'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan discusses heart procedure, winning the first Royal Rumble, being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. Duggan is best known for his time in WWF/E from 1987-1993, and again in 2005-2009, as well as his WCW run from 1994 to 2001.

Duggan is known for coming to the ring with a 2x4, tossing it in the air, catching it, giving a thumbs up, and belting out a, "HOOOOOO, USA, USA!"

While in WWF/E, he won the first ever Royal Rumble Match. In WCW, Duggan was the United States and Television Champion. In 1998, while wrestling for WCW, Duggan was diagnosed with cancer.

My interview with the WWE Hall of Famer appears below:

SK: Duggan, how are you doing today?

Duggan: Great Lee, but you know the first thing Hacksaw's got to do is give a big HOOOOOOO! It fires me up, you know? It gets old Hacksaw ready to go nowadays.

SK: We know you recently had a heart procedure done. How are you feeling?

Duggan: Doing great, thank you. I had a procedure done called an ablation. They went in and shocked my heart back into rhythm. So, God bless. The heart itself was in fine order, all my arteries are good, and the valves are fine. It's just - I didn't have any rhythm. I told everyone they were going to shock me into a rhythm and Jake 'The Snake' called me and said, "Duggan, you never had any rhythm!"

SK: May 26th, 1987, everyone knows what happened with you and The Sheik, but in the fall of 1987, you had a big push against King Harley Race. What was it like having that feud after that incident?

Duggan: Well, I was lucky to survive the whole incident with The Sheik. That hamstringed my career like nothing ever would. I was never World Champion; I was never an Intercontinental Champion; I was never Tag Team Champion even though the company kept me pretty strong. That incident affected my career. I was lucky to survive it professionally. So, having the opportunity to work with one of my friends and the all-time greats with King Harley Race, it was a huge opportunity and a huge second chance.

SK: That push continued in 1988, you're the first-ever Royal Rumble winner. What was it like being the first Royal Rumble winner, and what's it like now to see how the Royal Rumble has become one of the four significant pay per views?

Duggan: I don't think back then anyone would realize how big the Royal Rumble would become, but then again, nobody knew how big the WWF/E would become the worldwide powerhouse that it is, but back then it was just a show. We did it, got on the road, and did another show. I didn't realize what a huge impact it would have on my career. It's by far the largest feather in my cap, winning the first-ever Royal Rumble.

SK: Flash forward to 1993, Yokozuna wins the Royal Rumble. You're billed as the first person ever to knock Yokozuna off his feet on an episode of WWF Superstars. What was it like to be the one to do that?

Duggan: It was great. As I said, they put some gas on me. That was big to knock Yokozuna down. Actually, knocking Andre The Giant out with my 2x4 was probably the deal that elevated me from a mid-card guy to the main event guy. That's the business. People do you a favor, and you do favors in return.

SK: What was it like working with the greats like Harley Race, Hogan, and hitting Andre with your 2x4?

Duggan: That was the golden age of wrestling, of course. I was just lucky enough to be part of that group. People can name twenty guys without thinking, Jake, Junk Yard Dog, One Man Gang, Magnum, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Von Erich, 'Boss Man,' 'Macho.' It was just the Golden Age of Wrestling.

SK: What was your feud like with HBK, going for the IC title, and was there ever a point you felt those with the brass rings were going to strap you with the belt?

Duggan: No. I was never really concerned with winning a belt. All through my whole career, that's never been my character. My whole deal is I don't care if I win the match, as long as I win the fight, tough guy! So, go ahead and win the one, two, three, but you know when the match is over, 'Hacksaw' Duggan - Oh, I'm sorry brother. Sometimes I get fired up.

SK: What was it like for you when WWE called for you to go into the WWE Hall of Fame?

Duggan: It was great. To be in any profession, to be recognized by your peers is a huge honor. To be put in the WWE Hall of Fame is great. To have a second generation guy like Ted DiBiase put me in was great. It was in Atlanta, so I had my cheering section down there. It was close enough to home and worked out great.

SK: Jim, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. It's been an honor

Duggan: My pleasure, Lee. Before you go, young man, give me a HOOO brother, and if you're going to HOOO, HOOO like you mean it.

Together: HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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We want to thank Scott Wilder Promotions for allowing us to interview 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan. You can listen to the interview below.

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