Presented as a babyface with an Elvis impersonator gimmick in 1986, Roy Wayne Farris was never destined for megastardom he was too limited in the ring, and too obnoxious behind the scenes. But the Honky Tonk Man was bad pro wrestling voodoo, even for WWF in the eighties. Whether it was a gag related to his family connections to Memphis wrestling legend Jerry The King Lawler (theyre cousins), or whether the temptation of the classic gimmicked guitar was too much for Vince McMahon to resist, this character - complete with gimmick appropriate theme music - would ordinarily have been the kiss of low-to-mid-card death for any wrestler. Farris made it work, though: turning heel with a combination of carny street smarts, backstage politicking and just plain throwing himself into the role with charismatic gusto, the Honky Tonk Man managed to become the longest reigning Intercontinental champion in WWF/WWE history. Scuttlebutt (like gossip in a sequined jumpsuit) says that he managed to extend the lifespan of his title run by persuading the office that it was bad for business for him to drop the title too soon, and made the trick work just often enough to still be in the record books today.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
