WWE Royal Rumble Debut Wrestlers: Where Are They Now?
9. Hillbilly Jim
Hillbilly Jim played one of WWE's first "fan turned wrestler" gimmicks when he debuted as Big Jim in 1984, but he assumed his most notable moniker a few months later. He became a cartoonish, overall-clad hillbilly from the Appalachian mountains, and gained early prominence by teaming with Hulk Hogan and battling monster heels like Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy.
He eliminated Jim Neidhart from the first Rumble, and remained with WWE in 1990. Following a brief hiatus, Jim returned to serve as a host on Prime Time Wrestling until January 1993, and became The Godwinns' manager in 1995. His services were no longer needed by 1997, and he later worked as a road agent for WWE, as well as appearing in WrestleMania X-7's Gimmick Battle Royal.
Jim has since compered a number of WrestleMania Axxess tours, and currently hosts Hillbilly Jim's Moonshine Matinee (a show combining country music with old WWE stories) on Sirius XM. He appeared as part of the short-lived Legends' House series on WWE Network in 2014 and remains in good standing with the company today, long after his peak run.