Personal Information
Full Name | Roy Wayne Farris |
Date of Birth | January 25, 1953 |
Nationality | American |
Height | 6 ft 1 in |
Family | Judy Nuckolls (m. 1975; div. 1980), Tammy Farris (m. 1984) |
The Honky Tonk Man: A Brief Biography
Roy Wayne Farris is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE as The Honky Tonk Man. He is the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion.
Professional Wrestling Career
Early Years (1977-1986)
In 1997, Farris began his professional wrestling career for Henry Rogers. Farris spent the next few years touring around America and working for several promotions, such as AWA, WWC, WCW, and South and North promotions. Between 1982 to 1986, Farris developed the Honky character and wrestled for Stampede Wrestling. During his time with the promotion, Farris won the Stampede North American Heavyweight and International Tag Team Championship.
WWF (1986-1991)
In 1986, Farris made his debut as The Honky Tonk Man. Soon, Jimmy Hart began managing Honk. Honk had several major feuds with the likes of Brutus Beefcake, Jake Roberts, Randy Savage, and Ricky Steamboat. In 1987, Honky defeated Steamboat to win the Intercontinental Championship. After 454 days, Honky lost the title to The Ultimate Warrior.
In 1989, Honky shifted his focus towards tag team division as he formed a team with Greg Valentine called Rhythm and Blues. The team faced several top tag teams, such as The Hart Foundation and Legion of Doom, but failed to win the titles. In his final days, Honky worked as a commentator alongside Roddy Piper and Vince McMahon.
Post-WWF (1991-1997, 2001-2016)
After Farris' departure from the company, he began working on the independent circuit. Farris joined WCW but got fired a few months later. In his later years, Farris made sporadic appearances on various independent promotions donning the familiar Honky Tonk attire. Farris also won championships during his time on the independent circuit.
Sporadic Appearances and HOF (2001-2019)
In 2001, Honky entered the Royal Rumble match and lost. In 2008, Honky had a small feud with Santino Marella for the Intercontinental Championship, which he lost. Honky made several sporadic appearances for WWE and appeared on several shows and PPVs. In 2019, they inducted Honky into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Championships and Accomplishments
Championship | Number of Times |
APW Universal Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
BTW Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
ICW Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
MEWF Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
AWA Southern Tag Team Championship | 4 |
NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship | 3 |
NAWA Tag Team Championship | 1 |
NSWA Tag Team Championship | 1 |
NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship | 1 |
Stampede International Tag Team Championship | 3 |
Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship | 1 |
WWF Intercontinental Championship | 1 |
WWE Hall of Fame | 1 |