| Hardcore Holly | |
|---|---|
 Holly in 2007 | |
| Birth name | Robert William Howard[1][2] |
| Born | January 29, 1963[1] Glendale, California, U.S.[3][4] |
| Spouse(s) |
Linda Kievet (m. 2010) |
| Children | 1[3] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bob Holly[3] Bob Howard[3] Bombastic Bob[3] Hardcore Holly[5] Thurman "Sparky" Plugg[3] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[5] |
| Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | Mobile, Alabama by way San Diego, California[5] |
| Trained by | Bob Sweetan[3] Rip Tyler[3] |
| Debut | 1987[6] |
Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career with WWE.[1][2][3][5]
After debuting in 1987, Holly worked for World Organization of Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, and other independent promotions, before joining WWE full-time in 1994. Initially portraying the character of a NASCAR driver, Thurman "Sparky" Plugg, his name was soon changed to Bob "Spark Plug" Holly. In 1998, under the name of Bombastic Bob, he formed a team with Bart Gunn known as The Midnight Express. Towards the end of that same year, Howard reverted to the Bob Holly name as he joined the stable titled The J.O.B. Squad.
After the disintegration of The J.O.B. Squad in early 1999, Howard won his first singles title in WWE and shortly after he became known simply as Hardcore Holly, developing a stern and punishing persona in the process. After taking up the Hardcore Holly gimmick, he was joined by on-screen cousins Crash in 1999 and Molly in 2000.
In 2002, Hardcore Holly suffered a broken neck during a match with Brock Lesnar, which sidelined him for over a year. Upon his return, he engaged in a major feud with Lesnar for the WWE Championship and minor feuds with other wrestlers, such as Mr. Kennedy and Rob Van Dam. He later formed a tag team combination with Cody Rhodes in 2007. Holly was released from WWE in 2009, wrestling only intermittently on the independent circuit afterwards. He published his autobiography, The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story, in 2013.
Championships held by Holly over the course of his career include the WWF/E World Tag Team Championship, NWA World Tag Team Championship, and WWF Hardcore Championship.[7]
- ^ a b c Milner, John M. "Hardcore Holly". Canoe.ca. Québecor Média. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
SLAM!-releasewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bob Holly; Ross Williams (April 1, 2013). The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77090-379-1.
- ^ "Free Family Tree, Genealogy, Family History, and DNA Testing". www.myheritage.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Hardcore Holly". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
OWOWwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Hardcore Holly's Title History". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2007.