The Sandman

Photo credit: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Real name: James Fullington
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 244 lbs.
Date of birth: June 16, 1963
From: Philadelphia, PA
Pro debut: 1989
Trained by: JT Smith & Joel Goodhart
Finishing move: Rolling Rock

Biography

– After training at the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance Academy, Fullington started wrestling under the guidance of Peaches, his real life wife Lori.
– On September 21, 1991, The Sandman won a “last blood battle royal” in Philadelphia, PA.
– Fullingon and Peaches moved to Tod Gordon’s Eastern Championship Wrestling, which eventually became ECW.
– On November 16, 1992, The Sandman defeated Don Muraco for the ECW title.
– For a moment, The Sandman was blinded and accidentally struck his wife. Tommy Cairo, his best friend and tag team partner, assisted Peaches back to her feet as Fullington regained his site. He immediately struck Cairo.
– With Peaches and Cairo together, the Sandman found a new valet – Woman (Nancy Sullivan Benoit).
– On May 14, 1994, The Sandman and Woman faced Peaches and Cairo in a mixed gender match. Peaches pinned The Sandman, but Woman threw powder in her eyes allowing Fullington to cane Cairo. The Singapore Cane became apart of the Sandman’s gimmick.
– At Heatwave ’94, The Sandman defeated Cairo in a “dueling canes” match.
– On March 18, 1995, The Sandman and Terry Funk defeated Shane Douglas and Cactus Jack (Mick Foley).
– The Sandman relieved Douglas of the ECW title on April 15, 1995. Woman had joined Douglas, but turned against him during the match.
– At Hardcore Heaven ’95, The Sandman pinned Cactus Jack.
– The Sandman pinned Axl Rotten at Heatwave ’95 at the ECW Arena.
– 2 Cold Scorpio defeated the Public Enemy’s Rocco Rock on October 28, 1995. The ECW Tag Team and Television titles were both at stake, and as a result of Scorpio’s victory, The Sandman and Scorpio became Tag Team champions.
– Scorpio awarded Fullington a tag-team championship on the same night the Sandman lost the ECW title to Mikey Whipwreck in a ladder match.
– The Sandman won a triangle match over Steve Austin and Mikey Whipwreck on December 9, 1995, for his third ECW title reign.
– In 1996, The Sandman gained the entrance theme “Enter Sandman,” and a new valet, Missy Hyatt.
– At House Party ’96, The Sandman successfully defended the ECW title against Konnan.
– On October 5, 1996, The Sandman and Dreamer faced Stevie (Steven) Richards and Brian Lee. Raven’s ECW title was on line when he missed the show. The Sandman pinned Richards to once again become ECW champion.
– At the 1996 November 2 Remember, The Sandman defeated Raven.
– The Sandman defeated Balls Mahoney at Hostile City Showdown ’97.
– At the 1998 House Party, The Sandman defeated Sabu in a “Stairway to Hell” match.
– Mahoney, Rotten, and The Sandman beat Kronus, New Jack, and Spike Dudley and the Dudley Boys in a “three way dance” at Cyberslam ’98.
– Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman beat the Dudley Boys when Sandman pinned D-Von and Dreamer pinned Buh Buh Ray.
– At Heatwave ’98, Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman, and Little Spike Dudley beat The Dudley Boys (Buh Buh Ray, D-Von and Big Dick) in a “street fight.”
– Fullington entered WCW as Hardcore Hak. He was managed by Chastity during his WCW tenure.
– Hak defeated Raven and Bam Bam Bigelow in a “three way dance” at the 1999 Uncensored in Louisville, KY.
– At the 1999 Great American Bash, Hak defeated Brian Knobs in a hardcore match.
– A short time later, WCW released Chastity and announced it was phasing out hardcore matches. It was just a matter of time before Fullington returned to ECW.
– The Sandman returned to ECW on October 23, 1999. He interrupted a Raven/Dreamer vs. the Impact Players tag match. After the match, The Sandman and Dreamer drank beer to the pleasure of the ECW Arena crowd.
– On July 7, 2001, The Sandman defeated Vic Grimes on a XPW show in Los Angeles, CA.
– On December 14, 2001, The Sandman did an invasion angle at the ECW Arena for Combat Zone Wrestling.
– In January 2002, The Sandman made his debut in Japan for the FMW promotion.
– On April 13, 2002, The Sandman defeated Barry Horowitz in Davies, FL for the Future of Wrestling Hardcore title.
– The Sandman made his NWA TNA debut on February 12, 2003.
– A short time later, The Sandman was banned from working in Pennsylvania by the State’s Athletic Commission.
– On March 29, 2003, The Sandman won a battle royal in Clifton, NJ to briefly win the SSCW title.
– WWE signed The Sandman in the spring of 2006 to be apart of the new ECW brand.
– At Wrestlemania 23, the ECW originals (RVD, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu and The Sandman) defeated the New Breed (Kevin Thorn, Matt Striker, Elijah Burke, and Marcus Cor Von).
– At One Night Stand ’07, Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and CM Punk defeated Cor Von, Burke and Striker in a “tables” match.
– The Sandman was drafted by the Raw brand during the June 17, 2007 supplemental draft.
– On June 16, 2007, The Sandman and Johnny Grunge were inducted into the New Alhambra Hardcore Hall of Fame.
– WWE released The Sandman on September 11, 2007.
– On December 8, 2007, The Sandman defeated Dennis Gregory in a Cage Match to win the IWC World Title
– On January 19, 2008, The Sandman defeated Gregory to retain the IWC World Title
– At House of Hardcore XXIII, Sandman & Tommy Dreamer defeated The Spirit Squad (Kenny & Mikey)
– The Sandman won the DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title from Joey Ryan in March 2017
– Sandman made a one-night return to Impact in June 2019
– Sandman was profiled on the fifth season of Vice TV’s Dark Side Of The Ring