Robert William Howard Jr. (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor and former auto racer, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) where he also worked under the ring names Thurman "Sparky" Plugg, Bob "Spark Plug" Holly and Bombastic Bob, albeit in more minor roles than when he used the Hardcore Holly name.
After debuting in 1990, Holly worked for 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, he formed a team with Bart Gunn, known as The New Midnight Express. After becoming known simply as "Hardcore Holly" in 1999, he was joined by on-screen cousins, Crash and Molly. In 2002, he suffered a broken neck, which sidelined him for over a year. Upon his return, he engaged in a major feud with Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship and minor feuds with wrestlers such as Mr. Kennedy and Rob Van Dam, before forming a tag team with Cody Rhodes in 2007. Holly departed WWE in 2009, wrestling intermittently on the independent circuit. He published his autobiography, The Hardcore Truth: The Bob Holly Story, in 2013 to positive reviews.
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.
WWE World Tag Team Champion 2007 WWE Mens | WWE World Tag Team Champion 1999 WWE Mens | WWE World Tag Team Champion 1995 WWE Mens |
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