Bobby Fulton
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| Bobby Fulton | |
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Fulton in August 2014
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| Birth name | James Hines |
| Born | October 4, 1960 Chillicothe, Ohio |
| Residence | Chillicothe, Ohio |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bobby Fulton Jimmy Hines |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 16 st) |
| Billed from | Los Angeles, California |
| Debut | 1977 |
James Hines (born October 4, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobby Fulton. He was one half of the tag team The Fantastics with Tommy Rogers.
Contents
Professional wrestling career
James Hines started wrestling as a 16-year-old in 1977 as Bobby Fulton.
He spent his early career in Ohio, training and wrestling with the likes of Lord Zoltan, Fred Curry, Bull Curry and Dr. Jerry Graham. He worked for the WWWF on the Allentown and Hamburg television tapings where he faced Steve Travis and Fred Curry. He worked for Nick Gulas's Nashville territory, where he paired up with Eric Embry as the "brother" tag team of Bobby and Don Fulton.
He then moved onto Stu Hart's Calgary territory working with the likes of Bret Hart, The Dynamite Kid, The Cuban Assassin, Bobby Bass, Ross Hart, Bruce Hart, Giant Haystacks and Davey Boy Smith. Then it was on to the short-lived Knoxville territory forming a tag team with Terry Taylor called "The Fantastic Ones". After the territory closed, Hines and Taylor split up.
Hines moved on to the Jerry Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Association territory where he worked preliminary matches. He then went to Southwest Championship Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas for Joe Blanchard, battling Adrian Street and Eric Embry in a series of scaffold matches. His new tag team partner Tommy Rogers started for Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling. There the Fantastics (Fulton and Rogers) formed and feuded with the Midnight Express.
In 1984, the team continued their feud with The Midnight Express in World Class Championship Wrestling that later extended into Jim Crockett Promotions.
In 1986, they had a feud with The Sheepherders (who would become the "Bushwhackers"), Butch Miller and Luke Williams in the Universal Wrestling Federation.
In 1987, back in WCCW, they feuded with the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs (Mike Davis and Tommy Lane). They won the feud by winning a scaffold match at the "Parade of Champions" on May 3, 1987. The Fantastics also made an appearance at the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico.
They next went to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions to continue their feud with The Midnight Express and to win the NWA United States Tag Team Titles on two occasions. In 1989, they left and have been wrestling, sometimes together, sometimes not, in the independent circuit around the United States, and in All Japan Pro Wrestling.
In 1990, he started his own territory in Ohio called James Hines presents Big Time Wrestling (which was a precursor to Smoky Mountain Wrestling). The federation was based primarily in Circleville, Ohio. Hines brought in talent like Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Ronnie Garvin, Abdullah the Butcher, Cactus Jack, Wahoo McDaniel, Jake Roberts, and many more to participate in regular cards held in Circleville at the Pickaway County Fairgrounds Coliseum. Hines was the Big Time Wrestling champion several times, and also often teamed with his brother, Jackie Fulton, as the Fantastics, on these cards. These cards inspired wrestlers like Shark Boy and many others to become pro wrestlers. Fulton and Ivan Koloff ran a wrestling school in North Carolina in the early 90's. The Fantastics (Bobby and Jackie Fulton) then made regular appearances in All Japan and in Smoky Mountain Wrestling.
They made a brief appearance in the WWF in June 1997 when Fulton wrestled Rogers in what was billed as a Light Heavyweight Match. According to Fulton, they were brought in at the request of Jim Cornette to convince Vince McMahon to start a Light Heavyweight Wrestling Division, which eventually started. Contrary to popular belief, the match was not part of the tournament for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship.
In October 2015, Fulton announced he will undergo a retirement tour called the "Fantastic Finale," which will end in 2017, 40 years after his debut.
Personal life
Hines became a born-again Christian and also has been preaching the Christian gospel since October 2003. He has two sons, Dillon and Jarron; Dillon now wrestles as Fargo Fulton. He runs independent shows all throughout Ohio under the banner Big Time Wrestling. Hines is also a fan of the Original Sheik.
In wrestling
- Finishing move
- Fantastic Flip (Senton bomb)
- Signature moves
- Nicknames
- "Fantastic" Bobby Fulton
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling
- BTW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[3]
- BTW Ohio Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Jackie Fulton and Rip Rogers[3]
- Jim Crockett Promotions
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tommy Rogers
- Universal Wrestling Federation
- UWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tommy Rogers
- World Class Championship Wrestling / World Class Wrestling Association
- NWA American Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tommy Rogers
- WCWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tommy Rogers
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him # 286 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 63 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" with Tommy Rogers in 2003.
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- 5 Star Match (1986) with Tommy Rogers vs. the Sheepherders at the Crockett Cup Tournament on April 16
- Feud of the Year (1988) with Tommy Rogers vs. Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane
