BROOKLYN, N.Y. — 1,103 miles from Graceland, Tenn., The Honky Tonk Man rolled into the Barclays Center in a pink Cadillac, a bopping young lady at his side and sequins covering every square inch of his jumpsuit. But that was about as cool, cocky and bad as the legendary Intercontinental Champion’s WWE Hall of Fame induction got; Honky seemed somewhat surprised to have gotten the nod in the first place, so his speech was a marked contrast to the hip-swiveling scoundrel that hoarded the Intercontinental Title for 400 some-odd days. “Never say never in WWE because you never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I am living proof of that for sure.”
In fact, Honky’s induction was more of a showcase for the man beneath the jumpsuit instead of the character that launched him to stardom, from Jimmy Hart’s induction speech to the story that made up the bulk of his turn on the mic: The tale of how The Honky Tonk Man character was created. In short, the look came from him, the name from Johnny Horton’s 1956 hit, and the good word that got him to WWE came via an assist from a slyly unnamed Hulk Hogan.
From there, his thanks were reserved for WWE, as Honky gave the company credit for shining up the character he had created and turning it into a household name. “For all this, I will be forever grateful to WWE,” Honky said. “It really is, truly an honor to be part of such an incredible family.” Because he couldn’t leave without singing his big hit, he serenaded the audience with a final rendition of “Cool, Cocky, Bad” while taking a lap around the arena. From there, it was back behind the curtain and onto whatever life awaits a hit singer, record-setting champion and certified WWE Hall of Famer. Whatever it is, it’s a safe bet that the cars are fast, the girls are pretty, and everyone’s always up for a song.
Article source: WWE.com