursor to WWE).

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 United States as "Big Jim Duggan" and in Hawaii as "The Convict", a masked wrestler. After wrestling for a Birmingham, Alabama-based promotion, Duggan began wrestling in a promotion based in San Antonio, Texas where he adopted the "Hacksaw" nickname. He then worked for Mid-South Wrestling from 1982 to 1986, where he became tag team champions with Terry Taylor, before being signed to the WWF.

World Wrestling Federation

Duggan was signed to the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), in 1987. Although he did not win any major titles in the promotion, for 7 years, he was a consistent fan favorite with his patriotic gimmick. During his time in the WWF, he feuded with the likes of Harley Race, Haku (whom he beat to earn the title of "King of Wrestling") and André the Giant. Duggan also claims to be the only wrestler to "knock out" André the Giant in a WWF wrestling match. Duggan won the first Royal Rumble matchup in 1988 (though he did not receive a title shot for his efforts).

He also feuded with Nikolai Volkoff in 1987. Just three years later, after Volkoff's face turn, Duggan and Volkoff joined forces in tag team matches.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Jim Duggan ]

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Athletes - Jim Duggan

Career

Early career

World Wrestling Federation

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