The Honky Tonk Man Roy Wayne " Presley " Farris ( January 25 , 1953 ) , better known by his ring name The Honky Tonk Man , is an American professional wrestler . A 1975 graduate from University of Memphis with a B . S . degree in Education , Farris coached high school football for two seasons at Munford High School in Munford , Tennessee . Currently working on the independent circuit , he previously worked for World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) and World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) - - now WWE . He is best known for his first run with WWF , where he held the WWF Intercontinental Championship for a record 64 weeks , and lost it to Ultimate Warrior in the very first pay - per - view of SummerSlam . He is the cousin of professional wrestler and color commentator Jerry " The King " Lawler . Professional wrestling career . Early years ( 1977 – 1986 ) . Farris began his career in Memphis Wrestling in 1978 . He wrestled frequently in Birmingham , Alabama with SECW / CCW / CWF as Dynamite Wayne Farris . Originally a low - card wrestler , he later achieved greater success when he teamed with Larry Latham to form The Blond Bombers tag team with Sgt . Danny Davis as their manager . The Blond Bombers were involved in heated feuds with several baby faces across the two competing Tennessee promotions , appearing in both Nick Gulas Nashville based territory , and Jerry Jarrett ' s Memphis area . Their signature moment was the now famous " Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl " against Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee . He then had stints in the American Wrestling Association , NWA Mid - Atlantic , World Wrestling Council , NWA Southeastern , and Stampede Wrestling through the early ' 80s , winning multiple singles and tag team championships in each . World Wrestling Federation ( 1986 – 1991 ) . Early run ( 1986 – 1987 ) . Farris entered the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) in 1986 under the ring name Honky Tonk Man . Honky made his televised WWF debut on the September 28 , 1986 episode of " Wrestling Challenge " , defeating Terry Gibbs . Originally pushed as a fan favorite wrestler with an Elvis impersonator gimmick , Honky soon cut a series of promo s that aired on the WWF ' s syndicated programming asking fans for a " vote of confidence , " while these promos actually insulted fans in the manner of Andy Kaufman before him . The results predictably came back negative , and it was not long before Honky turned into a cocky villain and took on Jimmy " Mouth of the South " Hart as his manager . Hart was billed as " Colonel " for Honky ' s matches , a reference to Elvis ' manager , Col . Tom Parker . Honky ' s first major feud came against Jake " the Snake " Roberts , who was in the midst of a fan favorite turn . The feud intensified when Honky attacked Roberts on his talk show set , " The Snake Pit " . According to Roberts , Farris was supposed to hit him with a gimmicked balsa wood guitar . Roberts believes Farris accidentally grabbed a real , non - gimmicked guitar and smashed it across Roberts ' back , injuring him , and starting him on his dependence of prescription pain medication . However , in an interview for " World Wrestling Insanity " , the Honky Tonk Man disputed Roberts ' assertion saying " That ' s not true and , in fact I attribute most of that to Mick Foley , who wrote about it in his book , and Jake , who lied about it . " During the feud , at WrestleMania III , Honky grabbed the ring ropes to score a tainted win ; afterward , Roberts cleared the ring of Honky before he and Alice Cooper attacked Hart with Roberts ' python , Damien . Intercontinental Champion ( 1987 – 1988 ) . On June 13 , 1987 episode of " Superstars " , Honky defeated Ricky " The Dragon " Steamboat for the WWF Intercontinental Championship ; Honky reversed Steamboat ' s inside cradle and grabbed onto the bottom ropes for extra leverage to get the pin . Honky was originally meant to be a transitional champion but as Roberts was still suffering the intermittent effects of the guitar shot several months earlier , Honky was booked to remain champion for what would be a record - setting run . To preserve his title , Honky often got himself counted out or disqualified on purpose against challengers such as Steamboat , Billy Jack Haynes , Bruno Sammartino , and George " The Animal " Steele . Also during this time , Honky began using a 50s - styled , themed entrance song performed by Farris ( included on " Piledriver - The Wrestling Album 2 " , the WWF ' s second album of wrestling themes ) . By September 1987 , " Macho Man " Randy Savage was in the midst of a face turn and began challenging Honky for the Intercontinental title ( after Honky had made comments about himself being " the greatest Intercontinental champion of all time " and disparaging comments about former champions , particularly Savage ) . Although they had several matches beforehand — they had also met in 1986 , when the then - heel Savage was champion and challenged by the face Honky — the first Savage - Honky match to air on national television was on the October 3 , 1987 edition of " Saturday Night ' s Main Event " , which was taped on September 23 in Hershey , Pennsylvania . During that match , Savage nearly defeated Honky until Honky ' s allies , the Hart Foundation ( who had interfered throughout the match ) , ran into the ring and brutally attacked Savage , getting Honky disqualified . Savage ' s valet , Miss Elizabeth , attempted to stop the carnage but Honky shoved her down and she fled to the locker room ; meanwhile , Honky completed his attempt to break his guitar over Savage ' s head . Shortly thereafter , Elizabeth returned with Savage ' s former rival , Hulk Hogan , who aided Savage in running off the heels ( leading to the formation of The Mega Powers ) . Honky continued his bitter feud against Savage . Frequently , Honky would make advances toward Elizabeth — including one such incident at the 1987 Slammy Awards — to agitate his challenger . Honky retained the title in matches with Savage and Brutus " The Barber " Beefcake , Honky ' s next major rival . During the Beefcake - Honky feud - which began at WrestleMania IV and continued during the spring and summer of 1988 - Honky vowed not to let Beefcake cut his ducktail hair , something Beefcake often said he would do in promos . In their matches , Honky was often seconded by a mysterious woman named Peggy Sue ; while Sherri Martel sometimes played the role , more often than not , " Peggy Sue " was Hart dressed in drag . Beefcake countered with a " woman " of his own : " Georgina " ( George " The Animal " Steele in drag ) . Honky and Beefcake were scheduled to square off at the 1988 SummerSlam in what was billed as Beefcake ' s last shot at the Intercontinental title . However , in a storyline twist , Beefcake was thrust in a feud with " Outlaw " Ron Bass after Bass committed a sneak attack on Beefcake ; the incident was aired the weekend before SummerSlam . At the event , it was announced that a " mystery opponent " would face Honky for the title . When it came time for the match , Honky proclaimed he did not care who is opponent was . The Ultimate Warrior ran out and beat his stunned opponent in just 31 seconds for the Intercontinental Championship . Honky had been the champion for one year , two months and 27 days , a record that still stands today . Honky ' s bids to reclaim the title were unsuccessful and he began moving down the card . Rhythm and Blues & Departure ( 1989 – 1991 ) . In 1989 , Honky began a feud against " The American Dream " Dusty Rhodes , but came up short . His last major push came in late 1989 and 1990 , when he and Greg Valentine wrestled as the tag team Rhythm and Blues , competing against such teams as the Hart Foundation and The Legion of Doom . Rhythm & Blues were part of Ted DiBiase ' s " Million Dollar Team " along with his " mystery " partner , the debuting Undertaker , to compete against Rhodes ' " Dream Team " of the Hart Foundation and Koko B . Ware at the 1990 Survivor Series . Honky wrapped up his WWF career with a stint as a pro - heel color commentator alongside Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper on " Superstars " before leaving in January 1991 . World Championship Wrestling ( 1994 ) . In 1994 , Honky was working for World Championship Wrestling and was challenging Johnny B . Badd for the WCW World Television Championship when he left due to a dispute with management . In his book " Controversy Creates Cash " , Eric Bischoff stated that his favorite firing was that of the Honky Tonk Man . Honky has responded by saying that it was an honor as Bischoff had fired a number of people while in WCW . World Wrestling Federation ( 1997 – 1998 ; 2001 ) . After a brief stint in the American Wrestling Federation , Honky resurfaced in the WWF in 1997 as a color commentator on " Raw is War " and then as the manager of Billy Gunn , who had started a singles run . Under Honky ' s tutelage , Gunn became known as " Rockabilly " , which was a short - lived and unsuccessful gimmick . Honky then made an appearance in the 1998 Royal Rumble event . The Honky Tonk Man returned to the WWF for a one - time appearance at 2001 Royal Rumble , but was quickly eliminated by Kane after being hit on the head with his guitar . Independent Circuit ( 2000 - Present ) . Since 2000 , the Honky Tonk Man has worked independent wrestling shows all over the world . The Honky Tonk Man , along with Ryan Smith and a host of others , ran a series of controversial wrestling websites from 2000 - 2006 . TheHonkyTonkMan . com featured frequent updates from the Honky Tonk Man himself , a highly interactive message board community , extensive photo gallery , audio updates , and more . Notable online feuds began between the Honky Tonk Man and Jerry " The King " Lawler , " Rowdy " Roddy Piper , and others . These often intense online rivalries became a major drawing point for fans . The website unexpectedly closed without much explanation in December 2006 . The site now forwards to various new ventures of former website manager Ryan Smith , who remains tight - lipped about the closing . The Honky Tonk Man has wrestled for Southern Championship Wrestling in Castroville , Texas , and MSW in eastern Canada . On April 23 , 2008 , Honky Tonk Man was seen wrestling in Presque Isle , Maine for the North Atlantic American Wrestling Association promotion . He appeared on Heavy on Wrestling on June 14 , 2008 , in Superior , Wisconsin . He wrestled as a face , defeating Big Brody Hoofer and hitting Cameron Steele with a guitar . He also appeared at PDX Wrestling ( the new - age Portland Wrestling , run by Sandy Barr ' s son Josh ) as a face teaming with a local face against two heels . His song signaled his entrance , with the audience singing " Honky Tonk Man " when signaled , as well as after he won the match when his song again sounded . On April 26 , 2008 - Honky was inducted into the XWF Hall of Fame by its creator Jack Blaze at their " XWF Superbrawl 2008 " event . XWF was later renamed LPW ( Legends Pro Wrestling ) where Honky is still honored in their Hall of Fame - Class 2008 . On June 28 , 2008 , in Chicago Ridge , Illinois , he made a special guest appearance for Ring of Honor with the storyline that " Sweet N ' Sour " Larry Sweeney had brought him on board with his Sweet N ' Sour Inc . faction . He praised the crowd and was about to sing and dance for them until Sweeney stepped in and told him he wouldn ' t be doing either until their demands were met . On July 27 , 2008 , Honky Tonk Man almost had the index finger of his right hand severed during a public appearance before an Ultimate Championship Wrestling show in Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada . As Honky Tonk Man told the story , he was doing an appearance at Boston Pizza in Charlottetown several hours before the show when someone wanted to take a photo with him with both men clashing guitars . When the guitars collided , the neck of Honky Tonk Man ' s guitar turned and sliced into Honky Tonk Man ' s finger , almost severing it . Honky Tonk Man was immediately taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where doctors stitched the finger and bandaged it . Honky Tonk Man made his appearance at the Ultimate Championship Wrestling show several hours later . He was unable to wrestle his scheduled match due to the injury and was replaced by Trash Canyon , whom he managed from ringside . Honky Tonk Man , although injured and in obvious pain , sang his theme song twice in the ring . He is expected to finish the tour with UCW , although the injury may prevent him from wrestling . In August 2008 , Honky Tonk Man appeared at Wrestling Supershows across Canada . Honky Tonk Man also made appearances in SWCW in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . On October 24 , 2008 , he wrestled for Big Time Wrestling ( his first match in four months ) , beating L ' Empereur . On January 7 , 2009 , he appeared in a World Pro Wrestling event in Colusa , California , teaming with Doink The Clown ( a new masked version ) to face WPW World Tag Team Champions The First Class Express , Jerry Grey and Mighty Henrich . The match ended in a no - contest as Doink turn on Honky and the three triple - teamed him . On May 7 , 2009 , Honky Tonk Man and Bushwacker Luke defeated " Kowboy " Mike Hughes and " Wildman " Gary Williams for the UCW Tag Team Championship . On January 31 , 2011 , Honky Tonk Man made his Dynamic Wrestling Alliance debut defeating Col . Jonathan James at the " Golden Opportunity II " event in Middletown , Ohio . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2008 ) . In 2008 , Santino Marella announced his intention to break Honky Tonk Man ' s record for longest Intercontinental Championship reign , usually displaying a special " Honk - a - meter " comparing Honky Tonk Man ' s 64 - week record with the length of his own reign at the time . On the October 6 , 2008 edition of " Raw " , the Honky Tonk Man , along with Goldust and Roddy Piper , was named as one of the possible opponents for Marella ' s Intercontinental Championship at Cyber Sunday . He was voted in with 35 % of the vote ; despite concern that his injured finger might require surgery , he did appear , winning the match by disqualification ( thus failing to win the title ) . This was the first time that he wrestled as a face in the WWE ( WWF ) since he first joined it in 1986 . After the match had ended , Goldust and Piper came down to the ring and , along with Honky , attacked Marella . Afterward , the three legends celebrated in the ring and shared a laugh , brought on by the Honky Tonk Man ' s celebratory dance , which came to an abrupt halt due to his slipping on Goldust ' s wig . On the October 27 edition of " Raw " , The Honky Tonk Man appeared as a special guest commentator . After an impersonation of Marella ' s on - screen girlfriend , Beth Phoenix , Charlie Haas was knocked into the announcer table , and Santino attacked Honky Tonk Man , prompting Piper and Goldust to block Marella ' s escape from the ring . Upon Goldust ' s entry to the ring , Marella turned around to be smashed over the head by Honky Tonk Man ' s guitar . The Honky Tonk Man inducted Koko B . Ware into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 4 , 2009 . Personal life . Farris is a first cousin of professional wrestler Jerry " The King " Lawler ( the two have long had an unsteady relationship due to family issues ) and is therefore a first cousin once removed of Brian Christopher . He is an avid golfer . He is a minister with the Universal Life Church . Farris has been married for 22 years and has a daughter named Megan and a son named Roy . Honky Tonk Man has had real - life feuds with members of the professional wrestling business including Hulk Hogan , Dynamite Kid , Roddy Piper , Bret Hart , Ric Flair , Kevin Nash , Ted DiBiase , Eric Bischoff , Bubba the Love Sponge and Ricky Steamboat . Other media . The Honky Tonk Man appeared in an episode of the court based show " Judge Jeanine Pirro " as a witness to the defendant . The episode aired on October 11 , 2010 . This episode was the highest rated show for Judge Pirro of all time . The Honky Tonk Man appears in the game " WWE All Stars " as a free downloadable character .