Interview by Brian Kelley | Edited by Ben Simon
- DEBUT: 1997 in Rampage Championship Wrestling
- FIRST MATCH: Texas Longhorns (Texans 1 & 2) vs. Bodily Harm (Bobby D & Jimmy D)
- TRAINER: Gno “The Exterminator” Harris (pronounced “Geno”)
- FINISHER: Lariat
- NOTABLE: SICW Classic Wrestling Champion since defeating Attila Khan in a Texas Death match at the SICW Wrestling Fanfest on 5/13/23 at the Aviator Hotel in Saint Louis, Mo.
Brian Kelley: I am thrilled to interview one of the best big men in independent professional wrestling today, “The Big Texan” Jim Hoffarth. Texan, I know that you are very busy defending the Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling title and meeting with your fans so thank you for taking the time to answer 10 Questions with the Champ.
Q 1: You have been a staple of St. Louis wrestling for quite some time. Give us a brief history of how you got started in the sport. Who were your biggest influences?
Big Texan: So many people influenced me: Jeremy Lightfoot, Shawn Santel, Mauler McDarby, Gary Jackson, Rick Brewer, Amish Warrior, and easily it was Gno that gave me the most much-needed attention. A wrestler named Joe Curry got me started in this crazy world; he opened the door. Joe came into my workplace at the time and said, “Damn! You are a big guy! Have you ever thought about being a wrestler?” Joe wanted to start his own promotion and was willing to train new students. I signed on. Joe’s promotion never materialized but he introduced me to the MMWA (Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance) and its training facility.
Q 2: Were you a fan of wrestling growing up, and if so, who were your favorites?
Texan: Growing up, my father was a big wrestling fan with my brother, and I would watch it with them. Wrestling at the Chase and the WWF. We would eventually invite friends over and we would have small get-togethers while watching wrestling. Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Big Boss Man, and the Von Erichs… one rebel, Bruiser Brody, was my favorite growing up.
Q 3: What advice comes to mind that has helped you come as far as you have?
Texan: Herb Simmons’s words of wisdom: “Ears open. Mouth shut.” From the trainers, I would have to say: how to tell a story and how to work the holds.
Q 4: You were one-half of the successful Midwest tag team “Guerrilla Warfare” with Waco. You wore a mask at that time. What was that like? Share your memories of that period of your career.
Texan: Wearing the mask was a way to hide from the crowd. I always smiled… even when I should’ve been in pain. I was just having so much fun. So to block my smile, I wore the mask. I won most of my titles under the mask, with and without Waco. Waco and I won the MMWA tag straps multiple times and the Multi-State tag title which was co-promoted by New Breed Wrestling, SICW, and USA Championship Wrestling. I also won my first heavyweight title under the mask.
Q 5: You later became a fan favorite after years of being hated. For those that are new to SICW and St. Louis wrestling, explain how you won the fans’ hearts.
Texan: When I started, I was a gun-for-hire. So I did not care about titles; they came but I did not need them. My goal was to hurt my opponent. When my father would come to visit from Kansas when he retired, he would always be at my matches. One day, my father asked me, “Why wear the mask still? Wouldn’t you want fans to recognize you? Aren’t you proud of your last name?”
I decided to put my mask on the line in a match against Gary Jackson’s career. I lost, but tried to earn the fans’ respect. I couldn’t help but wonder: Did I sabotage myself? Did I give it my all?
I wrestled without the mask for about a year. My father was diagnosed with cancer, and it was a short battle. Some of the fans found out by seeing me bringing him to events. By then, word had spread around that he was my dad. I lost my father, and the fans knew, and they would send their condolences.
Fans are smart, they knew the situation that I was going through. I wrestled the day after my father’s wake. I had to. That night, I wrestled The Iceman. After I won, I continued to beat on him. Eventually, I stopped and announced my father’s death and that my father was the reason I took off the mask. I said since my father passed, I’m putting the mask back on. The fans erupted in cheers. Even though I had pummeled Iceman, they still wanted to be behind me!
Then we got into the COVID era. Everything shut down. During this time, I had a conversation with Herb Simmons about how Larry Matysik always asked why I was called “The Big Texan” and wore camo fatigues. The idea was to start going back to my roots and be a “big Texan,” like an idol of mine, Stan Hansen. After COVID, I introduced my new image and the fans immediately got behind me.
Q 6: You won the 2015 Bruiser Brody Memorial Battle Royal. With you being so big, all your opponents put a target on your back. \It must have been exhilarating to get that trophy in your hands. SICW has had many battles royal throughout the years, dating back to its relationship with the MMWA. How many do you think that you have been in, and before that, what was your favorite battle royal?
Texan: So I did win the Bruiser Brody Battle Royal one time and it was definitely an honor, because after I won, Barbara Goodish handed me that trophy. Barbara is the widow of Brody. So that one, and the first time I won MMWA Battle Royal championship are my favorites. I have been too many battle royals to count. The biggest guy is always a target.
Q 7: The current SICW talent level is off the charts with the likes of: Flash Flanagan, Steve Fender, Curtis Wylde, Gary Jackson, Bobby D, Sean Vincent, Joe Helms, and the dangerous Attila Khan. The title is coveted by all the top wrestlers. When you won the belt from Khan in St. Louis on May 13, the crowd exploded. Describe the moment before you hit that lariat to win the title through the celebration afterwards.
Texan: It couldn’t have been a better night. Attila and I had been fighting each other for almost a year. I finally got a match for his Classic title, and it fell on May 13th at our Fanfest card. We had over 40 legends there, plus an amazing crowd! Two of the legends were Stan Hansen and John Bradshaw Layfield, two great Texans who also used the lariat as their finisher. James Beard, the veteran official from Texas, was our referee. Barbara Goodish was at ringside. It was a Texas Death match, which means you must pin your opponent, but they have 10 seconds to get up. So, if he does get up, the match continues. We fought for over 20 minutes. Finally, I wrapped my arm with my bull rope and bell to deliver one last lariat, and it worked. Attila did not get up.
To win that title was everything. It was one accomplishment that had escaped me, but I wanted to win it before I retired… not that I want to retire yet! The after-party was crazy. I was hanging with the legends, drinking and staying up too early in the morning, hah!
Q 8: Herb Simmons and SICW have built a reputation for honoring the legends throughout the years. What special guests have you enjoyed sharing the ring or locker room with?
Texan: Man, so many legends! Harley Race, Million Dollar Man, Stan Hansen, JBL, Tugboat, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Jimmy Hart, Terry and Dory Funk. I have wrestled Tony Atlas, Bob Orton, and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine.
Q 9: I asked fans prior to this interview what they would like to know if I interviewed you and I had several people ask: other than yourself, which SICW wrestler has the best chop?
Texan: Jeremy Lightfoot, Bobby D, Sheik Prater, Steve Fender, and Billy Diamond are the best.
Q 10: Your next SICW Classic Championship title defense is on July 8th at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville, Ill. against the monster Kowalski. Kowalski reminds me a lot of you; he is so agile for his size but he has youth on his side. He will be hoping to power that title from your waist to become the new kingpin of SICW. For fans that have never been to an SICW event, why should they go to this one?
Texan: My matches are hard hitting battles, wars. There will not be flippy floppy moves. So, if you want to see two big brutes fight then this is the show for you. Every second Saturday of the month you can find me at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville, Ill.
Brian, thank you for inviting me to come here and talk about my history and the future of my career.
Find The Big Texan:
Missouri Wrestling Revival 