10 Wrestlers Who Flirted With Other Careers (And Then Came Back)
2. Bob Holly
For anyone who's read Bob Holly's The Hardcore Truth book, you'll be well aware of his love of anything with an engine in it. And for those of you who haven't read The Hardcore Truth, it's a fascinating must-read from Holly.
Holly first began training back in 1987, and during that time he brought in money by working as a mechanic and by competing in bar fights. Yep, bar fights. Those stories you hear about Hardcore Holly being one of the toughest SOBs in the business? They're all true.
Having worked as an enhancement talent for both WCW and the then-WWF, not to mention a stint with Jim Cornette's Smokey Mountain Wrestling, Holly decided to pursue his passion of fast cars as he tired of waiting for his big break in professional wrestling. Not just did Bob Holly professionally compete in the auto car game, he actually won the 1993 season of Mobile, Alabama's Mobile International Speedway.
Bob's first real big break came in 1994, when he signed for the WWF and became the Thurman 'Sparky' Plugg/Bob 'Spark Plug' Holly NASCAR character. In 1995, the company actually sponsored a state-of-the-art car for Holly to compete in the All Pro Series. And while WWF would eventually pull their sponsorship, they allowed Bob to keep the gear and compete in races for his own sh*ts 'n' giggles. That was until Holly was brought back to main WWF TV in early 1998 as one half of the New Midnight Express.