History Wrestling / JimFullington

* TechnicianVsPerformer: No one would ever claim that Sandman was a technical star alongside Wrestling/ChrisBenoit, Wrestling/BretHart, or Wrestling/DeanMalenko, but he was as loved in ECW as Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]], or Wrestling/RicFlair. He also performs purely for the love of the sport, being independently wealthy for years.

* SaltAndPepper: With 2 Cold Scorpio.

* RatedMForManly: He drinks a 12-pack before he gets to the ring while the whole arena sings "Enter Sandman".

* CarryABigStick: UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} canes are his WeaponOfChoice.

* WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} canes are his WeaponOfChoice.
* WouldHitAGirl: Wrestling/KellyKelly, of all people.

James Fullington (born June 16, 1963) is a retired American[[note]]Depending on the source, he's either from Philadelphia, Utah or Tampa.[[/note]] {{professional wrestl|ing}}er known as The Sandman. He is best known for his time in Wrestling/{{ECW}}, where he was a 5x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html NWA ECW Heavyweight/ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champion]] with [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]].

-->"PARENTAL WARNING: Sandman Has Been Known To Promote Smoking, Drinking And Ass Kicking. Keep Away From [[TyopOnTheCover Childern]]."

Not to be confused with the [[TheSandman mythological character]] (we think), the [[ComicBook/TheSandman Neil Gaiman comic]], or [[VideoGame/PunchOut the boxer]].

In 2005, WWE came knocking when they were in the middle of reviving the ECW brand. The company wisely kept Sandman offstage the majority of the time, employing him as a kind of vigilante who appeared when [[TheJudge some injustice was done]]. In June 2007 he got drafted into ''[[Wrestling/WWERaw Raw]]'', but was soon released from his contract on September of that year. Since then he has run with many promotions, including International Wrestling Cartel (where he became IWC Heavyweight Champion), Wrestling/{{MLW}} and Wrestling/{{TNA}} as part of its ECW reunion show, ''[=HardCORE Justice=]''.

His began his career as Mr. Sandman in 1989, when he primarily wrestled in [[http://www.twaprowrestling.com/ Tri-State Wrestling Alliance]] under a surfer gimmick. He struck gold in the mid-nineties, when ECW Vice-President Tod Gordon suggested that he mould a gimmick around his own powerful personality: the wetsuits were mercifully now out, and the black wifebeaters and kendo sticks were in. While not the most gifted worker, that [[WrestlingPsychology arguably played to his advantage]] and he knew how to work a crowd; Wrestling/PaulHeyman knew a marketing hook when he saw it and dubbed Sandman "[[TheFace The Ambassador of Extreme]]".

* HalfTruth: During the "Who is [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Mr. McMahon]]'s illegitimate son?" storyline, the payoff had numerous possible suspects in the ring, which were eliminated one by one as clues were read out by a lawyer to the "son"'s identity. However, according to [[spoiler:the eventual revealee]] Hornswoggle in a shoot interview well after the fact, Sandman stayed in the ring ''long'' after it was his cue to leave. He had a reason, in his own mind, to stay: all the descriptors the lawyer was rattling off applied to him as well. They eventually had to call an audible to get him to leave.

James Fullington (born June 16, 1963) is a retired American[[note]]Depending on the source, he's either from Philadelphia, Utah or Tampa.[[/note]] {{professional wWrestl|ing}}er known as The Sandman. He is best known for his time in Wrestling/{{ECW}}, where he was a 5x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html NWA ECW Heavyweight/ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champion]] with [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]].

A former International Wrestling Cartel Champion, James Fullington (born June 16, 1963) is a retired American[[note]]Depending on the source, he's either from Philadelphia, Utah or Tampa.[[/note]] {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er known as The Sandman. He is best known for his time in Wrestling/{{ECW}}, where he was a 5x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html NWA ECW Heavyweight/ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champion]] with [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]].

His began his career as Mr. Sandman in 1989, when he primarily wrestled in [[http://www.twaprowrestling.com/ Tri-State Wrestling Alliance]] under a surfer gimmick. Jim struck gold in the mid-nineties, when ECW Vice-President Tod Gordon suggested that he mould a gimmick around his own powerful personality: the wetsuits were mercifully now out, and the black wifebeaters and kendo sticks were in. While not the most gifted worker, that [[WrestlingPsychology arguably played to his advantage]] and he knew how to work a crowd; Wrestling/PaulHeyman knew a marketing hook when he saw it and dubbed Sandman "[[TheFace The Ambassador of Extreme]]".

In 2005, WWE came knocking when they were in the middle of reviving the ECW brand. The company wisely kept Sandman offstage the majority of the time, employing him as a kind of grunge {{Wrestling/Sting}} who appeared when [[TheJudge some injustice was done]]. When WWECW was retired, Jim got drafted into ''[[Wrestling/WWERaw Raw]]'', but was soon fired after arguing with Wrestling/RickySteamboat on a non-smoking flight. That's about the size of it. Since then he has run with many promotions, including Wrestling/{{MLW}} and Wrestling/{{TNA}} as part of its ECW reunion show, ''[=HardCORE Justice=]''.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: To the point that some people thought [[Wrestling/SteveAustin Austin]] was ripping ''him'' off by cursing and drinking beer. Which becomes even funnier when people who hadn't seen the Sandman in the original ECW wondered if ''he'' was ripping off ''Austin!'' Of course, as beer-drinking brawlers, they were ''both'' following in the tradition of Dick the Bruiser and the Crusher.

** Tommy Cairo, Wrestling/TommyDreamer, [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]], Wrestling/ShaneDouglas, Wrestling/MikeyWhipwreck, Wrestling/{{Sabu}}, Justin Credible, Wrestling/{{Rh|yno}}ino.

* BackFromTheDead: According to Wrestling/TommyDreamer on the Wrestling/SteveAustin podcast, Sandman ''literally died'' the night before one particular unnamed event. As Dreamer tells it, he was running the show while Heyman was absent, and he was concerned because Sandman, Wrestling/{{Rhyno}} and a few other guys were running late. Eventually Rhyno comes in and is visibly upset, and tells a shocked Dreamer that Sandman died from a drug overdose in the car they were all riding in, only to say that the brought him back. Rhyno claimed that they got rid of the drugs and took him to a hospital where he was revived, and even more crazily Sandman phoned Dreamer from the hospital and told him he was still coming in to do the match (which he ''did''). And apparently Sandman himself brushed the whole thing off because it was something like the third time it had happened.

* {{Beergasm}}: Chugs on his way to the ring. Has also shown up and wrestled after getting drunk beforehand. Among his other enthusiasms are:
** CanCrushingCranium: Would bust himself open before he even got to the ring by smashing beer cans against his head.
--->'''Wrestling/JoeyStyles''': He's already [[BloodUpgrade busted open]]; the match hasn't even begun yet!
** DrunkenMaster: He would drink beer on his way to the ring and sometimes even during the matches. It also led to the names of some of his big moves. See below.
** He showed up for a match held by the IPW promotion in Florida ''without'' his trademark [=beergut=], and he actually looked ''emaciated'' and ''unhealthy'' as a result.
** INeedAFreakingDrink: Called out for a beer after Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys had defeated he and Dreamer in the main event of ''ECW One Night Stand 2005''. He finally got it, courtesy of Stone Cold …who was clearly, ''clearly'' drunk off his ass himself. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensued.]]
** SmokingIsCool: Oh, almost forgot: Along with drinking on his way to the ring, he'd also smoke. [[Wrestling/HulkHogan No milk and vitamins]] for him.

* BitingTheHandHumor: {{Creator/SyFy}} mandated that there had to be some supernatural or alien wrestlers on the revamped ECW to justify a place on their esteemed network. The Sandman caning a zombie was Heyman's response to that mandate.

* CarryABigStick[=/=]WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} canes are his WeaponOfChoice.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: His SurferDude gimmick.

* HiddenDepths: The body of a sex offender powered by the brain of a Rhodes scholar.
** Something he has in common with Wrestling/JamesMitchell, according to the documentary ''Forever Hardcore''.
--->"So instead of [[HookersAndBlow screwing rats and shooting drugs]] like everybody probably assumed we were doing, a night of me and Sandman going was, ''(raspy shouting)'' "YO! RED GUY! I WANT YA TO THINK OF A COUNTRY BELOW THE 38TH PARALLEL, AND IT'S A DICTATORSHIP!" Czechoslovakia. "PURR-FECT!! HOW'D YA KNOW THAT?! NOW, WHAT WAS THE DICTATOR'S NAME?" Sit up and play trivia all night."
** The Sandman's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsSK018TfVw pre-teen son]] has him beat, though.

* ''{{Leitmotif}}'': Music/{{Metallica}}'s "Enter Sandman", often doubling as a CrowdSong.
* NinetiesAntiHero: Had every indicator of being a heel, but he's too cool for that. He did indeed do a heel run in XPW for a year.

* RatedMForManly: He drinks a 12-pack before he gets to the ring, motorboats a hottie and the whole arena sings "Enter Sandman". ''Every'' match needs more Sandman.

* SquashMatch: Pinned Chad Austin in 9 '''seconds''' at ECW's March 5, 1994 show.

* [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead Wearing a Flag on Your Pants]]: Wrestled in American flag colored pants for a time. Wrestling/JoeyStyles called him a "disgrace to the American flag."

* ArchEnemy: Tommy Cairo, Wrestling/TommyDreamer, [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]], Wrestling/ShaneDouglas, Wrestling/MikeyWhipwreck, Wrestling/{{Sabu}}, Justin Credible, Wrestling/{{Rh|yno}}ino.

Not to be confused with the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman mythological character]] (we think), the [[ComicBook/TheSandman Neil Gaiman comic]], or [[VideoGame/PunchOut the boxer]].

* BashBrothers: 2 Cold Scorpio, Tommy Dreamer, [[Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys Little Spike Dudley]], Wrestling/TerryFunk

A former International Wrestling Cartel Champion, Jim Fullington (b. 1963) is a retired American[[note]]Depending on the source, he's either from Philadelphia, Utah or Tampa.[[/note]] {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er known as The Sandman. He is best known for his time in Wrestling/{{ECW}}, where he was a 5x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html NWA ECW Heavyweight/ECW World Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champion]] with [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]].

!!! "These tropes are politically incorrect, and damn proud of it!":

-->"PARENTAL WARNING: Sandman Has Been Known To Promote Smoking, Drinking And Ass Kicking. Keep Away From Children."

His began his career as Mr. Sandman in 1989, when he primarily wrestled in [[http://www.twaprowrestling.com/ Tri-State Wrestling Alliance]] under a surfer gimmick ([[{{pun}} oy vey.]]) Jim struck gold in the mid-nineties, when ECW Vice-President Tod Gordon suggested that he mould a gimmick around his own powerful personality: the wetsuits were mercifully now out, and the black wifebeaters and kendo sticks were in. While not the most gifted worker, that [[WrestlingPsychology arguably played to his advantage]] and he knew how to work a crowd; Wrestling/PaulHeyman knew a marketing hook when he saw it and dubbed Sandman "[[TheFace The Ambassador of Extreme]]".

* RealSongThemeTune: Pre-"Enter Sandman", of course.
** Music/TheBeachBoys' "Surfin' USA"
** Music/BillyJoel's "Big Shot"
** Music/EltonJohn's "The Bitch is Back"