JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Seldom do people last in an industry that most wash out of in a few years. Then there’s Jimmy Hart.
The legendary pro wrestling manager started in the late 1970s and has been relevant in the industry ever since.
In fact, Hart was on WWE programming as recently as last month for Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC.
The nation really learned who Jimmy Hart was in the mid-1980s when he was one of the top managers in the newly nationalized World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Hart was a giant in the industry, managing the likes of the Hart Foundation and Honky Tonk Man with his iconic megaphone yelling at wrestlers, referees and fans alike.
Earning the nickname the “Mouth of the South,” Hart could get talent “over” like few who had ever tried being a wrestling manager.
Then it was off to a new company by the 1990s alongside Hulk Hogan as he headed for World Championship Wrestling. At that point, fans knew Hogan and Hart were not only coworkers they were also close friends and have remained so ever since.
The 81-year-old legend who’s celebrating his birthday today January 1st -- like another rock & roller type performer of his generation, Dick Clark -- never seems to age.
News4JAX’s Scott Johnson shares interviews and insights on professional wrestling and its impact on Jacksonville and beyond.
Hart is everything fans remember from the bygone era of the 1980s, still calling everyone “baby” and just as excitable as he was ringside during the early WrestleManias.
Also in this episode, Victoria Crawford is back as we break down the new streaming deals for AEW and WWE. AEW is now on Max while Monday Night Raw is debuting on Netflix.
